Job Discussion Forums

[amity]

Hi, everyone - I am an American woman, 52, B.A. from a prestigious liberal arts college, getting a CELTA now. 4 years teaching experience at public secondary school. I can teach medical ESP if I can find the work, but willing to teach EFL as well. 12 year medical background, 4 years of it as a medical transcriptionist. Just starting my first job teaching EFL in Austin, TX.

My goal is to live overseas for several years, saving $20,000 USD a year. I lived for a couple of years in Kuwait, so know a little of what to expect.

What are my chances of landing work in KSA? Where do I look? What conditions should I expect when I get there?

[Cleopatra]

There are a few private women's colleges in KSA, and more are expected to open in the near future. These places employ female ESL teachers from abroad, but most of them expect you to have an MA (in Applied Linguistics or TESL) and at least a few years' experience in teaching ESL, preferably at tertiary level. If you're a freshly minted TESL-celter, with little relevant experience, you'll be lucky to get one of the better jobs, however 'prestigious' your Arts degree may be. You may find a job in a language school with your credentials, but don't expect to save anything like $20,000 a year.

[veiledsentiments]

Cleo is right... with your credentials, you would be hard-pressed to find a job in ESL where the salary would be much more than the 20,000 per year. I think your best bet is to search for positions using your medical background.

VS

[Van Norden]

What about King Fahad Military Hospital in Dhahran? Isn't that a medical college that hires females? You might stand a chance there given your medical background.

Surely they'd pay around SR10,000 + the usual benefits. You'd be able to save US$20K on that easily.

Check the recent thread on this forum: King Fahad Military Hospital

[amity]

Great, thank you! I will look into King Fahd Military Hospital.

Yes, I know the medical ESP is definitely my high card in the Saudi job market, or any ESL market for that matter. Ironically my main reason for doing this is so that I can get a master's degree in a few years.

Any other suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

[veiledsentiments]

You mentioned in one of your threads that you are 52. Considering the cost of an MA, it might not be financially logical in a "few years." I would do some careful calculation of whether there is any actual payback for the tuition that it will set you back. Unless you can get a scholarship and save the $20,000 or so that it would probably cost you in the US.

Take a look at how much of a salary increase that it would get you... and see how many years you have to teach to break even on an MA in something TEFL related.

VS

[amity]

I have indeed thought of that. I am not sure it would gain me any extra salary at all, but I do still want to do it. I always wanted to go to grad school, always assumed I would one day, but never got the chance, because as you say it is quite expensive. So it is either wait until I retire, or get a good paying job for a few years and then do it.

[veiledsentiments]

Nothing wrong with doing it for personal gratification, but many haven't thought of the dollars and cents of it. Since many go to the Gulf to pad their retirement accounts, getting an MA would make a serious dent. But it sounds like you have thought it through.

VS

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

[scot47]

For me it's the people who think exclusively in terms of dollars and cents who are half-wits !

Believing that is the first step to signing up with the 300 Club !

[veiledsentiments]

After reading on this board all the moaning about the fact that we do it just to get the piece of paper and didn't really learn anything we didn't already know... and that it didn't really help us in the classroom... blah blab blah. Thus, it seems the reason most people do an MA or PhD is to increase their salary. But, if one considers the cost - and I was talking to a fellow American who would likely be talking about a US degree - if one is only going to work for another 5 years or so... the increase in salary wouldn't cover what you had to pay for tuition and books. Thus financially your benefit has been zero or even a loss.

Considering the financial acumen of many of the EFL teachers that I met, yes there were many who could not have figured out whether an MA would actually benefit them financially. That is why we see so many 60+ year olds who can't afford to retire and are still dragging themselves to classes in order to pay the bills.

The best thing is not to be a part of the extremes... either the 300 Club or the ones who have been in the Gulf for donkey's years and haven't saved enough to live in a village in Sri Lanka... In my opinion those who "never" think of the dollars and cents are also half-wits. And we have all seen what happens to most of them.

VS

[amity]

Speaking of which, is there a cheaper country to get an M.A.? (studying in English of course.) In particular, is it possible to live in England for 6 months while working a low level job just to scrape by, and then be eligible for residency status and a cheap AND good Master's degree?

I am definitely one of the savers. After I got out of high school I lived overseas until I was 21 so that my parents income would not be taken into account. As a result, I got a very cheap education.

[Van Norden]

Agree with most of VS's post. Do a cost-benefit analysis before you do a Masters and take an interest in finance and investment unless you fancy toiling away in the classroom into your 60s. I've also found most of my tefling associates are clueless about finance and investing.

I'd add a 3rd reason for doing a Masters: to get a cushy (though not necessarily lucrative) job.

I do take issue with VS's vicious attack on the illustrious CLUB300. Correct me if I'm wrong VS, but I doubt you ever attended one meeting during your time in the Middle East. If you had I've no doubt you would've been won over. You would've been singing "Halala u akhbar" or "Halleluja halala" with the rest of us.

As for halfwit, well, anyone can bandy around such epithets. I think it's often used to deride anyone who disagrees with you. You won't catch me using it to describe CLUB3000 members and their profligate ilk.

[Cleopatra]

[dmb]

I think it might depend on the university. I know that Edinburgh requested that you had lived in the UK for the 2 previous years.

However Sheffield Hallam look at your British passport and don't care where you live. (however this is for the p/t distance program.)