Job Discussion Forums

[johnco]

So the VTC are in the hiring process again;you might like to ask yourself these questions before you consider applying for a position with them:

Do I really want to share an apartment with a 60 year old pathological trigger happy alchoholic when they have numerous apartments vacant? We all know who he is,right?

Do I really want to live in an apartment block where you are sandwiched between a shunting station and an expressway?

Do I want to sacrifice a good nights' sleep when every 5 minutes,from 6 am to midnight I am kept awake by trains and transport carriers clattering down the tracks?

Do you really want to travel one and a half hours,each way,to work and back to the apartments;everyday?

Some people may get used to the noise quickly,but if you come from the suburbs of a downtown Western city,believe me you won't.

I infact like Chai Wan,but,what is more important,a lot of money or your peace of mind?

Is it any wonder most staff of the VTC take out a housing assistance option rather than try "sleeping" at night at the Knight Court apartments?

Rosie has some homework to do

Goodbye.

[11:59]

So you didn't last very long then? Well, I'm sorry to rub salt into the wound but you can't say you weren't warned.

As regards all the questions you pose, I would have to answer all of them with a resounding 'No!', but then I suppose that is why no one in their right mind would ever work for VTC, and why, I suppose, they seem to advertise the same posts on an annual basis.

At the end of the day, those of us who have been here for a while can keep on pointing out to wide-eyed HK newbie-wannabes that there are only a few types of post worth taking in HK, namely, university language instructor posts, ESF teacher positions, EMB posts (if you can look yourself in the mirror), teaching posts at a few of the top International schools, and a few NET posts here and there at the few schools with forward thinking principals that there are, but it seems that people are determined to woefully disregard such advice.

On a previous thread I seem to recall you mentioning a salary of $17,000 HK a month. Yes, one can, I suppose, live on such a salary, but you certainly can't build a life on such a meagre amount, and it is arguably simply not worth being in HK for such a poultry sum, at least not when you consider the cramped conditions, the foul environment, and the objectionable public behaviour of the locals. (There is, after all a reason why NETs receive $13,000 a month as their housing allowance in addition to their salaries and it is so they do not have to live in the conditions you refer to!) A single person in HK will require a bare minimum of $30,000 HK a month to make it anywhere near worthwhile being in HK, and those with a family will often require that amount for educating, clothing, and feeding their children alone. But, again, people just do not seem to want to listen.

[johnco]

11:59,

I am an optimistic guy generally;when I was offered the position I knew I was going to share.I have shared before under different arrangements and could chose who I wanted to share with,but not this time;unfortunately. I thought I would have been able to negotiate myself out of any difficult circumstance diplomatically,all to no avail.Subsequently I became negative.Is it any wonder?

Another thing,I am no greenhorn as I have lived and worked in Sth Korea and never thought my living and work set up could be as bad as Sth Korea,but when you are outside your comfort zone any mishap is bound to occur.Next time I will think of Murphy's Law;What can go wrong will go wrong.

I never thought I would end up sharing with a 60 year old geriatric who can not clean his arse.To go in to detail about him and his deficiencies is a waste of energy.Basically,he needs a w**beep* to keep his feeble colander mind "normal".

I was to be posted at Wan Chai campus which is a 20 minute train ride from Chai Wan/Knight Court,but the F*ckwit geriatric I was sharing with provided me with the catalyst to resign because Rosie the NET co-ordinator does not know "How" to co-ordinate nor does she know how to mitigate and improve circumstances.

In the end,most of the other NET's I found to be amicable and personable;with the exception of the 60 year old geriatric.

I will come back to Hong Kong but under different circumstances;It won't be this year though.I'm back in Australia now and I will just bum around on the dole.Who ever said there is a lot of work in Australia? There is in the mining and asset maintenance industry.

BTW 11:59,it was not me who made the request about wage scales.It might have been,but I already knew what to expect with my salary.

Rosie has a lot of soul searching to do as she is lacking in it.The same applies for Deirdre S Lim the recruiter.All recruiters are the same;when shit hits the fan,they take the money and run.



One thing is certain in life;you can plan all you like but you can't plan for the unplanable.

[11:59]

Wow! Well taken! On the chin like a man. Hats off to you.

Sorry to hear of your less than perfect experience, I hope it is better for you next time around.

[johnco]

Hats off to you too 11:59.We need more considerate people like you in the Overseas teaching game.

If I was in Hong Kong this morning,I think I would do a day trip to Lamma Island;have a fish soup,relax in the shade along one of the paths,breath in the pacific air.

Have a great day.

[johnco]

Martin C Taylor;he needs to check himself in.Maybe Rosie can help him.C must be for C*nt.

[11:59]

And what, pray tell, does the 'C' in 'Johnco' stand for?

[Henry_Cowell]

[andrew_gz]

Henry, is it possible that 11:59 was making a play on the word paltry as in chicken feed?

11:59?

[anninhk]

Why wasn't he consistent then and refer to a fowl environment?

[Henry_Cowell]

Wait for it....

This should be good!

[andrew_gz]

[Baroque]

Can someone currently working at the VTC tell me bit about the accomodation arrangements? I have been offered a post to work as a NET but will have to consider the pros' and cons' as it appears the share accomodation might be a problematic issue.

[jwbhomer]

[Baroque]

I wanted to embellish the letters because they looked quite dull on their own.