Job Discussion Forums

[smadden]

I am also a rare poster, yet am disturbed by some of the advice given.

I DID secure a job before arrival, but my visa had to be collected at Immigration. Therefore, I had to enter on a tourist visa. I also had a one way ticket. I flew with Emirates from Manchester (Via Dubai) and they required documentation to show that I had actually secured a job there. The gentleman was right to indicate that you will have no problem once landing in Hong Kong - they probably won't even check. Your main problem will be showing the airline in the UK that you have proof of an onward / return journey. I think you should have just bought a return journey as one person suggested - they are so cheap now - go to www.oasishongkong.com and purchase a one way ticket back!

I wouldn't recommend you coming to Hong Kong without finding work in advance though. First of all, the costs of setting yourself up here are substantial

Accomodation:
(2 months rent deposit + 1 month advance + 1/2 month agency fee + utility deposits etc). I would recommend that you stay in a cheap guest house in the Tsim Sha Tsui / Mongkok area (maybe 250 - 400 a night) until you secure something. Remember that tenancy agreements are for 2 years, but you can leave after a year with one month's notice.

Teaching Jobs
Any teaching jobs outside of the NET scheme and International schools don't seem to pay that well. You could work as an ELTA (English Language Teaching Assistant) for an agency or try to contact schools directly. Be sure to check the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com) classifieds section for a flavour of jobs on offer but you really need to be here to secure those. I have known teachers earning around 12,000 to 18,000HKD with your qualifications, but expect to work hard for that. You will need to supplement it with privates, but technically, you need Immigration approval for this. I do know of some teachers who work without visas, but you can't do this forever. You also need to ensure you have enough funds to wait at least 1- 2 weeks, maybe up to 4 weeks (depending on whether you have all the documents) to get your work visa.

Documents
Bring as many documents as you can, including transcripts of academic results etc. They will help at some point here!

Summary: 1. Try to buy a ticket back to the UK to avoid problems at check in. 2. Don't expect to live well on the salary that you will earn, unless you find really cheap accomodation / share with someone and / or supplement work with lots of privates.

Good luck and enjoy the adventure!!

Steven