Job Discussion Forums

[sainthood]

I'm considering going to Oman for the money, which I've heard is easy to save on. (only looking for the 1 year to save up)

I've sent off to the various agents (TATI, Bahwan, Al Na, etc), and have even had them reply to me

So, question time after reading through posts going back the last year...


1 - housing. Do you get any with CoT's? If not, what's the price and quality and location of housing like for those areas? Does said accommodation include furniture, electricity, etc etc... and what's the deal with English?? Does one need and get a translator??? (I'd hate to spend buckets of cash getting there, and suddenly find I need buckets more just to live somewhere)

2 - I'm reading that they send you an offer letter, but you don't sign a contract til you actually get here... do they give you a copy of a contract as well?? I don't see the point in flying halfway around the world without knowing the nitty-gritty...

3 - speaking of that, what are the chances of contract clauses changing between when you talk about them, to when you get there? (yeah, I know Oman isn't Saudi...)

4 - I've also read that TATI will basically ignore you once you land in Oman... is this a standard practice, or should I expect someone to actually give a damn, and meet me at the airport...(I think the term I'm looking for is 'respect'...)

5 - given a possible salary of about 1400OR, I've heard I should be able to save about half (or more) - is this still true? I'd like to be saving about $3K/month (I'm not 'cheap', but I don't over-indulge either...)

6 - Is going direct to a uni a smarter (and more lucrative) idea??

7 - is there any future in tutoring? Or do most of the kids not care?

8 - when do you normally hear about a letter of offer?? I'm not going to risk not hearing back for 2 months, when I've already got job offers elsewhere...


FYI, I'm in China, so used to using a bit of tolerance and patience....

Thanks all for replies!

[urbanversion]

[usa_in_gulf]

You are a ways off from actually being hired. Your CV has to be approved by the Ministry---then you CV has to be selected by the college the company sends it to for an interview�you have to pass the interview (sometimes a series of two or three interviews)�then if the English department wants to hire you---the Dean of the college needs to approve you.

Don�t get me wrong�things can move pretty quickly. The recruiting companies received their quotas for next year this week. Colleges are going through approved CVs, that have been sent to them.

Please note, colleges are not looking for someone to come for just one year. It takes that long for people to get acclimated to Oman, the students, and the system.

Housing varies widely�just like any other place in the world. In most places, you can �get by� without any Arabic skills, but at times, I imagine, it can be a struggle.

Contracts have to have original signatures on them-not faxed or scanned. This is the reason that most international places have you sign the contracts once you arrive�plus in the Gulf�your legal contract is in Arabic. Your offer letter usually spells everything out rather clearly.

From my experience, all of the recruiting companies will assist teachers IF they ask for it�and that they are reasonable. Biggest mistake I see people make is simply not asking�assuming that the companies know what they need�or going the complete opposite end of the spectrum and wanting to be �baby walked� through everything. This is simply not possible. (In the past, one teacher wanted her work visa to be processed without her passport. This is not possible. Another teacher was angry with his company because he didn�t like the stove in the apartment that he selected and rented.)

The money you save is completely up to you.

Contract terms do not change.

The Colleges of Technology do not do direct hires for non-Omani staff.

Tutoring is not really a part of the culture here. Some teachers will pick up tutoring ministry employees, but in general, tutoring is not the �norm�. Some people will work at various language centers part �time, but you need to have your employers permission.

You get the offer letter fairly quickly after you have made it through the process in my first paragraph.

[veiledsentiments]

[sainthood]

Ah, cool! Thanks for the replies!!

Ok, could possibly save $1500-$2000... but it would sort of suck doing it... (as against, the current offer I seem to have, that will let me save about $1200 in China, and I could earn a bit more on the side, and with less hours, and less stress.....).

VS - you seem to imply that I wouldn't eat - couldn't I just hunt down the occasional camel???

FTR - I expect some time before I see the ball rolling - but like to assured of my situation (I think I have a contract here - just waiting for that email after the interview), I don't need to drink, and I can survive without a woman (have successfully for years...)... and I'm used to being on my own.

I have noticed, though, that their requirements have changed within the last couple of weeks - going from a minimum of 2 years experience, to a tiered amount depending on qualification (up to 4 years for only a Bachelors)... does anyone know anything about this change?

[urbanversion]