Job Discussion Forums

tara perrett · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

I passed the NET interview in Brisbane in March but I've heard nothing since then. Has anyone been offered a contract yet to start in August?

TeacherTim · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Deep undercover

Hi there,

I've been waiting nearly 12 months, so be prepared for the possibility of a long wait. There again some get hired quickly - luck of the draw I suppose.

Tim

YellowHair · Joined: 29 Apr 2006 Posts: 41 Location: HK

TT:

What do you mean you've been waiting twelve months? Did you interview last year and get put on some kind of a waiting list or something?

Please explain.

YH

TeacherTim · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Deep undercover

As far as I'm aware I'm only on the same waiting list as everybody else. As you can imagine its rather a sore issue. So far it appears I've wasted two trips to HK - one for the interview (May 27th 2006 and one later in December to chase matters up)

So far, only one school contacted me. I was delighted as could imagine, but after six or seven emails I finally asked them if there was anything se they needed and they then repied that infact they already had NET lined up and signed up. Apparently they had contacted me because he/she had not been responding to emails etc.

Overall I'm not impressed with the procedure and its not for want of trying
either.

This said, back to the original poster - it is down to luck to some extent. I hear some get picked up quickly but others seem to just to wait in the pipeline. The only explanation is that I'm cat 3 and everybody else is higher, but still...

phew...

Tim

BeckyBen · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 22

I can't believe that you have been waiting so long.. that is really no good.
2 months of waiting has been driving me round the twist, my job here finishes at the end of June and I 'm wondering what to do with all my stuff!! I am trying to chill about it all but it's not that easy!
I am going to phone them tomorrow.

reltap3 · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Australia

I was told the next day after my interview that I had passed. The agency contacted 2 referees of mine and they faxed back the form they had sent them. Since then, no word at all. But since they are still interviewing in HK, maybe the jobs are not being offered yet. They may be waiting to see who re-signs with the schools. Anyway, the agency told me that PATIENCE is the key.

tara perrett · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

Thanks for the feedback. I have heard that patience is the key but as time drags on it seems to feel less likely that a move to HK is going to happen.
Has anyone found it useful to contact NET about progress or can that annoy them?

ozman · Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 133 Location: HONG KONG

Teacher Tim
If you've been waiting more than 12 months, have you tried to contact the EMB? You really should. Find out if your application is still current. If all your paperwork is ok, you shouldn't be waiting so long. My guess is your CV didn't go out to many schools. You should chase this up.

Other people who are waiting - it's almost end of May. Schools will be getting geared up for exams. After the exams they will have more time to think about a NET. So you may have to wait until June to hear anything.
OZMAN

hkleaver · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 4

Don't be alarmed about waiting. The EMB NET section recuritment is the most inefficient department. It is a very good indicator of the frustrations many teachers face here in Hong Kong. Don't you think that it would be better if people who, like yourselves, were given at the very least, some indication of when they are likely to hear or at least what is happening. My guess is that in typical HK fashion, people fail to see the realities of the outside recruitment world such as giving due notice in to your schools at home. HK is very frustrating at times, and you'll get a different answer everytime you call. What I did, is take a punt. But then, that payed off for me. No real help can be given. When the schools figure they need a NET you will hear then. Nothing interferes with exams here!

atatat · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

I passed my interview in March last year and got my first offer in JULY! Yes, it's all about PATIENCE...

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

thank you for the comments...it helps to know that I am not alone!

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.�
--Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

TT, I can't believe you have been waiting that long. You have an application number, right? Start contacting schools yourself, tell them you've already been accepted by the EMB, give them your application number so they can follow it up themselves, get your qualifications assessed by the HKCAA if you haven't already and you'll have a job ten times quicker than if you wait for the EMB to fetch your CV out of their black hole of applications.

DO NOT RELY ON THEM TO DO IT FOR YOU. IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT.

Here are some websites to take a look at:

Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation (you need to get your degree assessed by this bunch of inefficient money grubbers)
http://www.hkcaa.edu.hk/

South China Morning Post jobs
http://www.classifiedpost.com/jscommunity.php?communitycode=EDU&jobpage=1&lcid=HK.EN

JUMP (impossible to find for Native English Speakers, but they still advertise NET jobs here so it's good to know. All English teacher jobs are posted in English)
http://jump.mingpao.com/cfm/JobSearch2.cfm?keyword=教師

Be aggressive and you'll there a lot faster than if you just wait for the EMB to get their act together.

TeacherTim · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Deep undercover

Hi there,

Thanks for all your support. I have always been proactive. I email them every two months to stay in touch and remind them of my status and then a week or so etter get a one word response "noted"!

Today I tried ringing and they promised to get back to me by email (I have already sent two so far unanswered emails in the past two weeks) I will however keep ringing until I get an answer.

Have a nice weekend

Teacher Tim

sodapop · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 10 Location: hong kong

i also am still waiting for an offer. I passed all my paper work over and am now just waiting... any news??? (Interviewed in Brisbane in March as well)