Job Discussion Forums

[MecMS]

Hi. I am in a pretty specific situation and would appreciate all feedback from the posters in this forum since many of you have experience and insight that I lack.

I have a CELTA and two years' experience at an IH school in Europe. I also have 18 months of EFL teaching experience in the U.S. and other U.S. teaching experience (I am certified to teach Spanish for grades K-12 in my home state).

I didn't receive many responses from Middle Eastern schools/postings during June and July, but now there is a buzz. I widened my scope to Asia to help ensure that I am offered/accept some job, and there are e-mails and calls flooding in.

I have preferred teaching teens/young adults in the past and am a big city person, but I am willing to forgo either or both if need be.

Since this is late in the game and many schools are beginning fall semesters, I don't want to wait too long to make a decision, but I also don't want to settle for something unfavorable.

What do you think is the minimum salary I should expect or ask for in Saudi Arabia given my qualifications and experience? What about a different Middle Eastern country? I have not received any offers from other nations and have had trouble even finding listings. Are there places I should contact or look to try to get work in other countries?

What are the advantages/disadvantages to working in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Hasa, or Dammam?

Many thanks in advance for all help.

[Cleopatra]

It's not clear from your post if the emails and phone offers which are 'flooding in' are from Asia or Saudi Arabia. If the latter, I'd hazard a guess that the offers are pretty poor.

That's because, to be perfectly frank, you don't have the kind of credentials which the better Saudi employers are looking for. Without a (relevant) MA and/or extensive third level teaching experience, you'll have difficulty getting a job in the universities and colleges which tend to offer the best jobs. The same will be true in the other Gulf countries.

[Mia Xanthi]

[quote]What do you think is the minimum salary I should expect or ask for in Saudi Arabia given my qualifications and experience? What about a different Middle Eastern country?[/quote]

Expecting is one thing and getting is another, of course. Most teachers with an MA get 12,000 SAR or thereabouts. You should probably aim for somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000. Considering your qualifications, you should probably expect a lower offer, but if I were you, I wouldn't set foot in KSA for less than 10,000. Usually, the lower the salary, the more dreadful the conditions, so it's better to stay home than just settle for a low-paying offer.

It's not clear to me whether you have had offers from other countries in the ME. If you have, then choose that one, no matter if the salary is lower. I'm not a complete KSA-basher, but I do think that you would be better off starting in one of the other Gulf countries. KSA is a very hard posting even for the most experienced of teachers.

[Grendal]

Hello MecMS,

If you are serious about Saudi and want to bury your feet in warm soft sand at sunset then I say "go" and go well. Try to ask your future interviewers about location, type of institution first then wait for second call or offer letter to negotiate salary. Don't rip right into salary the second the say "hello", it'll scare them off.

That's my two halalahs worth

Grendal