Job Discussion Forums

[jhsu009]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on my chances of getting a job in Hong Kong for this school year. These are my details:

age: 21 years old, recent college grad

degree: BS in Sociology Administrative Studies

nationality: US born and have a US passport

ethnicity: taiwanese

I will finish my TEFL course on Aug 5 and am leaving for Hong Kong on Aug. 12th.
I have no experience and I know that Hong Kong is a very competitive place to obtain a job.
I am wondering what are my chances of getting a decent job?
I can live very frugally but I understand that HK has a high standard of living.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :]

[YujiKaido]

Hi I guess you and me are in the same boat congratulations on your own graduation. I will share with you of what i have been told on here and have learned on my own.

I have been working on my TEFL as well but I think CELTA is really the key in HK and PGDE to get a good job. I don't have either so I am hoping when I leave middle of August myself I can find a job at some kindergarten school and work my way up from the bottom and do those two elements as soon as I can.

[sistercream]

You will certainly be able to get a job, but it will probably be language centre/ kindergarten work as you are young and your qual's are rock-bottom minimum.

Unfortunately and unfairly your ethnicity will put you at a disadvantage as many bosses still think that parents only believe white faces can speak English "properly" (my experience is that most parents aren't that stupid). But hang in there and you will find something, even if it is at the bottom of the pond. Use the first year to get a feel for the place, establish local credibility and get to know others in the "ed. biz." so you can get a better job later if the first one is carp.

The big "new towns" in the New Territories are a good place to start looking for a first job - Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Yuen Long, Tseung Kwan O - and rent in those areas is less than half what it is like-for-like in more highly sought after areas like HK island. Living costs apart from rent aren't really expensive as long as you stay away from trendy bars, restaurants and nightclubs

[jhsu009]

YUJIKAIDO, are you getting the CELTA and PGDE online? How do those programs work?

SISTERCREAM, thanks for all the advice how much do you think the pay will be with my qualifications?

also, does anyone know if its possible to live in hong kong, but work in china? somewhere like shen zhen since its really close to hk. or is that too complicated? i dont have a visa or work permit for any of those countries.

[sistercream]

Hmm, ballpark, figure, depending on whether you get a 5 or 5.5 day week, probably16 - 20K HKD per month.

Can't imagine living in HK and working on the mainland - thousands of HK Chinese do the opposite in order to save on rental costs, but for someone without HK ID (you wouldn't be eligible if your job was on mainland) or the Home Return Permit that HK passport holders can receive, the logistics of two daily border crossings alone would be a nightmare.

You can't get a work permit/ visa for either place until you have an employer to sponsor you.

[ozman]

What sistercream says is pretty spot on. Still you won't have much of a lifestyle earning only 16,000 a month. But as sister says, living costs are not high here (apart from rent) if you eat / buy food local and stay away from expat areas. I started my first contract up in New Territories; there are some good places up there although I'm happier on HK side. You are young and should be enjoying yourself with people your own age - not stuck out in some N.T. village.

A lot of people your age and with your quals get work with Chatteris. I've known a few ELTAS who worked with Chatteris for a year and then landed a pnet job. I don't know a whole lot about Chatteris, but I believe they get cheaper housing but it's on a share basis. It's all young people. You should check out their website; they have some sort of "preparation" thing for young people who want to get experience to get a better paid NET job in HK.

Regarding commuting to China: I know a woman who lives in N.T. and works a few days each fortnight in shenzhen. When she goes to Shenzhen she stays overnight. The job is illegal. Each time she returns to HK she gets a new 3 month visa, but she's worried the immigration are going to get onto her. The continual border crossing must be a drag. Why would you want to do that? There are a LOT of jobs in China, in Shenzhen if you want to be near HK. You could probably get a job there with sponsorship.

[YujiKaido]

@jhsu009 I am still undecided If I will get a CELTA before or after my first year in HK. The cheapest place i found for taking CELTA is in Thailand for a month. Also I don't really know much about getting A PGDE yet, just read other posters talking about taking part time courses at HK University to get it. I will be looking into it though If I plan to make HK permanent.

[St.Anton]

[YujiKaido]

@St. Anton . Many thanks for the link I never even realized they offered CELTA online, I will have to look into this when its offered in September. It will certainly be cheaper alternative I hope.

[St.Anton]

[Mdog]

If you plan on being in this ESL game for at least 3 years or more, I definitely recommend getting a CELTA over any random TEFL. Also, work on getting some kind of Applied Linguistics degree.

[St.Anton]

This is kind of a random question but can anybody here comment on how having tattoos affects you in Hong Kong? Both job wise and in general. I know someone has experience

[Joshua2006]