Job Discussion Forums

Nimah · Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 36

Hey guys,

Has anyone heard anything either way about how they fared?

h-train · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:14 am Post subject:

I believe most people don't hear until June-ish. Those who applied through recruiters seem to get word back quickly.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

I think I heard I passed the interview relatively soon after. Mine was in April and I heard in May. You then will probably not hear from a school until early July so you have plenty of time to get all your paperwork in order!

atatat · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 24

I had my interview in March and heard I passed in April. However, you probably won't receive any job offers till July or August cos that's when all the school exams are finished and finally schools have time to hire new NETs.

h-train · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 5:42 am Post subject:

What's strange is I've never even once heard of someone not passing the interview. Surely someone has failed. Is the interview just the screening process after they've separated the ones they want to hire (provided they're not psychotic and/or scary?)

hkteach · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 202 Location: Hong Kong

Yes, I've heard of someone not passing the interview - a secondary English teacher with degree and umpeen years' experience in his home country (senior school English) as well as middle school English in an international school. He said that when he mentioned some of the programs and extra-curricular things he'd done, the interviewers siad that HK students wouldn't be up to that level, so perhaps he was disregarded because the interviewers were just unaware of the abilities of some of the EMI secondary school students in HK.

h-train · Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:32 pm Post subject:

I'm not trying to poke holes in your story and I know you're one of the regular posters on this board, but that does sound a bit fishy! I know there is at least one poster on here who is a NET with a PhD. I don't see how being overqualified would prevent a NET from entrance. In actuality I thought it would be quite the opposite! I am bewildered that a person who has a good deal of experience in Hong Kong like yourself would have only heard of one individual not making it as well!

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

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

And I think your shoes are very nice also!

hkteach · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 202 Location: Hong Kong

I'm not trying to poke holes in your story and I know you're one of the regular posters on this board, but that does sound a bit fishy! I know there is at least one poster on here who is a NET with a PhD. I don't see how being overqualified would prevent a NET from entrance. In actuality I thought it would be quite the opposite! I am bewildered that a person who has a good deal of experience in Hong Kong like yourself would have only heard of one individual not making it as well! Yes, h-train, I was surprised too (I know this person very well, having taught in the same international school as him in the past ). When he told me what the interviewers had said, I was a bit perplexed.... surely they (HK EDB) want good applicants ?? They didn't say he was over-qualified (in fact we know that not to be an issue ..... HK people rank qualifications above experience, but that's another story!) I was even more puzzled at this attitude after I arrived here and found many people who were qualified and experienced secondary teachers working as PNETS and teaching reading to P1 and P2 kids. Hmmmm teaching reading (something most secondary teachers have limited or no experience in doing ) and teaching lower primary (again, something that secondary teachers don't do) Some of them openly admitted to not having a clue about how to fill their job roles. So I'm not sure what these particular interviewers knew about teaching (if anything) but from my experiences of working here for the past several years, nothing about HK education would surprise me. Then again, maybe they just didn't like him.

puiwaihin · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 91

mictweety · Joined: 11 Apr 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Texas, U.S.A.

I wish I found you guys earlier. I had my interview in mid-March and flat out ask them when will I hear anything. The two interviewers told me the earliest I will hear anything is May. I am hoping that works out, because I am a public school teacher in Texas right now and that really pushes my timeline regarding my current position. I also asked that if I get an offer after the start of the school year here that I can turn it down without affecting my future chances of getting a NET position. I told them that if I started my school year here, I will not leave in mid-year. They said that is fine.

I don't even know did I pass the interview. How do you find out about that? Any pointer will be greatly appreciated!

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

Once the school offers you a contract you will need to submit all the relevant forms for the visa - you could look on immigration department website to see what is required so that you will have them ready.
They usually take a few weeks to process the visa.
Some people - like me - came without one and then when I arrived my school took me to Immigration with a letter explaining why I had come without the visa and one was issued relatively quickly. Some people then had to go out of Hong Kong to activate it - a quick trip to Macau is best as you don't need a visa for Macau. I didn't as my visa had actually been issued before I left England so it was there waiting for me.
If you do come without one it is essential that you don't work until the visa is issued or you are breaking the law. In some cases people did work and then didn't get paid because the EDB doesn't recognise you as a teacher until your visa is issued.

puiwaihin · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 91

PNET interview results should be coming in. I've gotten mine and it's a week and a half before May. I suspect the process is getting more streamlined and efficient.

So maybe we'll have our job offers considerably earlier as well.