Job Discussion Forums

[Britster]

Hi there,

My Nickname is Britster
(because a 'Prankster' likes to play 'Pranks', well I like being a 'Brit').

I am 62 years old and recently completed 10 x Semesters (5 Years) as a Native English Teacher in China.

I obtained a TEFL Diploma (120 Hours) in 2014. Before that, a 'BSC' in 'Engineering Technology' via Distance Learning in June 2011.

Since then I have done other 'Distance Learning' from China.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/explore-elt

TEACHING FOR SUCCESS: LESSONS AND... BRITISH COUNCIL

INSIDE IELTS. CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

EXPLORING ENGLISH BRITISH COUNCIL

UNDERSTANDING IELTS BRITISH COUNCIL

I am currently taking :-

EXPLORING THE WORLD OF ENGLISH... CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT.

I would like the opinions of the Members of this Dave's ESL Cafe (who have experience of working in China, post handover, as a Native ESL Teacher), as to what are my chances of getting a JOB in Hong Kong and a Native Brit with 5.5 years ESL Teaching experience, and now age 62?

Being age 62 is the reason I can not teach in China any longer.

On 1st April 2017, there was a NEW Category 'B' Visa that came into effect. This requires applicants such as Foreign Teachers to have 60-84 points (and a strong bias against those over age 60 (whereas before, one could teach to age 65).

It is difficult for those aged 60 as 0 points for age. Colleges and Universities


I first visited Hong Kong, 2 days before the 'Handover' in 1997. Boy was the weather that night like some kind of 'Omen'? Great PARTIES however, all night long and into the next day. I recall it was still raining @ 5am, There was this girl, wrapped in a Union Jack, just standing in the middle of the Des Voeux Rd. Central, soaking wet. I was going to ask her why was she standing there getting so wet (but I had lost my umbrella, jacket, and probably still inebriated). Welcome to Hong Kong!

Actually, I was 'passing through' on a 'Service Call' for NETRIX Corporation, to upgrade the Firmware on the Series 5000 ATM Switch of KEB (Korea Exchange Bank) in Gangnam District of Seoul, since I was already trained up on this @ HQ in Herndon, North Virginia, USA. A colleague visiting from UK Office passed me a Letter from Nik Doyle, who was the VP NERIX EMEA in the UK. I was being offered Promotion to Engineering Manager, Asia Pacific, based in their Wyndham Street Office in Wilson House (near Lan Kwai Fong).

I was 'New'to Asia, so had no idea if US$270,000pa, was a good offer, back in 1997, as I hear Hong Kong was "The Most Expensive Real Estate in the WORLD! I was to be the one to do that Service Call to KEB, as well as give the Korean Distributor's Sales & Marketing Staff a Series 5000 Product. I also found time to give more detailed Series 5000 Product Installation, & Browser based Network Management, Configuration, and Diagnostics, to their Technicians.

I then returned to Hong Kong for 1 month, to get a real feel for life (and the real cost of living). The lowest priced apartment that I found was way up Smithfield Rd. in Kennedy Town @ USD1,200pm with a 1-year Contract!

I rejected that initial offer, but accepted revised offer of USD85,000pa (+ Sales Commission Bonus - typically 20%+ on top)!

However, I did not get to live and work in Hong Kong, for a minimum of 7 years (to qualify for being considered for Permanent Residence), as there was a recession in the Telecom Industry at the end of 1999.

Staff in NETRIX HKG Office (apart from Helena Tsai, Sales Director), given 3 months Salary (in lieu of Notice).

However, Nik Doyle, VP of EMEA, and Tom Delaney, VP Asia Pac., decided to make use of 11 months remaining on Office Rental Agreement and form new Start-up "Congruent International (HKG Ltd)". Basically 'Outsourcing'' Office, staff, Asia Pac Distributors, knowledge of IT and Regulations and a network of 'Contacts'. 'Model'got 4 Clients to sign up with 60% Saving on Netrix 'Cost of Doing Business' in Asia. So 4 x 40% = 120%, just 20% Profit! Get 5th/6th and hopefully '7th Çlient' signed, and good prospects for us all.

Sonoma Systems Ltdhttps://www.companieslist.co.uk/prev/02490002-retix-uk-limited from the UK., was the most exciting 'Partner'. I was working on 3 x Projects in AP.

Sonoma System products enable network providers to use their existing legacy E1/T1, n x 64kbops Data, voice and 6kkbs and lower, plus Video on Fibre Optic ATM-based infrastructures.

But Canadian Telecom 'giant' NORTEL bought out Sonoma Systems, so I lost my job in Telecomms again. I was on 50% deferred salary, and paying Mortgage & Maintenance in UK. I relocated to Cebu, Philippines, with Salome (Filipina, whom I met at a Salsa Dance Class in November 1998 in Hong Kong, She promised she would buy a house /lot and I never go hungry. It certainly was a LOT cheaper than the cost of living in Hong Kong).

I semi-retired in 2005, at the age of 50 in Cebu, having married Salome, and obtained a 13A Visa (Permanent Residency). I had GBP300pm from an Annuity having taken the Max 25% Cash Lump Sum from my Private Life Insurance Policies. Back then, this generated nearly PHP32,000.

In 2005, I started placing 5/6 Year Peso Time Deposits, in the Rural Banks of 'Legacy Group. By 2006-2008 we (3) had built up to Php2.5M, in each of 5 Banks (in the Group of 12), This generated PHP166,667.67pm, Tax-Free income! But come December 2008, they were all declared CLOSED by 'BSP' (Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas). These NETT Deposits were all insured by the PDIC (Philippine Deposit Insurance Company), but it took more than 3 months from Closure, for Claims Acceptance and another 3-18 months to get paid. We received 98% of Nett Deposit of PHP6.4M (due to getting 20% Interest of PHP50,000, from Year 6, paid in advance, in cash, up front).

The PDIC ruled 20% was éxcessive and lowered it to 1%. Some Banks offered to 'Waive the 0.05% DST PHP1,250, but PDIC failed to find this having been paid to Bureau of Internal Revenue, so they deducted from our payouts. We never paid it, so did not lose it.

Sorry for this long story explaining my early RETIREMENT from Engineering, then having to look for a new Job from 2010 onwards, especially after I was cheated on a couple of MOA's (Memorandum of Agreements).

I found work as a Native English Teacher on Mactan Island, with AITN WELTS. They transferred me to an 'English Winter Camp' (@ Lancaster Hotel) come January 2011. It was mostly Korean Teenagers (and 3 x Russians) attending. I was tasked with giving Oral English Classes to small groups of 3-5 students typically. Some also signed up for some 1 on 1 Classes as well. This was repeated 5 days a week (with some 'slots' having some 1 on 1 students, that were not in my Group Classes) for 4-5 weeks.

I endeavored to learn more about being a Native English Teacher. CELTA was clearly the 'Best' qualification, with DELTA next? These came at a Price Premium and I was not sure I could get enough 'mileage; out of the cost, at my age?

I did not have a BSC Degree either. I had left School in the UK, @ age 16, to pursue a 'Vocational' further education, via a 4-year 'Electronics Engineering' Apprenticeship with the Ministry of DEFENCE (@ S.R.D.E., Christchurch, Dorset, UK). I was studying City & Guilds of London Institute - Telecommunications Technician Course No. 271. At the end of my Apprenticeship, I should have obtained my C&G Full Tech Certificate. Because of my 7 x GCE 'O' Levels, I went to college with the Apprentices, the year ahead, of us - the final intake of Apprentices (as that MOD Establishment was to be merged with 'RRE' in Malvern Worcestershire). They were taken on as ASO's (Assistant Scientific Officers but learned C&G Full Tech not accepted for promotion to 'SO', so they switched to HND study, with 2 x A2 'endorsements'). Bournemouth College of Technology did not have any Day Classes for me to study C&G 'T5'

I set my sights further afield and was accepted by Cable & Wireless Ltd. for the new intake of Technicians who studied C&G @ Cambourne (with GCE 'A' Levels), as F1 (Foreign Service) Staff. After Basic Line Technican Training in Novermber 1976, I was posted to Doha Qatar

[Jmbf]

I have a feeling that getting a working visa might be tricky as the immigration department might not recognise your 'BSC'. They can be a bit funny about distance degrees. Having said that, without having the full details it's hard to say for sure.

Another point is that with your current qualifications and experience, I doubt you would be able to secure much more than entry-level work. I'm a huge proponent of the teaching opportunities in HK in general, however, entry-level work can be tough. It'll be many hours for not much money (at least to begin with) and I'm not sure it will be worth it for you.

[Kowloon]

Another issue: the mandatory retirement age for Government Positions (i.e. The NET scheme) is 60. You can get special dispensation for an extra year but that's it. Now that doesn't cover all jobs but it rules out the realistic best job you could have aimed for, and even then you'd have been looking at 3-4 years before reaching. Also, official positions often set the tone, I'd wager private-Schools would be reluctant also. University work would be fine age-wise but you don't have enough in terms of qualifications.

Edit: Sorry to say this, but on reading your post in more detail, you really don't have a hope. With a CELTA and/or DELTA the BC would be an option, but you are looking at entry level language centre work and they are unlikely to hire a 62 year old.