Job Discussion Forums

[saif]

Please advise me concerning a rumor that has been spreading here in the U.S. concerning non-Saudi employees that are supposedly fleeing by the masses out of the country due to the terrorist activities that have been happening in these past months (maybe years).

This was sort of an enouragement given to me that employers are now desperate and willing to hire any American with just a bachelors degree, no TEFL experience. Is this true? Also by the way, would you know of any desperate employers willing to hire this communications college graduate?

Saif Al-Amreekee

[scot47]

Rumour ? That is right. It is a rumour. Last time I looked there were still a few foreigners around. Citizens of the USA are maybe not flavour of the month but they are still here and new guys arriving.

There are not many jobs for rookies with neither experience nor training. Get some TEFl certificationa and two yaers experience in somewhere tough. Then Saudi Arabia will open its doors to a job with a tax-free salary.

[ohman]

The first time I went to the gulf, prior to the first gulf war, I was hired by a university after a ten minute phone interview. As far as qualifications were concerned, I was told to bring a copy of my diploma for inprocessing.

For the past two months, I've undergone a hiring process that has involved numerous face-to-face interviews and a complete physical. For the first time during the hiring process for a Saudi job, I had to go through the state department for a transcript, diploma and ESL certficate authentication. In the past, I only needed to produce the original diploma. Also, a post 9/11 addendum required a criminal background check.

My feeling is that the Saudis at this time still prefer UK and US speakers for teachers, but should relations between the west and Saudi continue to deteriorate, there could be a boon for the more cost-efficient Filippino and Indian teachers of English as a second not foreign language.

Having said that, I should mention that I have landed a plum assignment.
Perhaps the institutes in Riyadh are less inquisitive.

[saif]

Scot,
Please explain what you mean by getting 2 years experience at "somewhere tough". You make it sound as if Saudi schools are run like military camps. Or maybe you mean the way the environment (social life) is. Will you elaborate?

Saif

[scot47]

Many of the well-paid jobs in Saudi are run like military camps. SALTS, TINS, National Guard. That is because they are run by the Saudi Military.

Other places are not part of the military but are run along authoritarian lines which some instructors find strange.

Culturally this place is not for everyone. Many of the younger teachers who come here cannot get out quickly enough.

If I were hiring (which I am not) I would look for people who had spent two years with the PC in Kyrgystan or Burkina Faso. That is what I mean by "tough".

[saif]

Thanks Scot!
I'm still young (26) and will use my youth to get that experience. Wish there was an easier way though (don't mind that last sentance, that was youth talking!)

Saif

[beenthere96-2005]