Job Discussion Forums

[ironopolis]

Actually, misutabiru, I'm in the same boat as you - applied for and passed both primary & secondary. I obviously did this to maximise my chances of success, but I'm now wondering if it might, in fact, end up slowing the whole process for me

Some of my experiences suggest primary & secondary are processed separately, other experiences point to the opposite. I received separate e-mails inviting me to interview, but then one e-mail telling me I'd passed both. On my interview day, with there being 2 separate interviews, I thought it a reasonable assumption that there'd be 2 separate written tests too. So I rushed through the written test after the primary interview, answering the question referring only to primary school. I was more than a bit taken aback after I'd finished to learn that the written test was actually for both! Fortunately, it seems not to have mattered.

That drink in HK sounds a good idea....likewise, if I ever make it there.....

[misutabiru]

That's exactly what happened to me with the written test. I had my primary interview on Friday, and stressed all weekend planning my essay for the secondary interview, only to find out Monday morning that I didn't have to take it again.

And likewise, I was looking to increase my chances of success, and now I'm not so sure that it was a good idea. But what's done is done, eh? After a lot of thought I've decided which position I would prefer, so I am going to try to focus my energy in that direction.

As everyone says, patience seems to be the key here. So I am just going to relax and see what comes my way, if anything.

[Veddie Edder]

Hi all. I`ve been following the discussions for a while too. I am in the same boat as misuta and iron, I passed both the Primary and Secondary interviews. My references have apaprently been contacted, but I am still waiting and wondering. I`m hoping to be offered a Primary position first, but I have no idea what I will do if an offer for a Secondary post comes in. Is it wise to pass on one position in the hopes of getting another? I have been teaching secondary here in Japan for 3 years and am looking for a switch to Primary, but I am just wondering if it`s kind of a one-shot deal with the offers. Advice?

[hkteach]

I've known secondary NETs who've been offered (and accepted) PNET jobs. I'm not sure if that was their preference or whether there were more primary jobs to fill.
There often seem to be more PNET than SNET jobs on offer - I don't know why or whether that is the case every year but certainly some secondary teachers end up as PNETs rather than the other way around.

The process works like this....
After all the approvals and paperwork have been completed, the EMB sends your CV out to a number of schools which have indicated they want a NET.
The schools then look at the CVs and decide which applicants they would like to interview (even if by phone) or, sometimes they just offer the job without any interview. (This will be because your CV is fantastic or because they're anxious to get someone and the CV looks good enough.) Personally I'd suggest caution if a school doesn't even call you before offering you a job - if this happens, post on here and on the PNET forum and ask about the school - someone may be able to comment on it.

The schools often have several CVs to consider and while some get onto the task quickly, others don't because they're busy with exams, concerts, graduations and other gala events and don't deal with the NET issue till school finishes or sometimes, not until August (!!!!!)
Fpr these reasons, it's hard to say when your CV will be looked at and you get contacted.

Schools have not yet received sample contracts from EMB and some current NETs don't even know if they'll be offered renewal at their present school so lots of things are up in the air.
A lot of schools will try to get an existing NET (i.e. someone already here because a) they can interview them face to face b) they can check with prevous school if they want c) they'd prefer an experienced NET.
Conversely, some would prefer a new NET and others don't really mind.

So, you need to just relax (easy to say, hard to do I know) and give things a bit of time - too many variables affecting the situation, most of which are out of your control. If you've passed the interview, it's a matter of time.

Depending on your background, a PNET job may be a very tough gig for a secondary teacher because you might find yourself teaching Primary 1 & 2 - this is where the EMB like primary schools to use their NET (of course, many schools ignore this and deploy their NET either across the school or at the senior levels).
As the focus of the PNET scheme is reading, your main role would be to lead a reading program with the strategies, including teaching classes and being a mentor for the teachers (demonstrate innovative teaching methods, provide professional development etc.)
So, if you've been teaching upper secondary and/or know very little about teaching reading (esp. to junior primary) you will be on a very steep learning curve at the same time as establishing your credibility.

[ironopolis]

At my interview I was told that PNET positions are easier to get than SNET positions. I asked why and was told that it was simply due to there being more primary positions to fill than secondary.

They also told me that the primary and secondary applications are handled separately so that if you'd passed both you could indeed end up with offers from both and would just have to decide then which one you preferred.

BTW, Veddie Edder, you said your referees have been contacted. Has one (or more) of your referees confirmed this to you? If so, how were they contacted - post, e-mail, phone or what? I ask as the one of mine I'm most often in contact with still tells me he's heard nothing.

[hkteach]

My referees have still not been contacted and it's been 5 years since I first told them to be on alert!! Some colleagues here also report the same thing.

[ironopolis]

[Veddie Edder]

iron,
Ya, my references were all checked. Although I am currently living in Japan, I am a Canadian citizen and therefore interviewed through the CEC Network. Once I was informed that I passed the interviews, they sent out a reference check form to my 3 referees. For some reason (a problem on their end), they had difficulty emailing the form to two of my referees who live in Japan, but I kept on them and eventually they got through. They were asked to complete a small checklist of questions and fax them back to the CEC (in Vancouver or Toronto, not sure) who then passed them on to the EMB. By the looks of things, CEC might do things a bit faster than the EMB itself.

hkteach,
How were you contacted for your position? Was it by phone or email? I hope they would contact me by email first as it would be hard for them to catch me at home by telephone.

Waiting waiting waiting. Yes, much easier said than done. The problem for me is that my visa in Japan is done August 1st, so I really want to know what is up. If I don`t find out before then, it means I have to fly all the way back to Canada before coming back to Hong Kong
That would not be fun. Anyway, keeping all my fingers crossed...

[ironopolis]

veddie,
ok, that probably explains the reference situation. It seems similar with you to what misutabiru mentioned above and looks like the Canadian recruiters follow the same procedure for checking everyone's references.

Actually, it wouldn't be all that surprising if in HK the EMB did it differently. In my experience of elsewhere in East Asia (Korea & Japan), for many employers, if you've already provided a reference they accept as genuine then they seem not to bother contacting whoever wrote it again.
Dunno, just have to wait & see, I guess. Obviously patience is what's required, but like you (and, I'm sure, many before us) I have quite a few complicated bits & pieces to tie up, which I really don't want be still in the dark about come the end of July.


Btw, veddie, if you wanted to avoid having to go back to Canada I'm sure it'd be possible. I think (not 100% sure though) that you can get a tourist visa extension from the immigration office, valid from whenever your residence visa expires. Even if you can't do that, a cheap and brief journey out of Japan and back would see your passport stamped with a 90 day tourist visa on your return, which would surely save you a lot of time and money compared to the return to Canada. I don't where in Japan you are, but from many places a quick trip to Korea and back is doable for around Y20,000.

[Veddie Edder]

Ya, I am aware of the whole leave-and-come-back method to get a 90 day visa. The reason that I don`t want to wait is that I am on the JET Program, and as you may know, they pay for my return airfare home at the end of my contract. Yes, I could leave Japan and come back with a tourist visa, but if it turns out that this NET job falls through or that I don`t hear back before August, I will be stuck paying my own way back to Canada. If that were to happen, I`d be on the hook for both the quick Korea trip and a flight to Canada. I will also have moved out of my apartment by then, and I really do not want to be living out of a suitcase in a country that I have lived comfortably in for the past 3 years, just waiting and hoping to hear from Hong Kong. Anyway, I`m just hoping that I can hear something before this becomes a problem.

[hkteach]

"Btw, hkteach, when you were recruited did you have to provide lots of additional paperwork AFTER you'd been told you passed the interview? Quite a few people have posted on here, both recently and in previous years, about all the bureaucratic hoops they had jump through and extra documentation needed after passing the interview".

Yes indeedy ironopolis. All the originals that the EMB had seen (and kept certified copies of) had to be shown again to my school - several times over! I was taking stuff backwards and forwards ad nauseum.
That was my first school.
The procedure was repeated again at the second school.

The second and thrid schools both requested a copy of the document that shows I'm an 'approved teacher in Hong Kong'. This was apparently requested by the EMB who issued it in the first place!!

Throughout this incredible journey through NETdom, I've also had to fill out the application form again (you know the original one you've just filled out, showing the whys whens and wherefores of all your quals including subjects studied, your career history etc. etc. and even your teaching prac. hours????) Yes, well that's been asked for each time I've changed schools.
Oh well, I guess it keeps the EMB clerical staff busy chasing and filing (??) documents.

Memo............ make a copy of your original application - wish I had (apart from the uselessness of doing it again and again, I'm certain that each time I've filled it in, I've written diffferent info)

[hkteach]

To Eddie Vedder, who asked:

"How were you contacted for your position? Was it by phone or email? I hope they would contact me by email first as it would be hard for them to catch me at home by telephone".

That was interesting in itself. I'd specifically requested email contact because I was living in a country which doesn't have a residential mail delivery service (post boxes only, which I didn't have).
Of course the EMB didn't follow this request and sent it to my home address where it sat wedged between the driveway pillar and the 'permanently open' gates for WEEKS until someone decided to close the gates and the letter fell down.

If it hadn't, it would have sat there till it rotted in the scorching sun and I'd assume I'd been unsuccessful. FATE .........where would I be now, I wonder??

[fatimablush]

What is the CEC network? I am a Canadian also living in Japan.

Also, in terms of transcripts that the application requires, do they have to be official or can they be photocopies. I am on the JET Program and had to provide an original and two copies when I applied then. It would save me money if I could just make another photocopy.

Thanks,

Fatima

[Horizontal Hero]

[ironopolis]

Horizontal Hero, errr....I asked that 2 and half months ago, so it's not really as relevant now, but thanks anyway.

I heard from them in mid-June that they were matching me with primary schools. They did then list which bits of paperwork I needed to submit, which I sent soon afterwards.

What is interesting (and a little concerning too) is that you're another applicant who heard nothing from schools in the year of actually applying and passing the interview. I'd previously come across 2 other people to whom that happened. I thought that was a bit of a nightmare scenario and assumed it was quite exceptional to be that unlucky. But now I'm wondering if this is not such a rare occurence after all, particularly as I appear to be headed down that road myself, having had no contact from schools at all since hearing from the EMB about matching with schools in mid June. I HAVE been proactive, calling them to check the additional paperwork arrived - they never replied to my e-mail asking to confirm it had arrived - and also calling to ask when I might hear something (I've given up on e-mails now as most get not even an acknowledgement). All they'd tell me was that it was in the hands of the schools to contact me and to decide when to do so. Many other people heard from several schools a couple of weeks ago, so I'm a bit suspicious that something isn't quite right with what they've sent to schools on my behalf.

Did you ever ask them (or find out) why you never heard anything in that first year you applied?