Job Discussion Forums

hidetaka · Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Saudi Arabia

Dear Fellows in the field of TESOL

I have an Master's degree in TESOL and a teaching experience of one year in a bilingual education elementary school in the United States.

The University of Tabuk (or Tabouk) has offered me a job as an English instructor. I have made a contract with the university, and I will be leaving for KSA by the end of August. But, I am getting a little nervous of working in the country since I haven't received any details from the university yet for about 2 months and 3 weeks. So I wonder if anyone could help me to know about the country and a big picture of working as an English instructor at university. This contract is one year, renewable. I was wondering if this is fair enough. My working condition will be the following:

1. Base salary SR 4080 (USD 1089) per month
( for the first time, they said I would be paid USD 3500, then USD 2000 2nd time, finally down to USD 1089)
2. Housing allowance 17,000 (USD 4533 per year), Furniture allowance 8,500 (USD 2300 per year), Transportation allowance SR 500
( USD 130)
3. Annual flight ticket provided
4 Working hour 35 hrs/ week

My current biggest concern is the base salary in relation to living cost. Will 1000 USD be sufficient to live a normal life there? Will I have any trouble living there with the salary? Does the base salary cover enough for the housing, the food, dairy expenses including membership fee of a sport-club, and unexpected expenses? Comparing the base salary to the total working hour, will USD 1089 per month be fair enough?

To recap, I have been offered a position of English instructor at the University of Tabuk, a new university established in 2006. But it will be my first time teaching experience in Saudi Arabia and I know no idea of working in the country. So, I would like to have information on

the city,
the university,
working condition,
night life,
housing or living cost, or
general information of KSA.

I would really appreciate any kinds of your feedbacks.

Sincerely,

Hidetaka

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:06 am Post subject:

Oh, God! Where to begin with a post like this? Hidetaka, are they treating you in such a miserable manner because you are a Japanese national? Your English is not native, so this is my only guess.

You need to walk away and walk away NOW! Tabuk is in the middle of nowhere and the salary and benefit package is similar to what some Filipinos, who are treated quite poorly there, might hope to get.

To accept this post for the parameters that you reveal is not only a disgrace to yourself, sir, but a hinderance placed on others hoping to get a position in that God-forsaken land.

It's not much to work there...it's even less if you agree to your contract's conditions.

NCTBA (...and I mean it this time!)

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

You have an MA in TESOL and one year of experience?? Are you a native speaker of English? (since you said "any kinds of feedbacks" I would assume not)

This has to be a joke, right? You are even considering taking a job for $1000 a month? really? You could make more than that flipping burgers at McDonald's. This offer is so ridiculous that my first response is to think that this has to be a put-on...

VS
(note... in 1988 in my first job in Oman - a country known to be the lowest pay in the Gulf... with an MA+1, I was paid about $1500 a month...)

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:31 am Post subject:

VS, I thought that it was a joke as well, but since everything on the internet is the truth... Wink

NCTBA

hidetaka · Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Saudi Arabia

Dear NCTBA

Thank you for your comments. I didn't think that my contract was so bad. They might treat me the way you mentioned because I am Japanese.

Dear veiledsentiments
I speak English as my second language. Since I received this job offer from my friend who is Saudi Arabian and in charge of hiring teachers for the language center, I believed her, and made a contract with the university. but based on your comments and others, I think I need to consider it again.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:38 am Post subject:

Hidetaka:

As your name is that of a man, do you mean "him", as "her" being Saudi Arabian and a "friend" is a situation that is very rare indeed. To be sure, s/he may be considered a friend to you, but this IS NOT a friendly offer...darn near hostile! Besides, what kind of tomodachi keeps you hanging for two months and three weeks?!? More than just s little chotto hen!

Give it a pass my friend and look for greener pastures, hopefully outside the kingdom of humanity! Cast your net wide.

NCTBA

trapezius · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 9:14 am Post subject:

That salary is a cruel joke.

However, I think you are missing something here. Other regulars here can back me up on this. Guys remember, the recent threads about KAU, how the salaries are written in the contracts?

They always say base salary of around 4,000, and then they say something like 50% increment on top of that for those with BAs, 60% or 70% increment for those with MAs, etc? And the housing is always that ubiquitous 17,000 as in this case here. And Tabouk University is just another gov university like KAU.

Here, the exact same numbers:

http://www.kau.edu.sa/centers/elc/ELC%20Jobs.asp
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=69814

4,080 base + 60% extra for those with BAs

OR

4,080 base + 80% extra for those with MAs

(and 500/month for transportation and 17,000/year for accommodation, and one-time 8,500 for furniture)

So, Hidetaka, check your contract again. If you do the calculation, your salary will roughly be SR. 7,344/month. Still low, but not cruel like SR. 4,080.

McBrainiac · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 61 Location: Somewhere warm

I worked in Japan for almost 20 years before leaving after the national universities were privatised.. I used to work for the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, an excellent government employer that, following my suggestion, has placed a recruitment ad or two in the JALT journal. The IPA is an excellent place to work and is now recruiting heavily. I suggest you consider them, Hidetaka.

Please check out:

http://www.ipa.edu.sa/en/index.asp

http://www.ipa.edu.sa/en/3.asp

If you PM me I will be happy to provide you with more information.

Best wishes

trapezius · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:19 am Post subject:

From the links above:

McBrainiac · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Posts: 61 Location: Somewhere warm

The information on the website is not accurate. My info comes from a conversation I had with the director of recruiting one year ago and I have every reason to believe that it is still accurate. They have placed ads in JALT, and that is a fact. I was verbally told that they would consider someone like Hidetaka

The IPA, in any event, is recruiting a lot of teachers for this coming fall.

I am merely trying to be helpful

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Hidetaka,

I would recommend trying an application to the IPA. They are one of the better employers in KSA.

VS

007

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:

Don't forget about Elat, Occupied Territories. The party naked crowd have relocated there from Jumairah Beach for the summer.

NCTBA Laughing

trapezius · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:23 pm Post subject:

007, I thought you were a math dude? You have a very egregious mathematical error in your post!!!

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 10:44 pm Post subject:

♫ Math Dude,
Math Dude.
Whacha gonna do? ♪
♪ Whacha gonna do,
when Trap comes for you? ♫

NCTBA Laughing