Korean Job Discussion Forums

nschornak · Joined: 07 Aug 2009 Location: Seattle, WA

Hey all,

I am a complete rookie to teaching abroad. I have a Master's in English and so I have been debating opportunities for teaching in South Korea and also Saudi Arabia. I am talking to recruiting agencies for both, and though I know many of you may not have spent time teaching in SA (I can only post in the Korean board for now) I was wondering where you guys think I would have a better time. The money is obviously better in Saudi Arabia, but there is no booze there, and while I'm not an alcoholic or anything, I like to party and socialize. What's the likelihood that I will run into other foreign teachers in both environments, and where will I have an overall better experience? And also, how likely is it to get screwed over in SA vs. South Korea? Hagwons are notorious, but ESL schools everywhere aren't the same, right? Thanks in advance for any responses you have.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Sorry, I don't know about private schools in SA.

However, I applied for a Saudi uni last year. It was a very rigorous application and screening process. I also had to have a video conference interview with 3 USA profs.

I failed the interview - and knew it ( I was completely knackered after teaching 3 years in K).

Try reading the ME forums. They gave me a lot of helpful advice - (and yes, there are some tricks played on unsuspecting teachers).

Good luck.

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

It has been about ten years, so take this for what it is worth, but when I was looking at TESOL opportunities around the world, the Middle East oil nations were hard to get into - especially for Americans.

The pay was so high, they had the luxury of gaining the interest of highly qualified people and of having a lot of those type of applicants apply.

It was hard for Americans because the ads I saw usually called for British English.

iammac2002 · Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Location: 'n Beter plek.

Why not try Oman? They have a university called Sultan Qaboos University. They have nice housing on campus (double storey, 2 bathrooms, 2 or 3 bedrooms, a living room and a dining room, and a front and back garden, and parking by your front door.) It's not at all as strict as KSA is, they are open to foreigners and there aren't as many conservative people in the city.

Of course, it might have changed since I was there 10 years ago, but it will probably be more western now.

buildbyflying · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject:

I'd highly recommend cruising over to the Saudi forum adn talking to the long timers that congregate there.

It's a mixed bag. But considering the pay adn the treatment in Korea seems to have gone downhill in the last few years, Saudi might be a good option.

3 good things:
1. Pay is easily twice what you'd get in Korea. Of course, if $$$ is your concern, AUI (Kurdistan) pays 50k a year.
2. Teachers are mostly professional. They've worked for their degrees and usually take the job seriously.
3. Sometimes housing is nice.

3 bad things:
1. Saudi sucks. Black sacks for women. No booze. No loyalties. You are paid servants (some try to pretend they're not but they're living the lie). It's hot.
2. Housing can suck. Nearly all of the major uni's are pulling housing out of the DQ. This can mean apts under 24hr observation in the middle of nowhere for single women with forced apt sharing(KSU, PSU, YU). Group housing (Big Brother) for men, or shared apts.
3. No job security. Jobs are lost as easily as they are earned.

If I've overstated the negatives it's for the sake of playing Devil's advocate. Other posters on Dave's will say if you're a serious teacher who just wants to keep their mouth shut and pack away some cash then this is the jackpot.
This is NOT a place for standing up for morals or ethics. You will be treated as if you are on a reality tv show. Just accept it and dance bear dance.

In my case, this past year half of the schools teachers were fired simply because cheaper teachers were found. These were commited lifers.

withnail · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul, South Korea.

Interesting thread. I'm beginning to hear more and more about teachers around my age anyway, moving to the gulf. It's definitely something I'll be thinking about...

Starbucks · Joined: 12 Aug 2009 Location: British Columbia, Canada

I have a friend who had been teaching in Japan for the past 7 years just get hired in SA. She said it was a long process but I didn't get to far into that conversation as I mainly asked her about Japan. Maybe I should get in contact with her again

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Yuck. I have no interest in Saudia Arabia, or teaching those intolerant slugs a thing.

Personally, I am ashamed the USA has anything to do with that country. If it weren't for oil, we wouldn't.

AJR · Joined: 29 Jun 2009

waddya mean AUI Kurdistan buid by flying? AUI = attachment unit interface; kurdistan = Turkey, Iraq, Iran. A region, not a country.
Curious about this cash cow.

Starbucks · Joined: 12 Aug 2009 Location: British Columbia, Canada

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

cwflaneur · Joined: 04 Aug 2009

Sergio Stefanuto · Joined: 14 May 2009 Location: UK

I'm leaving Korea in seven weeks and want to go to the Middle East next - Saudi preferred, but would settle for somewhere else too, Kuwait perhaps. Depends who bites.

It'll be a little difficult, because I'm a keen drinker and an unapologetic anti-theist, but would be prepared to sacrifice my principles for the experience. I suppose it's kind of an ambition.

I wouldn't fancy Kurdistan, however. Obviously, there's the stability factor, and numerous other reasons why elsewhere in the ME would be better. The Kurds certainly love their honor killings and FGM.

gelynch52 · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I am currently teaching in Saudi & I probably have the best paying job here. It is much better than in Korea but I live in a remote area. The students are extremely lazy, arrogant, uneducated and you cannot trust them one bit. They spew all kinds of Islamic stuff (which you are forbidden to respond to) & then go to Bahrain on weekends to drink & partake of the earthly pleasures of Chinese & Filipina women.

No matter what your "contract" says before you come, it will not be the same after you have arrived & the sponsor will keep your passport so you can't leave or go visit someplace. In Korea if you find yourself in a bad situation you can just leave on the sly. Here you would be denied boarding at the airport unless you had the proper exit letter from your sponsor. If you talk to a woman not in your family you can be imprisoned and/or deported. The same will happen if you take a picture of one. If you are not very masculine & able to take care of yourself you would be an easy target for gang rape by sexually repressed Saudi men who never see a woman in the flesh until AFTER they marry the unseen woman.

I spent 7 years all over Korea and the last 4 months in SA & if the pay was not so good & if I were younger than 57 I would be gone in a heartbeat. I DO have my passport (but only because I am working illegally on a business visa) and was supposed to be sent to the US for my proper work visa a week after I arrived. Now I'm just here with the boss buying new business visas every month when they expire.

In 30 years more or less, the oil straw is going to make that sucking (empty) sound & the only people surviving here will be the ones with lots of camels to sell. They are not preparing for the post oil days in the slightest. The entire country shuts down 5 times a day for "prayer time" & on Thursday & Friday (the weekend) nothing even moves until 4:00 PM.

gelynch52 · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Way to represent the stereotypical ignorant american. I'm surprised you even decided to work anywhere outside your glorious nation.

I am an American and certainly not ignorant but all the negative things you hear about Saudi Arabia cannot possibly be said in a forum like this. The country is closed, intolerant, uneducated and the people are lazy ba*tard* with some warped sense of entitlement because they think they have all the oil & the world by the ba**s. In a 6 hour class period when they have been given the entire day off to attend class (PAID IN FULL BY THE WAY), the teacher is lucky to get in 3 hours of instruction around the 10 minute breaks that turn into 30 or 40 minutes, the "prayer times" & the getting ready for prayer etc. Then they always want to negotiate even less time spent in class so they can beat the traffic home. Inadvertently talk about a sextant (invented by Arab mariners) & the only thing they hear is the SEX part of the word & they go to admin telling them you are talking about sex...give me a break & actually come to this intolerant place before you castigate an American for not wanting to come to this place.