TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Technical Writing in Saudi Arabia From:"Bergen, Jane" <janeb -at- ANSWERSOFT -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 10 Jul 1998 11:59:23 -0500
Emily, the last I heard (because I was also interested at one time),
single women were not given permission to come into the country even to
visit, much less work, without an acceptable male sponsor. So unless you
are married and your husband is willing to get a job there, it is not an
option. They are NOT salivating over tourist dollars.
If you just want to go to the Middle East (and I happen to love it
there), you might check into opportunities in Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt.
Even Lebanon is beginning to heal again. All are fairly open (by Western
standards), with some cautions. About the only places I'd recommend
steering absolutely clear of right now are Algeria and Iraq. Both have
extreme civil unrest and/or anti-Western sentiment right now. And while
I'd love to see Iran again (it's a beautiful country and the people are
wonderful), I don't think the government welcomes single women either,
right now.
As for TW opportunities, check with some of the big multi-national
companies. Even better, check to see which large international companies
are headquartered in the country of interest (you might be surprised!).
To see which companies are in which countries, you'll need to do some
research. A good place to start is the embassy of the country you're
interested in. While you're checking there, inquire about work visas
(though don't be too discouraged...there are usually workarounds).
If you want to teach English (and often you can teach tech writing as an
English course at a university), check some of the search engines for
TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), ESL, TEFL (Teaching
English as a Foreign Language), EFL, and TESOL (Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages). The web abounds with them, including job
lists.
Hope that helps,
Jane
Jane Bergen, Technical Writer
AnswerSoft, Inc.
Richardson, TX (972)997-8355
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Emily Cotlier [mailto:Cotlier -at- JBLSMTP -dot- PHL -dot- LRPUB -dot- COM]
>
> I've been researching international jobs for myself, and I
> see a lot of =
> positions open in Saudi Arabia. Some of these positions are
> for English-lan=
> guage technical writers for the oil and petrochemical
> industry. I'd be =
> very interested, having a geology degree (except, of course,
> I'm female). =
