Job Discussion Forums

[Serious_Fun]

It is almost the month of August and I have not been contacted by even one school...not even a Band 99 school located in the hinterlands and run by a demon-principal on crack who requires 7 days per week including nightly meetings in Canto and who allows neither holidays nor air-conditioning in classrooms.

My file has been sent out to many schools, according to the EdB.

My self-esteem is taking a bit of a bruising, although, in another sense, it is quite comical. What, pray tell, were the "interview" and "qualification assessment" steps for those many months ago? To allow our CVs to be placed in a pile which would then be sifted through at the last minute by an individual who is absolutely lacking in time management skills?

Am I the strongest candidate with the best quals and many years of experience? No.

Am I a qualified candidate with good quals and some experience and LOADS of motivation and genuine concern for my students' growth? Yes.

It seems as if I will stay where I am...working 23 hours per week without much responsibility, and living quite comfortably near the coral reefs.

end of rant....


signed-
a frustrated educator who is still very interested in the HK NET Scheme.

[BeckyBen]

Keep hassling the EDB, phonecalls and emails!!

[ironopolis]

Yep, ditto exactly what serious fun said. So another one ranting, I'm afraid....

I went to HK for both SNET and PNET interviews in March, was told 5 weeks later that I'd passed them both, got the e-mail telling me I was being matched with primary schools on 22nd June, but since then absolutely nothing at all.

I know I'm not the most qualified, most experienced candidate around but I do have a PGCE, TEFL certificate, 4 years experience teaching kids in England and another 10+ years teaching elsewhere in Asia, which I know is quite a bit more than many other applicants I've heard of, both this year and previously. Of course, there might be something about me that means in spite of my qualifications and experience that I'm an exceptionally weak candidate that no school would be interested in ......but, if that were the case, then how the hell did I pass both PNET and SNET interviews And, as serious fun said, what was the point of that bloody qualifications assessment that they told me I'd completed 6 months after I sent them the damn paperwork.

If it were just the waiting then I'd probably still be able to retain a modicum of patience, as I have, after all, been told by lots of people that it takes a while. But there are so many other little things too. I won't bore people by going through every one in detail, but I've been given contradictory information about things by different people I've contacted at the EDB and plenty of times they don't even bother replying to e-mail enquiries nor even acknowledging them. Last time I called they were pretty rude as well.

I have always been committed enough that I was prepared for the 7-8 month wait, prepared to spend $800 travelling to HK for the interview and was looking forward to living and working in Hong Kong. I'm still just about hanging in there, but the extent to which the EDB has managed to (inadvertently, I hope??) squeeze so much of the enthusiasm for the position out of me is almost comical.

Don't really need any sympathy, as, reading this and other boards, I realise that they ARE other people who've fared even worse, and, ultimately, I'm fortunate in being in a comfortable position now & having a few other options I'd probably be happy with. But, I don't know how to put this...it's just not like any other recruitment process I've ever come across, really.

rant over

[articulate_ink]

Any advice on when would be an ideal time to apply for fall 08? I'm looking at moving to HK toward the end of next summer. My Korea visa will expire in July. I can do a quick visa run and return on a tourist visa if needed, since my apartment's covered until September... thing is, if I want to have a shot at NET (I'm still sifting through options) without going nuts at the last minute, how early would it be best to apply? Thoughts?

Thanks

[ironopolis]