Job Discussion Forums

[kiefer]

I am considering moving to the UAE and accepting an offer to teach for HCT in MZ. The commute would be by bus from Khalifa City A.

A friend of mine currently living in Abu Dhabi has reckied the housing in K.C.A. for me and reported back that there is absolutely nothing there except for some villas under construction and a couple of rows of apartment blocks--no shops, no clinics, no trees, nothing but sand.

Does HCT offer a housing allowance as an alternative to living in assigned accommodations?

If I turn down the offer, will I remain eligible for future hire at a different location without having to go through the application and interview process again?

[Manny2]

Do you realise that the bus ride will take approx 1hr 40 mins minimum (each way) each day and then after that you have a full day teaching. Sounds pretty exhausting to me even if it seems another poster says they get a three day weekend. True KCA is prety much lots of newly constructed villas, all seem too large to be within HCT's budget, and then lots of low level appartment blocks the type that are typical here with shop space on the ground floor, and in between lots of sand. It a new development and in a few years will probabaly be nicer, with green areas etc. From Sept 2007 ADWC will be opening a new campus out there too. I say 'out there' but it is really close to downtown Abu Dhabi.

As for the HCT housing allowmace no it is not available as cash in lieu at the moment although they say they 'may consider' it in the future so would have to take what you are given.

Should you turn down the offer....well that is a risk. I have known people who have turned down offers and were sucessful on later applications as they gave a good reason...but you want I think to turn dowm MZ and hope to get offered another location ? I have also known colleagues who did that and asked to be placed elsewhere and were and others who did not get offered another location but have still been hired at a later date. I guess it depends on how desperate you are to get a job right now or to work for the HCT...personally I would not take a location that I do not want as it is not easy to get a transfer......alot of colleges are in desperate need of teachers and I think if you word your rejection of MZ in the right way something else will be offered - how about I suffer from really bad travel sickness It is a bit dog eat dog with supervisors trying to nab good people from the pool of possible candidates so if you are a risk taker and really do not fancy MZ then feel the fear.

[kiefer]

Manny--that pretty much answers my questions and supports my gut feelings.

[kiefer]

[veiledsentiments]

I suspect that this is the usual response... (and SOP for managements) and I also know people who have received this and the next year were offered a job at another branch.

I don't recall if they re-applied or not. But, if you don't find something better before then, give it a try next time you see an ad.

VS

[Candid Kandura]

Don't worry too much about that, Kiefer. I turned down a job with them once, reapplied a couple of years later, and received an offer (which I took).

And the fact that you were turned down in an unprofessional manner is not untypical of HCT and similar institutes in the ME as a whole. It all depends who's on "reject duty" at a particular time - somebody sensible or a tw*t. Having met some of the people that found jobs at HCT's HR department, the likelihood of a tw*t (e.g., an uneducated Westerner, local, or Indian) being on "reject duty" is quite high.

Anyway, there are better places in the UAE - try ZU and the PI, as I did, after leaving the HCT 'system'. The problem with the HCT 'system' is that it generates a lot of sycophants at management level, who get paid to generate a lot of guff about how good the 'system' is, and what a difference it's making to the country.

The truth is quite the opposite, of course. But my point is that, if you turned down the chance of becoming a "pioneer" at MZ, the person who decided to read your e-mail preferring AD or Dubai as a challenge might be gone the next time you apply.

MZ is currently being touted as an "Adventure for Pioneers" within the system, when everybody knows it's a gulag for goons. That view (well, both of them, in fact) could well change in the future.

Sorry if I'm not making sense! Just don't be too put off by HCT's posturing. It is just a pose, and the need for teachers should eventually overcome the need to make pointless gestures and piss people off.

Maybe.

[kiefer]

A previous colleague of mine currently teaching in Al Ain had received a similarly worded warm letter of intent following an encouraging video conference interview. She had stated Dubai or Abu Dhabi as prefered postings, but instead her HCT destiny lay in Madinat Zayed.

She declined to accept this offer for the same reasons I did--the remote housing conditions and the requisite 4 hour commute.

We've compared notes and it seems HCT has on file an embittered, boiler plate withdrawal of the offer which they fire off in response to one's polite thanks but no thanks decline.

I've said it before and I'm a'saying it again--just one more year in this magic kingdom's eastern province and I'll be happy.

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

[globalnomad2]

At the HCT, even if you are a PhD content instructor, you are not faculty. You are an educational contract worker in a sweatshop.

[kiefer]

Sorry to go on with this post as all of my questions have been kindly and sufficiently answered--but now this new one.

Back story: Wifey is fed up with the magic kingdom. Surprise, surprise.

Has anyone worked at both KFPUM and HCT, and if so, despite the salient KSA drawbacks (like my wife's dependence on undependable drivers if I'm indisposed) which of the two schools is a better posting (or more precisely, the lesser of two evils) and why? Should we just stay put and continue to endure?

[veiledsentiments]

I'd say that it would be very different. I expect that you can compare the salary and benefits yourself - and the openness of the lifestyle for both you and your wife.

Professionally, you would be giving up a rather laid-back, low pressure job for pretty much the opposite. HCT is lots of meetings, lots of talk talk talk, a very top heavy organization, much expectation of attending "professional development' things on your own time... especially in the women's branches there are all sorts of outside fairs and projects that can help fill up that spare free time you have in the late afternoons and weekends. And yes, you could be assigned to a women's branch.

More positively, I learned a great deal there from the many highly professional teachers and the students were fun. But, you don't know which branch you will be assigned to, and some places are better than others.

So it comes down to the devil you know versus the devil you don't...

[WD40]

Kiefer
I have a few friends at KFUPM and they say that despite the attractions of the UAE and HCT, KFUPM is not that bad. You can do very little there, not be invloved and enjoy the very long holidays and breaks between the classes (go home for lunch). The UAE is an expensive place to live and you don't have the community spirit that you have there. It depends on your wife really. If she needs to 'get out' then you must leave. If she can tolerate it, stay - you can save more there than you can here.

[ShaikhRattleandRoll]

I think you and your wife should discuss which is more important: quality of life or saving money. Ability to save money in the UAE also depends where you choose to get settled - smaller cities are of course cheaper thus making it easier to save, so you might be able to get a little of both quality and cash. Depending on how long you are looking to stay, there are places that seem to be less demanding of your time and energy than HCT is, but if you're looking at long-term here, then HCT seems to be the only place that has decent pay raises. Well, that's not true, AUS has decent pay raises but their benefits are somewhat lacking if you have kids, plus the starting salary is low (10-11K) and you work very hard despite the low number of contract hours. I hear (and have been reading) that PI has decent salary, benefits and Abu Dhabi is great in terms of offering things to do and places to go. Having never lived in KSA I can't comment on the benefits of being there, but this is my view from the UAE.

[wknjugun]

Sorry, what's KFUMP? And who knows about working conditions and management at the Emirates College of Advanced Technology?

[veiledsentiments]

It's KFUPM. Check the Saudi Arabia branch and you will find all you need to know.

As to the other place, I suggest that you start a new thread rather than mixing it in with HCT information.

VS