Job Discussion Forums

[hip-hop boy78]

Hello,

I’m looking into the possibility of teaching in Hong Kong although I don’t know very much about the current teaching situation there. I will take the time to try and probe a little further over the coming weeks but in the meantime, I’d be grateful if anyone with experience of teaching in HK could answer the following questions, and perhaps help me get the ball rolling on whether or not it would be worth it for me to make the move.

I have about 11 years of teaching experience (3 in Japan, and 8 in South Korea), and have taught both young learners (kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students) and adults. I’ve taught in private language institutes, a private university, and a couple of public schools. I’ve taught conversational English, as well as preparatory courses such as TOEFL and TOEIC. I have a BA and an MA in non-teaching related subjects, but no teaching qualification.

That being said, what kind of salary would I be realistically able to expect and would I be able to save any money in HK considering the relatively high cost of living? ? Would I be best off looking for work at a private language institute or for a public school? Should I reach out to a few recruiters and see what they might be able to offer me, or contact schools directly? Which recruiters would you recommend from personal experience?

When teaching in Korea I had to submit a certified criminal record check, a certified and apostilled copy of my BA degree (don’t think I needed to certify/apostille my MA), and a health check undertaken in Korea. All documents had to be dated within six months. What paperwork is required to apply for a work visa in HK? Do I need to go through the time-consuming and costly process of certifying my documents all over again? I still have a certified/apostilled copy of my MA, but it’s dated late 2011. Would this still be valid? How long would the whole application process take once I have my documents to hand? And would I need to visit the embassy in the UK in person in order to apply for a work visa or can I arrange all that in HK? Any information here would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve been to HK as a tourist before and really enjoyed it, but living there would be a completely different experience. I guess I’m trying to figure out whether or not it would be worth the hassle, and whether I’d be able to save money after a year in HK, in case I concluded it wasn’t for me and then decided to move on after completing a contract. I’m currently in Europe but not in the UK which is where I’m originally from, if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance for any feedback or recommendations you may be able to give me.

[bograt]

The high cost of accommodation is the main problem in Hong Kong. Without any teaching quals you'd probably have to share a flat to make enough to save anything.

[Jmbf]

Several factors will affect how much you could potentially save. Naturally a lot will depend on your lifestyle and whether you can live frugally. I'll highlight a few potential scenarios to give you an idea.

Scenario 1.

Langauge Centre Position. 20K / month salary. Very high hours. No other extra income.
10K rental for a small studio.
8-9K for monthly living (assumes fairly frugal living but with regular western meals / drinks)
Savings potential: 1-2K / month

Scenario 2.

Language Centre Position. 20K / month salary. High hours. 4K extra income from private students.
10K rental for a small studio.
6-7K for monthly living (assumes frugal living but with occasional western food / drinks).
Savings potential: 7-8K / month

Scenario 3.

Language Centre Position. 25K / month salary. Medium hours. 8K extra income from private students.
6K for a flat share.
6-7K for monthly living (assumes frugal living but with occasional western food / drinks).
Savings potential: 20-21K / month

Scenario 4.

Local School Position. 25K / month salary. Low-Medium hours. 12K extra income from private students.
6K for a flat share.
6-7K for monthly living (assumes frugal living but with occasional western food / drinks).
Savings potential: 24-25K / month

Basically the amount you can save depends on a) how hard you are willing work and hustle to find extra private students and b) how frugally you are able to live. While it is possible to keep all your monthly expenses including accommodation under 13K / month, living that way long term is very tough. Temptations abound and it is very very easy to blow through your entire monthly income on just a couple of big nights out. The key is to find some balance which is sustainable. I'd say 10K for your own apartment and 10K for your monthly spending would lead to a more comfortable lifestyle. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to improve your income and make this scenario workable and still have decent savings, either via your main job or via private students.

[hip-hop boy78]

Thank you both for your replies.

I didn't realise that accommodation was so expensive. Kind of reminds me of my time in Japan. I managed to save money but everything was so damn expensive. However, I'd like to give it a go. I would definitely need to get some private students or do online teaching in order to improve my overall savings potential. How does one usually find private students in HK-word of mouth/networking, or posting up flyers around town? Is it legal to teach private students there?

Also, is a work visa easy to arrange or does it require preparing certified documents in advance? I'm presuming it's best to find a job before arriving and organise a work visa in advance. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't have any problem living frugally and eating veggies and rice. I'm not into partying so much any more. I'd be happy with fast internet, a gym, books to read, and a handful of friends. I'm quite good at saving when I have a goal in mind.

When it comes to finding accommodation, is it common to pay a deposit and a month's rent in advance? How easy is it to find a place to live?

And regarding working for a language center, are they all more or less the same or would you be able to recommend any in particular?

Thanks again.

[bograt]

Standard up front fees are half a months rent to the agent and 2 months rent up front. So on a 10,000 dollar flat you'd pay 25,000 up front.

Just a thought but if you had the CELTA you could apply to the British Council or as a NET and you'd probably be on the price of a CELTA more each month than what you'd be getting from those schools JMBF mentioned. Something to consider in the future.

[Jmbf]

[claka77]

Have you considered living and working in Shenzhen? Louhu, Futian and Nanshan districts are right on the HK border (for weekend trips). Guangzhou is also another city that's not too far away from HK. Renting will be cheaper and the potential for extra students/income is much higher. Admittedly the downside will be the crappy internet/mentality of locals, food options,etc (particularly if you're coming from South Korea, I went from South Korea to Shenzhen as well and it took time to get used to however over time I preferred it over Korea). I considered working in HK too but I don't think it offers a great balance (income relative to expenses similar to Japan along with work hours).

[Jmbf]

[HeidiHector]

[Jmbf]

[yurii]

[HeidiHector]

Many advertise only on their websites (Google for a list of schools and visit their websites directly). JobsDB, CPJobs, and SCMP sometimes also have postings, but mostly the universities in HK tend to do things in house.

The last time I checked in Feb, at least three (out of the ten or so) schools were hiring permanent positions. And I have interviewed for two of them and they both had a few positions open. Indeed, I accepted my new job at one of them and will start this coming fall. The added bonus of working in HK is that a) the visa process is relatively short; six weeks compared to 10+ in most other countries and b) the visa rules tend to be more flexible; should you quit or be laid off, you could find another job and have the second employer might be able to just send Immigration a letter stating that you have a position there. Usually one doesn't need to reapply completely since the documents are already on file.

I think opportunities are always there in HK; after all, almost all universities are English speaking (or have English as the major MOI) and there are tons and tons of private schools, so it's really a matter of job search skills that determine your success rate. They are as crucial as one's credentials and experience, TBH.

Cheers.

[Jmbf]

I completely agree that HK has amazing opportunities for teachers in general, I was just unsure about the availability of university positions. Perhaps as you say that's because they keep things mostly in-house.

I guess overall I would rate most university positions somewhere above language centre / local school work but below an EDB NET / international school position.

[AV15]

Jobs should be looked at holistically though. A university job might pay less than the EDB NET scheme, but you won't be having to deskwarm 40 hours a week and you'll get the longer uni holidays as well.

I'd put the university job above both personally. The guys who are lucky enough to be university professors have a very nice pay/hours ratio. Of course they have PhD's, so it's kinda deserved.

[Jmbf]

I think for university professors I agree with you. However, as you said, it takes many years of work and study to reach such a position. I would wager the availability of such positions are relatively few and far between.

My comments were tailored towards the majority of university positions (e.g. lecturers, senior lecturers etc etc) who will be on perhaps 40-50K / month at most (if anyone could clarify?). Yes, the conditions and working hours may be better than those on the EDB NET scheme, but most experienced teachers on the NET scheme will be on 60-70K / month plus bonuses, return flights allowance etc etc. That's quite a difference.

Moreover, I recall seeing a few articles / comments about the general salary in universities taking a hit recently and things getting worse in terms of overall renumeration. (again, happy to be proven wrong, that's just the general vibe I've picked up)