Job Discussion Forums

smuvkat25 · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 25 Location: USA

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate all of your help/comments.

Nick in Cleveland, Ohio USA

prufrockwakes · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 41

HOw are you treated in HK? Language? Music scene? museums? Dating? activites...beaches.....hahahaha you see ad infinitum . so how about it? why HK versus, say, Tokyo, or Seoul? I:m thinking about making the big leap....

sunchaser · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 1

I recently arrived in HK and have been applying for loads of jobs. I am a qualified Art Teacher [with teaching experience in SA and UK] and have some experience in teaching Eng, however I do not have a TEFL/TESOL etc.
I have only received a response from kindergarden positions...which I am not interested in as I am not really that good with young kids.

My brother is currently working in South Korea and I am thinking about moving there because I have already been offered a job there. I think their requirements are much lower than here in HK and they seem more desperate for teachers.

I dont know if I have been looking in the wrong place or if I am just not qualified as it seems that HK is much more competative.

Money is a major factor, I have some study debt to pay and also wish to save money for my Masters. Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

If you're not qualified for the top teaching jobs (NET programme, international schools, etc.) then it's very difficult to save decent money in HK - even more so now that private schools and adult teaching centres will be losing students due to the economic downturn.

In your situation I'd go to Korea. I taught there for two years before coming to HK, and even though my salary was less than here I saved far more. How so? Because living costs are way cheaper in Korea and schools often pay your accomodation - also because foreign teachers don't get taxed (at least, I wasn't). Before my current job I worked as a p/t teacher and freelance journo in HK for six years and never did better than break even. Another option would be the JET programme in Japan - they aren't too fussy about teaching experience and they pay well. Mostly they just want new-ish grads as real live classroom props - so the local kids get to see what a foreigner looks like. JET may be quite competitive these days, mind you.