Job Discussion Forums

alrahbimommy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Muscat

hi, I live in Oman (but I am American) so I know the life and how people here live on what I like to say is "Inshallah time." I know what to expect from most places being I live here and see how daily life here is run. my question is this:

Has CECNE changed alot from the older post i have seen on this board? I know it is under new management and although I have been to the office and met the people and I will not have a flat from them (being I already live here)
I am looking for anyone who has recently worked for them.
From what I have seen on the post so far is general life in Oman. MOSTLY ALL EMPLOYMENT works on this sloppy management scale. Even for Omanis, the only difference is we are used to having employment rights where we r from and here its not so much so.

so to restate my question.............Is there anyone who has worked for them recently at the Tech COllege in Al-Kuwair? Whats it like? what kind of health care is there? Is it good?

Whatever you say I am sure it is not as bad as my current employer in MUSCAT..........(A/C broken all summer in my classroom and he keeps telling me it is working that I am just spoiled! (SCREEM!) not to mention I have to find him and beg him for my pay each month!

Johnz · Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 13

I recently finished working for CECN... and I am afraid that I am not in the least bit impressed... They do try to make use of the fact that they are a 'Canadian' or at least 'Canadian managed' company, but I have found them to be as disorganised as any other company that I have worked for.

My main gripe with them covers the period when I first arrived in the country and needed a degree of assistance to get myself set-up. Requests for information/assistance were ignored or 'fobbed off'. The fact that you seem familiar with Oman/Muscat, means that you can overlook or by-pass this initial disadvantage.

After my initial settling-in period I tried to have as little to do with CECN management as possible, and this seems to have been the consensus of colleagues too. Salary was paid on time, but no account or payslip was ever given... and this is S.O.P with many companies... perhaps some teacher resistance could change this.

Prior to my leaving, word was going around the college that CECN and Global, a competing agency, had both lost contracts to supply the Ministry with teachers... the reasons are open to speculation, but there was suggestion that widespread teacher dissatisfaction played a part.

Air conditioning was frequently breaking down at the college, but this was the responsibility of the college maintenance... and had nothing to do with CECN.

In summary, as a matter of principle, I would not work for CECN again. The fact that you have already worked in Muscat, means that you will probably have few problems and will likely find CECN satisfactory.

alrahbimommy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 4 Location: Muscat

Thanks John,
Thanks for your keen insight. It has helped. I have given up thinking I would find employment like that in America. The culture is different here and so is the working life. I may have to deal with any of the ugly situations at just about any place I take employment. It is the way in Oman.

TEFOFF · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 36

I have also worked with CEC and I agree with Johnz's assessment 100%. Judging by his measured response, I think he handled working there a lot better than me. It took me a while to recover from working with them. But like he said they paid on time, and looking back that's a pretty fair summing up of their level of supprt for teachers: it's not great but it's a minimum.

kuberkat · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Oman

Alrahbimommy, the fact that you are used to the way things work here will give you a huge advantage: you know how standards are here. Though I haven't worked for them as such, I have worked for one of the establishments they recruited for and it seems to me that recruiters are often blamed for employers' mistakes- and those mistakes are really all about cultural differences. Yes, things can take a long time, but that will happen anywhere in the country. Sounds like you couldn't do much worse than your current employer anyway!

By the way, if you are not beng given a flat do be sure that you receive rent compensation!

BedouinBilly · Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 4

Good Day Folks
I have recently been told that a person named johnz on this forum has been taking shots (making negative comments) towards the CECN company in Oman. This is causing a lot of confusion for my friends and my past employer in Oman because they think that this person Johnz is John Zahara that worked in Ibra, Oman. I dont know if the person realizes that they are using my name ( I taught in Oman for 3 years and there was only one Johnz that I knew of ) or trying to make me look bad for some reason. I just want to say that Johnz is not John Zahara and that I have not made any comments towards the CECN in Oman.
Cheers
jz

Vanica · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 368 Location: North Carolina

Hi, nice person, whoever you are. Can you tell me something about Ibra as a place to live? I have a four year old daughter and my priority is clean air (I have asthma). Thanks.

Johnz · Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 13

Yes, I can confirm that I am not the John Zahara previously mentioned... nor do I know him, nor had ever heard of him, until a few minutes ago. To that end I was not using 'his' name but a name to which I am fully entitled to use... I do apologise for any concern he may have felt.... I do not think I put in negative comments... I was attempting to be balanced, honest and impersonal. That they might be viewed as negative, is a reflection of the experience that I, as an individual, had.

Check my date of joining the forum.... it's well in advance of the 'real' JZ....