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GLeigh
Joined: 18 Feb 2016
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 9:02 am Post subject: Finding work in Hong Kong |
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I'm CELTA certified, have a Uni degree with two majors (English and Poli Sci) and live in Vancouver, Canada.
I don't have teaching experience beyond my CELTA.
What's the likelihood of getting a decent job in HK? And-the best way of going about doing it?
I spoke to a recruiter today who championed mainland China and Korea.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 9:11 am Post subject: |
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| I think China or Korea would be a good bet. Once you have more experience then other opportunities will open up. |
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Jmbf
Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:40 am Post subject: Re: Finding work in Hong Kong |
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| GLeigh wrote: |
I'm CELTA certified, have a Uni degree with two majors (English and Poli Sci) and live in Vancouver, Canada.
I don't have teaching experience beyond my CELTA.
What's the likelihood of getting a decent job in HK? And-the best way of going about doing it?
I spoke to a recruiter today who championed mainland China and Korea.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. |
Depends on your expectations. Sounds like you qualify for pretty much entry level teaching positions although you do have an advantage over those with lesser TEFL qualifications.
Entry level work salaries vary but most fall between HKD 15 - 25K / month. That is enough to survive if you live frugally and watch your expenses (although it depends on your lifestyle). Of course the potential to increase your income once here is still decent.
Best way to find work is to come here in person and start knocking on doors. In the meantime there are some useful sources to search for positions such as the usual websites (Jobs DB, Classified Post etc) as well as the relevant Facebook teaching groups. |
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GLeigh
Joined: 18 Feb 2016
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice.
I can't really travel to HK and then look for work, I'd prefer to have something setup before heading over.
It seems like HK is comparable to a Western European city for TEFL job competition-am I right in saying that? |
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Jmbf
Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663
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| Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| GLeigh wrote: |
Thanks for the advice.
I can't really travel to HK and then look for work, I'd prefer to have something setup before heading over.
It seems like HK is comparable to a Western European city for TEFL job competition-am I right in saying that? |
Not really. In terms of the TEFL job scene there are still plenty of opportunities available. Yes there is intense competition for the higher paying positions but pretty much any reasonable teacher can still find a decent teaching job with a bit of effort. The caveat is that most schools / language centres tend to recruit from people already here. I've heard stories of people applying for positions from overseas and having no luck even after months of trying. On the other hand if you physically come to HK chances are very good that you will find something relatively quickly. |
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TrampledKlown
Joined: 22 Sep 2012
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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| GLeigh wrote: |
Thanks for the advice.
I can't really travel to HK and then look for work, I'd prefer to have something setup before heading over.
It seems like HK is comparable to a Western European city for TEFL job competition-am I right in saying that? |
Try applying to entry-level jobs in other places that will help you get settled with housing and stuff.
Japan, for example. After a year or two you could tackle HK. |
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Jmbf
Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Posts: 663
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| Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 4:02 am Post subject: |
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| TrampledKlown wrote: |
Try applying to entry-level jobs in other places that will help you get settled with housing and stuff.
Japan, for example. After a year or two you could tackle HK. |
I'm not sure on this. Yes taking on another TEFL position in Japan / Korea / Taiwan etc would help to build up a bit of experience and slightly improve his resume.
However, for entry-level positions, those few years teaching overseas wouldn't really contribute much to securing a better position here in HK. Yes he might be able to negotiate a slightly higher salary but that would be about it.
Meanwhile, if he had spent those first few years in Hong Kong he would already have secured relevant local experience and could use that to find a better teaching position. Moreover, during that time he would have been able to work on his network of contacts, really learn the lay of the land here and potentially start finding his own private students to bolster his income.
If we look at 2 candidates: Candidate A who went TEFLing overseas for a few years and then came to teach in Hong Kong vs Candidate B who started off in Hong Kong and spent a few years establishing himself here. I'm pretty sure Candidate B would be in a much better position.
The only exception would be if Candidate A spent a significant amount of time overseas or back home to improve his qualifications and get QTS etc etc, THAT could make a difference. |
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Kowloon
Joined: 11 Jan 2016
Posts: 133
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:23 am Post subject: |
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Agree with the post above. If HK is where you want to be then come here and start building HK relevant experience. I'd go for Monkey Tree if I were in your shoes.
1. They hire from abroad. 2. As far as I know they offer a package where you can take a lower salary and get shared housing included which I'm assuming would be helpful. 3. It will give you a network when you arrive with colleagues in the same centre to show you the ropes.
Then after you settle in you can start applying for better jobs. |
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