Job Discussion Forums

[jademonkey]

I have four years experience teaching at in Japan at Nova (which shows I have endurance, if nothing else) and this year I will complete my secondary teaching postgrad qualification in Australia. I will also pick up a CELTA certification.

I'm thinking of heading to the UAE and was wondering what kind of jobs I should aim for. High school? Universities? I'm not sure what the job market is like there.

[veiledsentiments]

I would say that the international school system is about your only choice. You would not be eligible for universities and you need an MA and related experience. If you taught in Japan, it is likely that your main emphasis was on speaking/listening while Gulf universities work on Arab students' weaknesses which are reading and writing.

Read around on the threads here and you will learn of the many problems at this level of teaching. High School in particular can present behavior problems that you would never encounter in Japan. Many of the jobs available for beginners like you are the worst, so you need strong classroom management skills. You might want to aim for the lower levels.

VS

[globalnomad2]

..and you'll get about the same money or less in the UAE...about $2000 a month if you're lucky--albeit with crappy free housing. Better to be poor in Japan than in the Middle East.

[jademonkey]

I was under the impression that the job market in the UAE is pretty solid, or do I lack the necessary credentials/experience to land a decent job?

[veiledsentiments]

Yes... the good jobs require an MA and a few years of related experience. There are some KSA jobs that may take you, but you may not want them.

VS

[globalnomad2]

The first time I applied to the Higher Colleges in the UAE I was turned down. At that point I had been in Saudi Arabia for two years and had had over seven years full-time experience in Malaysia, Japan and Saudi, and I had two master's degrees, in EFL and Student Development in Higher Education. Another two years after that I was offered empllyment at HCT. The days of waltzing into the UAE with minimal qualifications and finding university jobs are long over. However, Saudi Arabia is a place to start.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

I tend to agree with GN2 and VS on this subject, BUT I think that you might be able to slip your resume under the door at CERT with the qualifications that you presently possess. Is CERT decent? It depends on who you're talking to and your definition of "decent".

[jademonkey]

Thanks, NCTBA, I'll have a look at that too.