Job Discussion Forums

s_lebeau · Joined: 14 Jun 2009 Posts: 4 Location: everywhere but here

I realize I'm not doing this in the smartest way, but... I resigned from a teaching contract in rural Canada so I could move back to Asia. The job I thought I'd have in Korea fell through, so here I am now without a job in June. With a B.Ed from Canada, 1 year of experience in Canada and 2 years of experience teaching ESL in Korea, how are my odds for finding decent work if I just show up in Hong Kong in August? Would it be worth a shot, do you think, or just plain silly?

Thanks in advance!

oxi · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 347 Location: elsewhere

Honestly, I don't think you'll get much just turning up, and without qualification (eg. CELTA). Not what I'd call "decent" anyway. Try out tefl.com, they usually show the low end jobs available. If they're ok for you...?

I'd say the biggest problem is that Hong Kong is not cheap to hang around without a job. I'd hate to just turn up and have the stress. I did it in India, but it only cost me US$100 a month to live on while I searched. If you have enough money for a holiday and just look around, with an escape exit plan, fair enough.

And work visas - legally you can't search for work on a tourist visa although plenty do.

dragon777 · Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 163 Location: Christmas Island

Wouldn't you have a better chance of turning up in Taiwan and looking for work. Maybe, if HK doesn't work out, it would be a good place to head to.

RiverMystic · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 1986

Having B. ed is a definite plus, and many schools don't give a hoot about Celta and co. One of my colleages doesn't have jack poo in terms of quals, (not even a uni degree), and he's been hired as a non-EDB NET in a public school, and has a cushy job earning 30 000 a month, 12 weeks holiday a year.

Use the www.scmp.com calssifieds - usually plenty of jobs there. You won't get an EDB NET job without an interview (occur only once a year, I think), but many other jobs you'll be qualified for.

You'll need "cheap" accommodation - by HK standards. You'll be looking at 200-300 a night for a hostel, such as the Wang Fat Hostel in Causeway Bay (Google it), or there are the notorious Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, a sleaze-fest at best, but the cheapest thing going in HK. I think you might pay around 100 a night there (that about 15 US bucks).