Job Discussion Forums

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

I've been offered an interview to come to work as a NET in Hong Kong. Just an interview mind you, no job offer as of yet. Sadly, I would have to travel to HK for the interview, miss a day of teaching (well, THAT'S not sad!), and they have a ream of paperwork they are asking for. HOWEVER, the salary offered is quite a bit greater for, I'd imagine, about the same amount of work I'm doing here. HK is obviously a little more forward-thinking and modern than most places within China. Foreigners there are a dime a dozen, yes? A great hub to travel hither and yon and lots of English-based activities such as movies, concerts, bookstores, etc. Am I right so far? On the other hand, I know cost of living is astronomically higher than here (I mean, the education dept. of HK offers almost 13,000 HKD on top of salary for renting an apt. but my research shows that can easily get eaten up in a hurry) as well as any sort of luxury item such as eating out and those aforementioned concerts and movies.

I know a little about the yin and yang of living and working there, but would like more feedback from those in the know. I posted elsewhere that my current school threw a substantial amount of money to stay there another year but . . . ??? I grow weary of China (yeah, yeah - - Hong Kong is China too . . . whatever) so I'm at a crossroads right now. Any advice you can leave for me in regards to their education system, the amount of working hours I'm realistically looking at, possible commute time, some of the things I mentioned above. Whatever you can offer. I'm not looking for China bashers or Hong Kong haters, just give me some food for thought.

PS: I have to let them know within the next two days (March 1st) if I'm even going to come down for the interview process.

james s · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Raincity

11:59 · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 8:19 am Post subject:

Honkers need not be so expensive. Many things here are the same price as the mainland, and some goods and services are often cheaper (free landline phone calls being a case in point). If I were not married and did not have kids then I doubt very much if I would spend any more than I did on the mainland. I know of quite a few single, young NETs who live on their housing allowance of $13,000 HK alone, rarely if ever actually touching their salary, thereby often saving $20,000 or $30,000 HK (or more) per month.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

What kind of apartments are they living in, in order to live only off their housing allowance? I'm not someone who just spends freely, but at the same time I would want a nice, modern (read: not "slummy") place to put up my feet. I'm not looking for a 6th floor walk-up that is musty and old. At the same time, I don't need a Trump Towers kind of place either.

(and, not to disparage the poster, but why do so many people here "know somebody who . .. " as opposed to their own experiences?) Wink

jammish · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 1704

Kev, one idea might be to reside on one of the outlying islands and commute in. I know a girl on another forum who is a longtermer in HK, and she was living on Lamma island and paying something like 5000 a month for what sounded like quite a nice house, and it only took an hour each way to commute, which is comparable to what we expect to take if living in the west. Whereas in London you will never get your own pad for as little as 5000 a month (350 pounds) no matter how far you are willing to commute. And the salaries compare well with London teaching salaries.

The other thing of course is that 'other' stuff (other than Chinese stuff) won't cost you any more than on the mainland, and at times will cost you less. So going to pizza hut, say, will cost the same, mcdonalds is the same, bars cost about the same, etc.

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

You asked similar questions about HK in the past, and you have so far learnt very little of real substance except the obvious.
That HK is expensive is a commonplace; still most FTs based in HK can save money. Imported foods are cheaper there than in the Mainland, to begin with; housing can be affordable provided you have the good fortune of being employed away from the thick of downtown.

But what you really ought to care about is this: is it worth transplanting yourself to another Chinese territory that distinguishes itself by having a separate jurisdiction?
The job will come with immensely more pressure on you; Hong Kong teachers are under punishing administrative duties that eat into their spare time. They also have to attend teacher meetings no matter whether you understand the Cantonese being used during those meetings; in addition NETs have to teach at two schools and thus have to commute a good deal.
One of the recurrent complaints is that FTs are kept at a long leash when holidays are around the corner; some have to work on Saturdays and on holidays when CHinese teachers are off duty.
You may also wonder whether your students are worth your effort of living in HK since the education system there has not shown much flexibility in the last ten or so years in accommodating "agents of change" as NETs have been called there. Some NETs complain about obstructionism on the part of principals and colleagues; many consider themselves being used as mere figureheads - not very different from the mainland.
Living in HK I felt a little "freed" as compared to how you might feel in the mainland on account of the very authoritarian control over the news media and public opinions by the Party; but then again your freedom doesn't hinge on whether you can criticise Hu or Jiang for their latest blunder, and Hongkongers are far less intellectually inclined than commercially minded.
As a consequence, living in HK is an experience for those interested in cheap ostentation and vanity; friends have very little time for friendships.

11:59 · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:51 pm Post subject:

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

You're right Roger, I did ask a similar question before, but didn't get much response and now the possibilty of going there is greater, so thought I'd throw it out again. Hope readers don't mind my being repetitive.

Thanks 11:59 for the clarification. I was just doing some searching on the internet and was finding websites for really expensive housing. I suppose if I were to come to HK, I'd need to come a little earlier and visit some real estate offices. Another question, since you seem to be in the know, how much "key" money is required up front? Deposit, extra month(s) rent, etc. Also, how do utilities run for you? I'm guessing since HK is hot more than anything else, one might run his AC quite a bit from, oh, April to November!!

11:59 · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject:

Yes, there is no shortage of extremely dear accommodation, but that is for the big boys and is out of our (i.e., teachers') league! I go down to the local gweilo pub once or twice a month for a pint and there are a few pilots who frequent the same establishment. Both are in pads that cost between $45,000 and $50,000 HK per month! Out in Disco Bay you will find semi-detached beachfront villas going for $75,000 per month. But if you work for an international bank and get $80,000 a month housing allowance then I suppose money is no object.

You will typically need three months rent up front (cash) to get into a place so prepare for that. Utilities are a joke � an absolute joke. Would you believe that I don't even budget for them? Indeed, given the rate that we humans are ploughing through the Earth�s resources I sometimes find it quite frightening that utilities bills are so low here. Even with 4 people (including two teenage daughters!) my household bills rarely if ever come to more than $1,000 HK a month, all in. That's electric, water, and gas. No one in my family uses the aircon, we all use fans instead, so I can't tell you how much that would equate to, but I've never heard of anyone mentioning their aircon/electricity bill so I doubt if it can be very high.

mechanized · Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 30

If am I job hunting in Hong Kong but that proves unsuccessful. Would it be rather easy to go over to China to look for a job?

I will have a TEFL (from tefl international) and a BA.

jammish · Joined: 17 Nov 2005 Posts: 1704

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:59 pm Post subject:

On 13 000 a month? Sorry, but unless you are very frugal, that's peanuts in HK. You could survive, and I suppose possibly save, but you'd really be doing it tough. Let me tell you that I have been spending on average over 30 000 a month in HK for the first few months this school year. This is to support my wife and I. We live a good life, but really I'm not doing anything extravagant. I honestly don't know where all the money goes - and no, my wife doesn't have the credit card!

I wouldn't even think about it. Living in HK is also high pressure. Unless you can earn at least 20 000, just forget it. Honest!

I suppose if you are a uni graduate and like the student lifestyle you might just get by.

TravellingAround · Joined: 12 Nov 2006 Posts: 423

The aforementioned $13,000HK a month was only the housing allowance I believe HH and not including the salary.

mechanized · Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 30

After securing employment with a Chinese employer, how long does it take them to get you a working visa?

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Not meaning to get all protective about my thread, but how does that have anything to do with the whole "Mainland vs Hong Kong" theme? To answer the question though, you get the visa before coming, then your employer will/should change it into a Residence Permit and get you a Foreign Experts Certificate. A school worth its salt, should take about 2 weeks to get everything in order, but give them, oh, 6 weeks before panicking too much! Just bug them every day about it.