Job Discussion Forums

[Kurochan]

I'm going to apply for a part-time job teaching adults workplace English. They ask me to name my suggested salary. What would be reasonable? Should I ask high and negotiate? If any of you get hourly pay, what is it?

Thanks!

Kurochan

[kurva]

Hey,

What you want is $300/hour +. The average is maybe $250. Don't take less than $200. This depends on your qualifications of course. Anything less than $200 is an insult to a qualified teacher with experience. It may also depend if you are working with or without a visa.

There are lots of crap places looking for cheap backpackers that will pay you less than the guy they're afraid to leave alone with the McNuggets for more than 2 minutes. These places offer $70/hour and have a take it or leave it attitude and therfore should be mocked, scorned and belittled in the most sever manner available.

[Roger]

Kurochan's advice is right. I do not know the current going-rates, but 250 seems to me a reasonable one.
I made 350 to 400, but this was in 1998 through 2000, and I was teaching other subjects than English (it was languages alright, but not English, so I had hardly any competition).

Private training centres exploit you badly sometimes! I forgot its name but there was one in Causeway Bay that paid me 110 $. I did not mind so much the low pay, I minded much more the fact that they wer5e manipulating staff and students in such a way that you would be the last to know that your class had been given to someone else for no particular reason other than that the operator wanted to be on top of things.
They would ask you to take over another class after some hiatus during which time you were or were not working elsewhere!

[Roger]

Sorry, I meant KURVA'S ADVICE. Sorry to kurva, and sorry to kurochan!

[ChrisRose]

I think it would be nice to have a list of undesirable agencies in HK.

I have been looking for work both part time and full time since declining a full time position at a college. The paperwork was unbelievable.

Every so often I think, ok I say just go to the interview with one of the many god forsaken private sector companies. But 99% of the time, the interviewer has no formal educational training and I just see that they are filling a vacuum in the education sector whilst screwing the students. It is sad that the private sector is deemed necessary to fore fill deficiencies in the government educational system at this time.

I have been offered 5 positions as programme director for agencies in the last 12 months, fortunately or unfortunately, I have declined them all. Poor and broke, I am still able to hold my head up high and refuse to assist those desiring to exploit students.

The fact of the matter is, if these cowboy agencies were to invest in adequate teacher training and curriculum development they would actually save money whilst actually doing what it is they claim to be doing.

[discloser]

Chris Rose,

I whole heartedly agree that there needs to be a list, on a new thread withy a sticky title, that names the employers that have screwed people in the recent past. Off the top of my head here is my list

Smart Kids
Word Power
Englsih Language College
Children's English Centre
Sunny Englsih Club

These are mostly from the HK Job Info Journal but I know a few teachers who have been in some bad situations that would be more than happy to add to the list. With any additions you have hopefully we can have an ever evolving list that acts as a watchdog for these angencies. God knows someone needs to look out for teacher's interests in HK. Are you with me?

[ChrisRose]

BTW SmartKids

Well I have two stories about them.

I went for an interview and the interviewer sad "Oh my we need teachers, one of the schools wants to sack both of the teachers we sent them. Now why do you want to work or SmartKids?"

If that doesn't say it all, a week ago I was emailed and asked to teach a 1 1/2hour class in Shakia Wan, which is near my home. They said they would provide the materials. I stated ok, let me view hte materials and I will give you my decesion. FInally on Friday, the day before the class, I recieved 3 scanned pages of photocopies, (a) not suitable for hte students by age/level, and (b) useless for a 1 1/2 lesso, no visual aids, syllabus etc. Smartkids appear to be completely BS. Just charging students money without actualy providing and from of structered course. Oh yes, another e-mail aid meet at such a location for the 1st calss.

Well they still had not answered my other questions, number of students, facilities, clss ates etc.

Gues what, it was 1 class every other week! I found out by telephone.

I for one will have nothign to do with such an unprofessionl organisation.