Job Discussion Forums

puiwaihin · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 91

Email them.

I emailed them a few times until the guy on the other end said something to the effect of, "Hey, your qualifications are being evaluated. When that's done I'll let you know, m'kay?"

3 weeks later, I sent another email and it turns out that part was done. He had been waiting 10 days for a reply to a fax from a former employer. He was just going to wait until they said something to him.

I called up the school and they told me that they had never received a fax. I'm now following up on these things personally.

Moral of the story: If you're waiting there in the dark, turn the light on.

And Your Bird Can Sing · Joined: 26 May 2008 Posts: 62 Location: Hong Kong

I think the real moral of the story is that bureaucracy in HK proceeds at a pace that would make a tin-pot dictatorship in Central America proud.

Whilst I appreciate your positive attitude and pro-active stance, what exactly are you going to do when you run out of lights to switch on? Have you never heard the one about how many HK Chinese administrative workers it takes to change a light bulb? (It has got to want to change first.)

puiwaihin · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 91

That too, but there's nothing practical for that except to expect a longer wait time. Being pro-active and not worrying about bothering someone else by following-up is good advice I think.

So, if you haven't heard from them and it's been over a week, email them.

Miss Helen · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 17

i passed the interview in April and not until few weeks ago was i informed that i'm under the assessment reviewing process. They wanted me to provide proof for my internship experience in college and i was like "umm i don't know how and i can't"...after sending emails back and forth about this matter (Which was alot more complicating than you could ever imagine), he finally told me that the 'reviewing process' is now finished (despite the fact that i didn't provide any proof for my internship experience) and now he's doing a reference check...which is going to take at least another month to do so since they have to mail the reference check form all the way to the US.

The truth is, I find this system/process to be quite messed up. Is that normal or what? I even heard that some poeple had to wait 6 months to a year until they actually get employed by a school. Oh goodness.

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 4:30 am Post subject:

TeacherTim · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Deep undercover

My advice to everybody is to keep chasing the EDB. I phoned them at least once a month and I also e-mailed most of the schools (whether on the list or not). I found that directly e-mailing the EDB produced little joy.

Miss Helen, I'm afraid it is a long and frustrating process. I was interviewed in May 06, but I wasn't contacted by a school until August 07! Even then, it is far from from over. Don't give up, perhaps consider taking a short-term position until you hear something. The system needs shaking up.

Tim

And Your Bird Can Sing · Joined: 26 May 2008 Posts: 62 Location: Hong Kong

I find it quite amusing how, for example, the MOE in Singapore can perform exactly the same checks (qualifications, background, references, etc.) in but seven working days.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone otherwise known as Hong Kong.

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

How could that be? I thought Hong Kong was a 'first-world nation'.

Hmm...

marksy · Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Posts: 10

To puiwaihin and miss helen,

Guys, hang in there! I've been following your posts for a long time now, and I'm not normally one to write, but I see heads are lowering, so I thought now is the time to share my experiences.

Regarding the reference check: I phoned up the EDB to ask how my reference check was going. The guy said, "Yeah, we sent out the email for reference checking to Mr ____ at ______ 3 weeks ago but he hasn't replied yet."

Now, when I heard this, I was a little surprised: the school they had contacted was not even one of the three referees I had given on the application form! (Is that ethical?). The principal they had tried to contact at the school, I never knew because the principal I had worked for had since retired. Therefore this guy had not bothered to reply. Had I not phoned up the EDB, I think they still would be waiting for the principal's reference and the guy never knew me.

So I asked him, the EDB guy, can you tell me who you will contact now for a reference check? He told me _____ of _________ school. I contacted her right away. I told her the EDB would send a reference check form very soon to her and it would be very kind if she coud fill in the form and send it back to the EDB a.s.a.p. as it was urgent.

Couldn't you guys do the same? The reference check was done in a matter of days. I think it's all done by email, miss helen.

BTW I have not been contacted by any schools through the EDB yet. I haven't heard of many others who have, either. I hope this is correct and it lifts your spirits: I heard the EDB is not sending out any CVs to schools for the time being until they know exactly which schools need NETS etc. Fingers crossed, it's a jittery time for all of us. But as many of the existing PNETS have said, it's a waiting game. Come on!

All the best,

marksy