I've applied to nearly 30 by sending a Search email, over 40 by clicking apply in ISS, and about 15-20 through reg email/Schrole. I have had 2 interviews. No offers. Lots of thanks, but no thanks emails.

Masters, 6 yrs exp, 5 of them overseas, Elementary/Kindergarten teacher, trailing spouse.

Starting to look pretty dreary out there. :/ .....I'll be at the London fair, but I am worried I am not going to be competitive enough. I've never had to go to a fair before, always got offers through Skype interviews.

I'm curious to know what question you are asking in interviews to slyly pull information about this....I can't imagine saying.."And how do you celebrate Halloween?" haha

I don't know your experience level, so I don't know what your salary would be. But at the American School you would get somewhere between 42-50k per year. If you only travel for the 2 week winter break and live pretty frugally, you could probably save 25k, maybe even 30k, per year.

I think 3-4 years is a possibility. 4 years is definitely doable if you keep your travel spending low..It really depends. We are not very frugal and we have saved a little under 20k a year...

Compound living is really not that bad.

This year we have been considering leaving more than we ever have before. I want to recruit this year, but I fear the same things you are talking about - low quality schools. I feel those are many while the good are few.

It's a really hard choice to make though. So many factors make me want to stay abroad, but at the same time I can think of a lot of reasons to leave too. One thing we've often said is that if we go back and hate it, we can always come back abroad the following year.

I'd also love to hear from anyone who has made the choice to go back....it's so difficult to pull the plug, but recruiting is equally exhausting.

What are you looking for? Jeddah can be what you make it. It's not a terrible place, but it's definitely not the best ME city to live in. It's more "liberal" than other parts of Saudi, so that's nice. Cost of living in middle of the road. There can be excellent water activities since it's on the Red Sea, things like boat trips for diving/snorkeling, deep sea fishing, whale shark trips. Let me know if there is anything specific you want to know.

I'm looking to recruit this year after 3 years at my current school - 5 total years overseas now.

This is my 3rd school overseas and I never used Search or ISS to find any of those jobs. I mostly used TIE and applied directly, interviewed over Skype and got hired that way.

This time I think it would be a better idea for me to sign up with Search or ISS for my recruiting needs. However, I am not sure which one to go with, but I know I need to get on it ASAP. I feel like I have heard much more positive reviews of ISS than Search. I also like that they have these new iFairs. I'd really like to not have to go to a fair. I hear too many stories of people going and not getting jobs...and I just don't like the idea of having to spend so much money to get a job.

Thoughts? Anyone done both and prefer one over the other?

I haven't done it, but someone at my school right now is currently in the program. She seems to like it. This week she was working on a project and had to interview a few teachers about how they plan. Next year, she is doing some student teaching in our school. It seems like a pretty decent program. My husband is considering doing it. As of now, he is just a trailing spouse with a BA in Accounting. This year he was hired in my school's business office, which was awesome. But when we are ready to move on, I'm not sure we will be so lucky, so he might work on Teach Now next year so we can actually be a teaching couple.

There is no shortage of alcohol and partying here in Kuwait, but be prepared to pay quite a bit for it.

I find it really annoying actually...I haven't drank at all here because I just think it's silly. We know this country is dry, so I don't really understand the point in making homemade stuff and risking the consequences. I know someone who was arrested and jailed this year because he was drunk and then went out to find a taxi, so he was out in public intoxicated. He was let out, luckily, because he was pretty cooperative, but had to pay a fine.

Where I work there is a lot of people in their early/mid 20s who it seems like all they do is go out to parties and come to work hungover. That's not the social life I enjoy and find it obnoxious, especially here. And I myself am in the same age range.

For social life, people go to gyms together, go out for dinner/shisha, shopping, have people over for meals. We have a group of friends who has a monthly . night, and some other friends who invite us over for dinner and cards. Day to day, honestly, my husband and I are homebodies. We watch a lot of tv. Read. There are some sport leagues, if you like hockey and basketball, (some others I think). My H did softball last year in Egypt, but there isn't a league for that here. People find things to do... My big problem is that because everything in Kuwait is so expensive, all the little fun things to do are way more than I am willing to pay. I'd rather sit at home then go pay $70 or more for an embassy . or $45 for 1hr of go-carts (I think that's what the cost was, IIRC.)

I completely disagree with the "close" expat community here. I have found no community of expats here unless you join the . community. If you aren't involved in that, they you are pretty much on your own unless your school has a close group of teachers. Mine does not.

We lived in Egypt last year and the expat community there is amazing and there is a lot more to do than just parties. We made real friends who will last a lifetime. In Kuwait, we have not made any real friends. I feel like the people I have met have just been really superficial, and maybe that's because of the money here.

Most people live for the money and the travel. For us, that wasn't enough and we are leaving, (contract/penalty free, not running) after just one year. I also think it really depends on which school you are at and how the teachers around you work together. I think getting a car could really make a difference in Kuwait, but it wasn't money we were willing to spend. I also think living out of campus housing could make things better. It would feel more like life in your home country, which would make the "boredom" seem more normal. :-/

I'm moving to Saudi next year and will be sponsoring my husband on my Iqama, he is a trailing spouse. I'm hoping it's as smooth a process as possible. I hate that I have to go ahead before him though. That part stinks.

oh also, you could list any volunteer work you have done as a sep category.

Tutoring? Child care work? you could put that under related exp.

I would have it like this.

Education
Certification
Student Teaching Experience
Related Exp or Professional exp(this would be where you would put your ESL work)
Professional Development (if you have any? fluff this, that's what I have done)
Curriculum Exp (list the curriculums you've used)
References


Student Teaching Exp: I had two placements in 2 diff grade levels so I listed them sep. (I've been teaching 2.5yrs now) Under each, have 3-4 bulleted points about things that you did above and beyond the typical teaching job description. For Ex. I had -Integrated visual and performing arts into core lessons - Designed clear lessons for a class of over 70% English Language learners -Planned and implemented lessons with the incorporation of smart boards and document cameras -any after school work you did etc etc

Prof Dev: Did you participate in any PLC meetings, LT meetings? Did you go to any trainings are your placement school? etc etc

Curriculum Exp: Here I list the curriculums I have exp with. Everyday Math, Readers/Writers workshop etc

I also have a small picture in the left corner of the front page.

Help?

I did not take the job there.

The salary/package offered wasn't sustainable for me. That paired with the negative reviews pushed me to say no.

MedellinHeel wrote:
> lemonlily wrote:
> > I just accepted an offer too!!!! And it is with a good school. I wouldn't
> > say tier 3, but it's a huge step up from where I am. Although, it is
> > probably tier 3 for the country it is in.
> >
> > At the same time I got the offer, I also got 3 more emails for interview
> > requests (which made accepting a very difficult decision....but decided to
> > go with the solid than with a what-if), so the jobs are definitely still
> > out there. And this girl will be turning down 3 interviews.
>
> How did you get your job? Emailing schools? Job fair? etc

Applying directly. I've never signed up with SA or ISS, only TIE and I've only applied directly to schools. It's been working so far for me....although this year has been rough. Next time I might do fairs....Although I have a friend at my current school who very experienced and has gone to two fairs this year, and still doesn't have a job. So it's all luck of the draw really. It's just really hard for me to spend that much money on my job search. I prefer interviewing from the comfort of my home...

I just accepted an offer too!!!! And it is with a good school. I wouldn't say tier 3, but it's a huge step up from where I am. Although, it is probably tier 3 for the country it is in.

At the same time I got the offer, I also got 3 more emails for interview requests (which made accepting a very difficult decision....but decided to go with the solid than with a what-if), so the jobs are definitely still out there. And this girl will be turning down 3 interviews.

shadowjack, I was going to say just that! 2yrs is most definitely enough. I don't know if I will even make it one year....struggling.