Aramco Schools Compound

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ajedigecko
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:39 pm
Location: Kansas

Aramco Schools Compound

Post by ajedigecko »

If anyone that frequents this forum has information, would you mind discussing?

1. Safety.
2. Balance between profession and leisure.
3. Benefits
4. Basic pros and cons.

Thank you, in advance.
antitravolta
Posts: 88
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:35 am
Location: United States

Post by antitravolta »

I don't have personal experience, but I've done some research and have a rough idea.

1. You live on a heavily guarded compound. Everything in the compound is as safe as you could hope for. I've heard differing opinions once you leave the compound.

2. I honestly don't know enough on this one. I know they have some things to do on the compound like a movie theater and some cafes, but from what I've gathered, it's pretty limited.

3. Benefits are outstanding. Great retirement plan and health insurance. They give a 12000 pound shipping allowance. Housing is included.

4. This is pretty simple. Aramco has the clearest pros and cons of most any school out there and they're both significant. The only reason people go there is the money. It's widely considered the best financial package out there. The con is that you have a very limited life while you are there. You can't tell that you are in Saudi Arabia because that compound could be anywhere. I guess depending on who you ask, that could be a good thing, but I do want some kind of cultural experience.

I've had the thought that if I were ever lucky enough to get an offer there that I would take it, but I would go in with a ceiling for how long I was willing to stay (5 years?). I have to say though that if I were good enough to get a job there, I'd probably be good enough to get a job at a top school in a great cultural center. I'd maybe put away half as much money as Aramco, but my days would be much more rewarding. It's a constant philosophical debate for me.

Aramco always makes me think of the joke that goes like this: A man asks a woman if she would have sex with him for a million dollars. The woman responds, "Yeah, I guess I would". The man then asks, "Would you have sex with me for five dollars?" The woman gets really upset and yells, "Of course not, what kind of a person do you think I am?" The man replies, "We've already established that. We're just trying to determine the price."
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

1) Its absolutely completely safe in the compound. There are people who never leave.

2) Depends what you like to do? You could never leave and be very happy. You are living in a fish bowl though, and everyone will know everything about you and your business. Gossiping is a professional past time.
As far as time commitments go, you wont be overworked more then you would be back at a public school in the states, with basically less paperwork.

3) The housing is very nice, fully furnished, Ikea quality furnishings. They replace them rather frequently so they tend to be modern and newish. They have dedicated maintenance and utility technicians that will keep everything running smooth. If something breaks its fixed or swapped out the same day usually. You have all the american/western conveniences in one place. Imports are readily available everything from breakfast cereal too steak. They have their own medial clinic as well as a bar and entertainment venues.

4) Pros/Cons

PRO:
1) You wont be able to live like a Saudi prince, but pay wise its a very nice compensation package, top rate everything.
2) You can save A LOT, costs are subsidized in the compound, and there isnt anything to really splurge on. The saving potential is huge. You could save up close to 6 figures in 2 years.
3) Its going to increase the marketability of your resume, people are going to ask why on earth you left.

CONS:
1) The fish bowl effect, you need to be comfortable with that.
2) Its in the ME, there really isnt anything to do. You can do the tourist stuff in a couple weekends.
3) Your not going to grow yourself professionally, its an all american experience, and you probably already have that experience.
ajedigecko
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:39 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by ajedigecko »

thank you, for the insight.

I grew up in smalltown Kansas, I like to think, I have experience with the "fishbowl effect".

Being contacted by Aramco has moved quickly and their principal would like to speak with me and my wife, via skype or phone.

another concern I have is.....the ability to leave the country, due to emergency issues. main issue being, i believe my dad will likely pass, while we are away.

from what i have read, this evening....there is much buearcracy that needs to take place, in order for me to leave. help?
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

No its not the same fishbowl, this is a much smaller and thicker fish bowl. There literally is no place to go, even in small town america you can hop in a car and go someplace nicer.

Leaving the country isnt an issue, they would grant you emergency family leave. Even if the airport was closed they have access to an airstrip, and would fly you out on a company/charter jet to a neighboring international airport. Its been done before.
ajedigecko
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:39 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by ajedigecko »

i agree, your logic is spot on, with regard to fishbowl. i must take that into account.

and thank you, for the airport information.

do you know anyone, with first hand experience of teaching for Aramco?
overseasvet2
Posts: 191
Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:50 pm

Calendar at Aramco

Post by overseasvet2 »

Sorry, no personal experience but have good friends that have been . One of the down sides can be that people tend to stay due to the "golden handcuffs" and that leads to a culture like some schools in Europe and U.S. - old timers become entrenched and change is very, very difficult.

If you are being recruited straight out of the States that's quite a coup. You could go there, save big bucks and then pick your next posts based solely on where you want to be.

You may wish to ask questions about the school calendar. My understanding is that it's different from most schools and that the work year is quite a bit longer. Not a deal breaker but you'll want to know going in.
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

Yeah I know someone.

A golden prison is a better metaphor, your stuck there, but you get a nice sumer break. That kind of money is hard to leave after you've gotten use to it, and it doesn't take long. After a couple of years your going to stat looking at other schools and realize that wherever you go your going to be taking a major hit to your salary, and why would you justify that? Then your going to start rationalizing that you don't have to move schools and that you can just travel wherever you want to go during the summers. You can spend the summers anywhere you want with the kind of salary package you will get (and your wife is going to suddenly discover her fetish for manolo blahnik, prada, and louis vuitton). Then your going to start adding up the money. You can save $50K a year and even more on two salaries, and then you start setting goals, $100K, then a quarter million, then half a million, then a million, the next thing you know youre there forever. It's really a retirement post, and why they have such little and low turnover, the money is just too good, and the lifestyle of the ME that pushes people away, doesn't exist in the compound.

Will your wife be teaching as well? I hope so, I knew one couple that divorced because she wanted to leave and he wanted to stay. She was a trailing spouse, as there really is nothing to do all day, every day, day after day. It's not the kind of place where she can just leave the compound and "go out". You tire of the compound life very quickly, if your just "killing time". Seriously, if she not being considered for a position as well, take a pass and save your marriage.
ajedigecko
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:39 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by ajedigecko »

thank you, for all of the valuable information.

it will be me and my wife teaching....our interview is friday night via skype. i have never interviewed in this manner. looking forward to it.

we have a daughter that will begin 5th grade, if we accept the positions.
sevarem
Posts: 171
Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:55 am

Post by sevarem »

PsyGuy, your golden prison description was actually quite interesting. I really can see it ending up that way. And that's exactly why, as tempting as the money might be, I would never want to work for Aramco. I think I would end up staying for too long, just to save all of that money, but I don't know how HAPPY any of us would be.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Advice

Post by PsyGuy »

@ajedigecko

Your daughter will be starting 5th grade next year when you would start??? Take a pass, don't rob your little princess of the golden years of her childhood. The fishbowl for a child her age in the compound is like those little baseball sized fishbowls you win a goldfish in at the state fair. Like those fish, that just sit there, so will your daughter. It's hard enough for adults, but to reiterate again, the is NOTHING to really do, NOWHERE to really go, and NOTHING to really see. If you want to instill a sense of cultural appreciation that travel installs in a child, this is not that opportunity. Wait 4 years or so when she's an older teen and all she is is boy crazy, then a walled off guarded compound will do wonders for your piece of mind.

@sevarem

For a single guy it's death, really it's a couples post. There a bar/pub you can get a drink watch some sports and play some pool. There are a couple private . games going on, but that's it.

People go for the raw savings potential you can bank a huge proportion of your salary. After 2 years you have over a $100K in the bank. There's this "golden plan" teachers get that they will put in a couple years and are that $100K+ and go to some where dirt cheep like Indonesia, Thailand, the Phillipines and they will open there own ESL school or some other business plan, and then just retire early and live on the beach. So two years goes by, and you think another two years and I could have a quarter million, and that has such a seductive ring to it "quarter million for 4 years" has a semmetry to it, and where else could you teach and walk away with a quarter million? And so on and so on, until some life event happens, usually a death in the family, or divorce, and that's when people leave.
KellyGuy
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:31 pm

Post by KellyGuy »

It is only K through 8 though, right? I would love a gig like that, but I doubt they want someone who only has taught HS, teaching their middle school math classes.
ajedigecko
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:39 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by ajedigecko »

trust me...we have been thinking mainly about what is best for our family and for the school...family first though!

as stated above.....i like the "ceiling goal"


i like to believe, i have the integrity to walk away from money. due to the fact, i exited a good salary in 1996-98 to begin a career in education.

74K was a large salary, during those years.

i have not even been offered a position, but i enjoy discussing hypotheticals.

speaking of which.....does anyone have information on the hypothetical tax? i have read up on it....but i like to hear from others.
scribe
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:18 am

Post by scribe »

Have lived the compound life in Saudi, albeit not the Aramco compound (the Cadillac of compounds), though have many acquaintences who have. It was a terrific life for our children. Almost completely safe, other than the occasional person who drove too fast considering all the kids walking and on bikes. Playing sports was the main entertainment for everyone, pretty clean fun. School took on far more importance for kids as it was the center of their life. The academics and extra-curriculars promoted excellence; it became the norm. I had students go on to Ivy League prep schools and colleges quite regularly.
We stayed four years and would've stayed longer had high school been an option at the time, it wasn't but it is now. Even if Aramco doesn't have high school, ISG does have one in Dharhan.
Of course the lifestyle had little to no appeal for singles, but for families, many stayed years and years longer than the norm in international schools - precisely for the quality of family life.
Has anyone ever written in with personal experience to complain about Aramco, I wonder - I don't recall it, and it would surprise me.
WiscoKid
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:15 am

Post by WiscoKid »

@ajedigecko

Where have you registered that you are being contacted by this school? I have heard of only a few others being contacted, but I am curious as to where they got your info. Also, my wife and I have looked at this school quite extensively and would be interested in some feedback from you interview.
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