Teaching jobs in HK/nearby
Discussion
Folks,
Possibly slightly off topic however sometimes worth a try...
I'm looking for a complete change of scenery, currently in South America completing my CELTA English teaching qualification and whilst I wouldn't mind staying, the pay here is not the best. Therefore I am now looking for EFL teaching jobs to start this 'Autumn' (IE Sept/Oct).
Hong Kong is definitely my first choice but would also consider Shenzhen/Guangzhou etc. Or even somewhere somewhat less pressured like Vietnam, however I need a fairly substantive job for my first posting rather than bits and pieces.
So, if you hear of anything coming up I'd be very interested to hear it. I'm not a 'gap yearer' looking for a bit of cash, more a change of career, before this I've spent 12 years in a very challenging work environment.
Thanks!
Sam
Possibly slightly off topic however sometimes worth a try...
I'm looking for a complete change of scenery, currently in South America completing my CELTA English teaching qualification and whilst I wouldn't mind staying, the pay here is not the best. Therefore I am now looking for EFL teaching jobs to start this 'Autumn' (IE Sept/Oct).
Hong Kong is definitely my first choice but would also consider Shenzhen/Guangzhou etc. Or even somewhere somewhat less pressured like Vietnam, however I need a fairly substantive job for my first posting rather than bits and pieces.
So, if you hear of anything coming up I'd be very interested to hear it. I'm not a 'gap yearer' looking for a bit of cash, more a change of career, before this I've spent 12 years in a very challenging work environment.
Thanks!
Sam
I've heard Japan can be lucrative, as long as you have correct documents for teaching.
Where I am in the Philippines there are International Schools that may employ you, but you'd probably need a proper teachers degree type thing to get a liveable salary.
Or you can teach on-line in this region, or anywhere really, if you have a good reliable internet connection. I know of several guys who do that to support their life style here.
Where I am in the Philippines there are International Schools that may employ you, but you'd probably need a proper teachers degree type thing to get a liveable salary.
Or you can teach on-line in this region, or anywhere really, if you have a good reliable internet connection. I know of several guys who do that to support their life style here.
Thanks KH, good shout.
That's the main problem with HK, most of the well-paying public school jobs require education degrees, etc.
There is plenty of work out there, just have to see what comes up nearer the time I think. I'm possibly going to try for the Korean government teaching programme which pays very well but is slightly more work than I was hoping for
That's the main problem with HK, most of the well-paying public school jobs require education degrees, etc.
There is plenty of work out there, just have to see what comes up nearer the time I think. I'm possibly going to try for the Korean government teaching programme which pays very well but is slightly more work than I was hoping for
Teaching wise, being a native speaker is an immediate head start. If you have a degree and the Celta you will be laughing as it will mean you can get your own work visa and avoid issues with deportation / illegal work.
Salary wise I can only advise what its like in Shanghai, current rates are between 15 - 20000 rmb per month, or with a housing allowance included meaning salary is x % money, x % housing.
I am unsure what the teaching salaries are like in the south, nor the housing prices. Shanghai can be silly expensive or dirt cheap, with reasonable, honest mid range accommodation starting from around 6-7000 rmb a little out of the way (we pay 9500 pm with everything we need within a 5 minute scooter ride including work)
The main bit is legality, once thats done its a lot easier! For a work visa you need to be sponsored by your employer for the visa to happen
Salary wise I can only advise what its like in Shanghai, current rates are between 15 - 20000 rmb per month, or with a housing allowance included meaning salary is x % money, x % housing.
I am unsure what the teaching salaries are like in the south, nor the housing prices. Shanghai can be silly expensive or dirt cheap, with reasonable, honest mid range accommodation starting from around 6-7000 rmb a little out of the way (we pay 9500 pm with everything we need within a 5 minute scooter ride including work)
The main bit is legality, once thats done its a lot easier! For a work visa you need to be sponsored by your employer for the visa to happen
Thanks Andy, good shout. Are you teaching in Shanghai? I visited last October and stayed with some English teachers who seemed to be onto a good thing, not 100% sure it's the city for me but certainly a step in the right direction!
Definitely not intending on going the illegal route if I end up in mainland China... Seems like a fast track to a complete nightmare, the Chinese are... Intransigent enough with simple matters when you've done nothing wrong!
Finish my CELTA tomorrow... Phew!
Definitely not intending on going the illegal route if I end up in mainland China... Seems like a fast track to a complete nightmare, the Chinese are... Intransigent enough with simple matters when you've done nothing wrong!
Finish my CELTA tomorrow... Phew!
where abouts in south america are you? does the qualification and teaching environment there provide the opportunity to become proficient in spanish?
i was in central america for a few months last year and loved it but seems i can't get permanent work there without being able to speak the lingo. now sat on a job in west africa having a career wobble, thinking of jacking in and immersing myself in a learning environment for a year or so, taking a general career break etc. before pursuing something more in line with my current profession.
i was in central america for a few months last year and loved it but seems i can't get permanent work there without being able to speak the lingo. now sat on a job in west africa having a career wobble, thinking of jacking in and immersing myself in a learning environment for a year or so, taking a general career break etc. before pursuing something more in line with my current profession.
shirt said:
where abouts in south america are you? does the qualification and teaching environment there provide the opportunity to become proficient in spanish?
i was in central america for a few months last year and loved it but seems i can't get permanent work there without being able to speak the lingo. now sat on a job in west africa having a career wobble, thinking of jacking in and immersing myself in a learning environment for a year or so, taking a general career break etc. before pursuing something more in line with my current profession.
Hi,i was in central america for a few months last year and loved it but seems i can't get permanent work there without being able to speak the lingo. now sat on a job in west africa having a career wobble, thinking of jacking in and immersing myself in a learning environment for a year or so, taking a general career break etc. before pursuing something more in line with my current profession.
I'm currently in Argentina. On the whole, I would say that the job situation is such that you really do have to be local to get a job. There are so many restrictions and admin processes around getting a visa, DNI (Identity number) and so on that companies aren't going to hire you unless you do something special or they really need an English person. Plus, for most jobs you really do need fluent Spanish. I've been here in South America for 4 months and I'm still not even nearly there. It's an uphill struggle!
On the (far) brighter side though, if you fancy a departure there is loads of English teaching work here in BA and you can easily get by on minimal Spanish. You don't need to go down the formal visa route in the first instance either. So, all good.
The pay is not, by any means, great. Private tutoring, which takes a while to build up, pays £7-8 per TEACHING hour (so factor in lots of travel time, prep etc.). Work for agencies in company classes and 1-1 tends to pay nearer £5-£6ph. You can get institute work but Wall St, one of the main ones, pays even less than this. They do however sponsor you for a visa so if you want to stay long term this is a great first step.
You'll need some form of TEFL certificate, these can be had online for minimal outlay. I've just finished a CELTA course, which is an insanely intensive 4-week course costing a grand. This is extremely well regarded however and opens doors to higher tier jobs all over the world. Not worth it for a short-term gig, but I want to consider changing careers too.
Think about China or Vietnam, or similar countries. With the right mindset you can earn good money, a friend of mine has just started out teaching in Saigon and is on about £1000/month... He's only got an online TEFL! With the cost of living there that's a king's ransom.
I too pursued vague dreams of coming over here and setting up a business or tourism venture but the truth is you have to give it years to get established, get legal (Need to be sponsored for a visa, etc). Maybe some time in the future, I gather there is good demand for English teaching in the Northern provinces as native speakers are far less numerous.
BA is a great city, and Argentina a great country. But the guilf between wages and prices is a big one, and particularly in BA it takes a LOT to sustain the life you may have led in the UK. Cost of most things in supermarkets, coffees out and about etc isn't far off the UK. Housing's a bit cheaper to rent but again, loads of hurdles to get something long term (Plenty of reasonable short term rooms for around £200-£300 a month though all in).
Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me, or for inspiration from what I've spent the last 8 months doing, have a look at...
Www.loquitohermoso.com
Thanks for the reply 
I currently work in the energy sector so it would be a total life changer for me to pack in the comfy lifestyle and salary to do this, its almost like trying to work up the courage at the moment.
Looking at your setup I think Asia would be ideal. I have a mate who taught in Taiwan for a few years, he had more disposable income working for 16hrs a week than he did as a GCSE maths teacher in the UK. If I were you I'd aim at HK or Bangkok, the food in both is unreal and a satisfied stomach overrules everything.
For me though, long term teaching doesn't appeal and I've seen enough of Asia to know that's not somewhere i could live. I've spent the last 5 yrs living and working all over, never having anything to anchor me to a particular place. Panama was the first time in a long long while I have found somewhere [and, if I'm being honest, someone] that made me feel like I could call a place home.
So far in the job search I'm being knocked back on my lack of Spanish. Had an absolute peach of a job with my current employer nixed because of it. Teaching is a means to an end really, something that I think has potential to develop my own language skills much quicker than being a student or becoming a crusty lentilist volunteer. I would need to teach adults though, my patience isn't the best so kids would be learning lots of swearing early on! If I need to I can fund myself so the earnings aren't massively important, although Yorkshire roots mean being paid is always welcome. The idea would be to jump ship to a career role as soon as possible, or use whatever funds I have to set something up on my own. A tourist based business won't fly for me full time, although as a side venture I have a few ideas depending where I end up. If the current romantic situation works out [Latinas are fun eh? talk about running hot and cold] then it should be pretty straight forward.
From your blog we seem to be similar ages [I just turned 35] and IIRC you were in the police in the UK so that must have been a big deal to move away from. Interested to hear what were the drivers behind you doing this. Almost daily I have to stop myself going to the airport and f
king everything off.
I currently work in the energy sector so it would be a total life changer for me to pack in the comfy lifestyle and salary to do this, its almost like trying to work up the courage at the moment.
Looking at your setup I think Asia would be ideal. I have a mate who taught in Taiwan for a few years, he had more disposable income working for 16hrs a week than he did as a GCSE maths teacher in the UK. If I were you I'd aim at HK or Bangkok, the food in both is unreal and a satisfied stomach overrules everything.
For me though, long term teaching doesn't appeal and I've seen enough of Asia to know that's not somewhere i could live. I've spent the last 5 yrs living and working all over, never having anything to anchor me to a particular place. Panama was the first time in a long long while I have found somewhere [and, if I'm being honest, someone] that made me feel like I could call a place home.
So far in the job search I'm being knocked back on my lack of Spanish. Had an absolute peach of a job with my current employer nixed because of it. Teaching is a means to an end really, something that I think has potential to develop my own language skills much quicker than being a student or becoming a crusty lentilist volunteer. I would need to teach adults though, my patience isn't the best so kids would be learning lots of swearing early on! If I need to I can fund myself so the earnings aren't massively important, although Yorkshire roots mean being paid is always welcome. The idea would be to jump ship to a career role as soon as possible, or use whatever funds I have to set something up on my own. A tourist based business won't fly for me full time, although as a side venture I have a few ideas depending where I end up. If the current romantic situation works out [Latinas are fun eh? talk about running hot and cold] then it should be pretty straight forward.
From your blog we seem to be similar ages [I just turned 35] and IIRC you were in the police in the UK so that must have been a big deal to move away from. Interested to hear what were the drivers behind you doing this. Almost daily I have to stop myself going to the airport and f
king everything off. carreauchompeur said:
Thanks Andy, good shout. Are you teaching in Shanghai? I visited last October and stayed with some English teachers who seemed to be onto a good thing, not 100% sure it's the city for me but certainly a step in the right direction!
Definitely not intending on going the illegal route if I end up in mainland China... Seems like a fast track to a complete nightmare, the Chinese are... Intransigent enough with simple matters when you've done nothing wrong!
Finish my CELTA tomorrow... Phew!
No problem at all Definitely not intending on going the illegal route if I end up in mainland China... Seems like a fast track to a complete nightmare, the Chinese are... Intransigent enough with simple matters when you've done nothing wrong!
Finish my CELTA tomorrow... Phew!
I'm volunteering, a whole raft of rules changed 3 weeks before my then Oh and I moved here, so along with getting married everything else work wise went down the khazi (was going managerial in shipping throuh experience not degree). I've done TEFl courses and also done my AMI montessori training here, but still not enough for legitimate work. Hell, I had a scare a couple of weeks ago even with the volunteering, apparently you need their agreement for that also.Shanghai is crazy and quiet all at the same time, we live in Pudong for the more relaxed aspect of it, but its time to move on this summer.
You're quite right about Latinas being fun, proper rollercoaster! At least I'm kind of ready for it now, and some of the matches on Tinder here are insane 
I haven't actually left previous career yet, I'm still on a career break but think it unlikely I will return. Very unlikely. For me it was a kind of 'why not' moment. I loved my job for the first 11 years, but the last year until last summer was horrific, with no chances of getting better any time soon. Massive cuts, excessive workload and the first time I've ever truly suffered from stress due to the extremely risky workload and lack of staff to effectively deal with it.
I'm not sure if teaching will be the long term solution but I have found I really enjoy it, it's also refreshing to know that the worst that can happen at work on any given day is that someone might not learn their verb conjugations properly.
I haven't actually left previous career yet, I'm still on a career break but think it unlikely I will return. Very unlikely. For me it was a kind of 'why not' moment. I loved my job for the first 11 years, but the last year until last summer was horrific, with no chances of getting better any time soon. Massive cuts, excessive workload and the first time I've ever truly suffered from stress due to the extremely risky workload and lack of staff to effectively deal with it.
I'm not sure if teaching will be the long term solution but I have found I really enjoy it, it's also refreshing to know that the worst that can happen at work on any given day is that someone might not learn their verb conjugations properly.
Having worked in Hong Kong, Taiwan, southern and northern China, these are my thoughts.
Hong Kong: excellent pay, but very expensive housing and social life (could try HKFTU they pay well and provide regular work all teaching adults) I worked there for 8 years.
Taiwan: prefer Native American English speakers, spent a year there.
Southern China: yes there are opportunities but a lot of shady schools, shenzhenparty.com has lots of openings and information.
I currently work in Daqing (Google it) in the far north east of China. Salaries are low; I earn RMB 7,000 per month (GBP 700) free apartment, rtn air flight to your home country. However, of that tiny RMB 7,000 my wife (who does not work) we only spend RMB 4,000 a month and I run a car and don’t scrimp on my social life (work 10 hours per week)
Also I do a lot of additional work with CNPC (China National Petroleum Corporation) so salary can go up to RMB 15,000, but this is not guaranteed.
I can introduce you to one my colleagues who can place you in one of the top international schools in Heilongjiang, no fees, they will provide all legal documentation subject to Skype interview, and you could just try the interview for the experience.
One condition you must not be too fond of hooch, and second be warned the winters are brutal! And third, being PH, my car is only a Hyundai Sonata.
Hong Kong: excellent pay, but very expensive housing and social life (could try HKFTU they pay well and provide regular work all teaching adults) I worked there for 8 years.
Taiwan: prefer Native American English speakers, spent a year there.
Southern China: yes there are opportunities but a lot of shady schools, shenzhenparty.com has lots of openings and information.
I currently work in Daqing (Google it) in the far north east of China. Salaries are low; I earn RMB 7,000 per month (GBP 700) free apartment, rtn air flight to your home country. However, of that tiny RMB 7,000 my wife (who does not work) we only spend RMB 4,000 a month and I run a car and don’t scrimp on my social life (work 10 hours per week)
Also I do a lot of additional work with CNPC (China National Petroleum Corporation) so salary can go up to RMB 15,000, but this is not guaranteed.
I can introduce you to one my colleagues who can place you in one of the top international schools in Heilongjiang, no fees, they will provide all legal documentation subject to Skype interview, and you could just try the interview for the experience.
One condition you must not be too fond of hooch, and second be warned the winters are brutal! And third, being PH, my car is only a Hyundai Sonata.
Thanks very much, great tips.
I'm currently in the process of desperately cobbling together an application form for the Korean EPIK programme before I leave civilisation again but will definitely bear your kind offer in mind...
7000RMB isn't a lot of pay, but then 10hrs a week isn't a lot of work, so it's definitely worth considering. I'd ideally like somewhere a bit warmer, however Korea's not exactly renowned for its toasty winters!!
I'm currently in the process of desperately cobbling together an application form for the Korean EPIK programme before I leave civilisation again but will definitely bear your kind offer in mind...
7000RMB isn't a lot of pay, but then 10hrs a week isn't a lot of work, so it's definitely worth considering. I'd ideally like somewhere a bit warmer, however Korea's not exactly renowned for its toasty winters!!
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