My new job is awesome!

My new job with the Institute of Applied Technology started today. I’ve only been here one day, and it’s already a polar opposite of my first school.

In the beginning I was concerned because my interview was pretty quick, and I stumbled on a few math questions, namely two upper level calculus questions. None the less I waited for my recruiter’s response to the interview, I only waited one day and got an email stating that my application was approved! Not sure entirely what that meant, but it sounded very positive. So during the next few days I got an offer email (not a contract), the pay is nearly double my first school and same benefits. So I gladly told the recruiter I accept! She told me to send an email to that affect since I really didn’t have anything to sign. Then communication with the school and the HR department went dead! I didn’t hear anything for two weeks! That was not good I thought. So I emailed HR again and was told that the approval process would take an “undefined” amount of time to complete. That was not something I wanted to hear, but at this point it was the only job offer on the table, so I waited. I was asked to go to the Dubai Police HQ and get a background check, because I’m now considered a local hire. So I did that quickly, and had it scanned and emailed it off. Got an email confirming receipt of my form. Waited another week (about a month now since the interview), I emailed the recruiter stating the very real fact that I can’t afford to live here in Dubai without a job. She must have emailed the HR department because my contract came the very next day, along with a start date! Very good news, now it’s much more real! Read that massive nine page document signed it, scanned it and emailed it off. The next day I received another email stating they had received my signed contract. The next day I got a 39 page document answering every possible question I could ask from hiring a maid, to driving in the UAE to the dress code here at school. Very comprehensive!

So then I waited a few more days for my start day to arrive.

It’s finally here November 11^th!

So during my first day I met a ton of people, apparently the HR lady here at the school had emailed the entire staff that I was coming. So many of these people that I met already knew I was coming and welcomed me with open arms, so to speak. At least four people today have told me to let them know personally if I need anything or if they can help me with anything. That is wonderful! I also filled out visa paperwork, and many other documents applicable to my employment here at IAT (policies, internet rules, ID card info and such). The math department chair (or lead teacher as they are called here), welcomed me and told me that I’m teaching 10^th and 11^th grade math. Both classes are working out of an Algebra 2 book. That means these classes are paced ahead of similar classes in the US. This is opposite of my first school. In fact, the grade 11 material I need to teach I haven’t worked with since college! The lead teacher told me that this week (a short week to due to the Islamic New Year); I will focus on getting everything settled and getting ready to go. Next week I will have my own classes and be ready to go to work for real. He gave me the textbook CD (they don’t use much paper here at all), and I had a chance to check out what I’m teaching all the way up to Christmas (winter) break. So basically I teach for three weeks and then Christmas break for three weeks! Then I come back in January as if everything is new again, new semester at least.

I swear if this school runs this well all the time, I’m going to really love it here. Just hope the students are receptive to a new teacher starting in November.