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newbie advice
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gungediana



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 82
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:23 pm    Post subject: newbie advice Reply with quote
Hello all.

I am starting a Masters degree in TESOL this September ending September 2010. My aim is to work in Saudi Arabia after that.

What job prospects will I have re the KSA directly after finishing my course please? I have a B.A, 2 years experience teaching kids in South Korea and 6 months teaching kids and adults in Peru. I have no other TEFL certificate.

Would you advise possibly getting post Masters experience somewhere else before going to KSA?

Thanks in advance for your help.

gungediana (strange avatar I know!)
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Mia Xanthi



Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 955
Location: why is my heart still in the Middle East while the rest of me isn't?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is there a reason that you have chosen KSA in particular? I wouldn't recommend it to someone with little experience teaching adults, and in fact I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who hadn't had previous experience in the Gulf. It's one of the more difficult postings, as I am sure you are aware, and newer teachers can end up in bad situations.

Why don't you try the UAE, Qatar, or Oman first?
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gungediana



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 82
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
well, different strokes for different folks mate!

I want to go there because the money is very good!

I'm well aware that the culture is ultra-conservative and highly puritanical. I don't think it will bother me too much.

I suppose my question is purely from a teaching/getting hired perspective rather than from a cultural adaptation perspective.
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Mia Xanthi



Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 955
Location: why is my heart still in the Middle East while the rest of me isn't?
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I wasn't talking about cultural adaptation, either.

The fact is that the money in KSA is worse than in the UAE and Qatar, and sometimes worse than in Oman. Jobs in KSA pay less and offer more hassle. Unless you have some particular attachment to this place, it should be your last choice in the Gulf.

The days of people making loads of money in KSA are loooonnnng gone. In the seventies, maybe...but EFL teachers here make precious little now, unless they work for BAE. And you are not qualifed for BAE.
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
The fact is that the money in KSA is worse than in the UAE and Qatar, and sometimes worse than in Oman. Jobs in KSA pay less and offer more hassle.


I think you're being overly general here. Some jobs pay more in the UAE or Qatar, and some places in KSA 'offer more hassle'. There isn't one salary or 'hassle' scale for all of KSA: Certainly there are plenty of crappy jobs here (as in the other Gulf countries) but there are some good ones too. Not everyone wants to live in a smug sheikhdom where you can't turn around without hitting a border and/or a breathtakingly vulgar 'resort'.

Anyway, OP, if you have an MA and some experience you should be able to find a job in a foundation year programme in one of the universities. You don't say if you're male or female - men tend to have a wider choice of jobs, but there are an increasing number of opportunities for women too. However, I would agree with Mia that your lack of experience teaching adults will work against you - almost all of the better jobs involve teaching young adults in third level institutions.
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gungediana



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 82
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ok thanks, I'm male btw and I'll be 27 by the time I finish my Masters.

so would you guys recommend me getting some post-Masters experience teaching adults before going to KSA?

I'm a bit woried about finding a job quickly after I finish the Masters. Money will be very tight for me and I'll be borrowing money to pay for my masters which I'll need to start paying back pronto.

So is August/September a good time to be applying for jobs in KSA or indeed anywhere in the ME?

Funny you mentioned BAE Mia. That's a gig I'd like to do in the future. What are the min requirements for that do you know?

Thanks guys, I have loads of questions. I'm a newb but I'm here to learn from your experience and expertise, not to antagonise anyone.
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
The fact is that the money in KSA is worse than in the UAE and Qatar, and sometimes worse than in Oman. Jobs in KSA pay less and offer more hassle.


Ideally, yes - both because in so doing you'll make yourself more attractive to potential employers, and because it will give you more confidence dealing with a class full of Saudi students. However, if the priority is to start earning money asap, it may not be essential to have post MA experience.

Quote:
So is August/September a good time to be applying for jobs in KSA or indeed anywhere in the ME?


You really need to apply for jobs several months in advance - getting the Saudi visa alone can take two months or more. However, it's normal for people to apply somewhere and then hear nothing at all - not even an acknowledgment of the application - for months.
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gungediana



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 82
PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ok thanks Cleopatra.

But re applying. I've just got to apply months in advance and then just hope for the best, is that how I need to go about it?

How would you rate my chances of getting a job, say within a month of graduating if I apply well in advance?

And is it true to assume that the better employers are more prompt at getting back to candidates?
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NigerianWhisper



Joined: 21 Mar 2009
Posts: 176
PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
gungediana wrote:
ok thanks, I'm male btw and I'll be 27 by the time I finish my Masters.

so would you guys recommend me getting some post-Masters experience teaching adults before going to KSA?

I'm a bit woried about finding a job quickly after I finish the Masters. Money will be very tight for me and I'll be borrowing money to pay for my masters which I'll need to start paying back pronto.

So is August/September a good time to be applying for jobs in KSA or indeed anywhere in the ME?

Funny you mentioned BAE Mia. That's a gig I'd like to do in the future. What are the min requirements for that do you know?

Thanks guys, I have loads of questions. I'm a newb but I'm here to learn from your experience and expertise, not to antagonise anyone.


The hiring season is ongoing right now.......in fact its probably coming to an end. Most of the schools have already signed the teachers up for August/Sep.

You will need more experience for BAE Systems in The Kingdom. It is very competitive, hardly surprising considering the salary and benefits.

I worked for them for 3 years. My quals are BA (Hons) Primary Education but I also had several years as an ESL/EFL teacher to adults, some of them military. I was also halfway through my MA TESOL.

I guess I scraped in. Right place right time sort of thing
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Cleopatra



Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 3657
Location: Tuamago Archipelago
PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
I've just got to apply months in advance and then just hope for the best, is that how I need to go about it?


More or less. You can hedge your bets by applying to several places.

Quote:
How would you rate my chances of getting a job, say within a month of graduating if I apply well in advance?


Hard to give a definate answer. Also, bear in mind that some places will not even consider you as an applicant until yu have that MA in your hand. That means you will not even be able to begin the lenghty application process until you've formally graduated. Other places will not be so strict.

Quote:
And is it true to assume that the better employers are more prompt at getting back to candidates?


Not neccessarily. One of the things you need to get used to in KSA is the different attitude to time. Organisational skills are not a priority, even at the better employers. There's a tendency to do everything at the last minute, which means that even strong applicants can be ignored until it's almost (but not quite) too late. Of course, this does not always happen, and it could be that you will receive a prompt response to your application. But do bear in mind that just because you don't hear from a potential employer, it does nto neccessarily mean they ha ve rejected your application - they just haven't got round to dealing with it yet.
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