Salary Advice: How much do I deserve? Teaching English

[jkao34]

Hi, I am a Native English Speaker, an American Born Chinese. I graduated with BA in History with a few education courses (previously an education major changing) . I just finished my online TEFL course. I do have teaching experience prior to graduating. Two summers of teaching at a summer school (6 months) and One academic year of being a teacher's aide/tutor (10 months). However after i graduated, i worked in sales/ marketing for a yr and a half. I speak adequate mandarin and broken cantonese. I am looking for a Full Time teaching position in Hong Kong. I do need a work visa. What kind of pay/benefits should I be expecting?

[bryant.english]

My honest assessment of your situation:

You're Chinese
You're not a teacher
You have an 'online TEFL'
You need a work visa

If you were already in HK legally you would find it fairly difficult to find decent teaching work and pay over 20k per month. 20k per month is considered to be the unofficial minimum for work visas. There are already a lot of people here who can do the job.

I think it's going to be extremely hard for you and I advise you to be very careful if anyone does offer you a contract...

[gilleshk]

http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=1300&langno=1

Your best bet is the government NET program and you should qualify under category 4. Salaries are outlined and start at around 23K/month + benefits.

You are looking at substantially less in the private sector and would have to expect that some will prefer caucasian teachers regardless of qualifications or English ability. There are many native speaking asians in the NET scheme so it's not a huge problem. Finish your education degree and you'll have access to International Schools with much better working conditions.

[M Khan]

The Primary NET Scheme is a possibility, but it's by no means clear whether the 'on-line TEFL' will be sufficient to meet the EdB's requirement. It is also unclear how much your experience will count, as the Bureau tends to say things like 'post-qualification' experience (when did you get your TEFL relative to your teaching experience?) and insist on counting only full-time experience that covers continuous periods of not less than six months (your six months of summer jobs were split over two years?).

Still, you could try. You could also write directly to schools. In either event you could land a job paying a little over twenty thousand. Otherwise it's tutorial centres and they're a more varied proposition. You may or may not get over 20k, there, and you run a few more risks with some of those places.

[Fiona in HKG]

Under the primary NET scheme, you will be at Category 4 or below as you do not have "a recognised teacher training qualification in primary education". My hubby suffers the same fate, having not yet completed the PGDE here and has been unsuccessful in getting anywhere with the EDB NET scheme. It seems that the first three categories are more than adequately subscribed to meet their needs.

This will probably limit you to language centres, NET jobs in schools outside the EDB NET scheme, private tutoring and the like. It's not impossible, my husband (with three years of teaching here under his belt) has a school position at $20k and tops that up with private and language centre tutoring outside school hours. However he has a dependent visa (I'm a PR) so he isn't restricted by the rules of a work visa.

Update - with regard to your TEFL, I don't think they will accept an online course as a qualification (though you have had actual teaching experience outside of the course) as this is what EDB has to say:

"The duration of the TESL/TEFL course should include a minimum of 100 contact hours. The course should cover the majority of the topics under each of the headings shown below. A pass in the practice teaching component of the course is required."

Full text here:

http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN...or%20pnets.pdf

[jkao34]

Thank you guys for the advice. I appreciate it. I was offered a position for 18k with a work visa. No bonus. Bonus is within the monthly salary 1.5 yr contract. 105 contact teaching hours per month with 190 reporting hours. No travel allowance. No annual leave. Annual leave will be granted to compensate work given on a Sunday or public holiday. no public holdays for first year.

Sounds like im selling my soul for 1.5 years to this centre. What do you guys think?

[Mat]

Unless you really need the job, I would give it a miss.

Sent from my GT-I9210 using GeoClicks Mobile

[dragon_simon]

Thank you guys for the advice. I appreciate it. I was offered a position for 18k with a work visa. No bonus. Bonus is within the monthly salary 1.5 yr contract. 105 contact teaching hours per month with 190 reporting hours. No travel allowance. No annual leave. Annual leave will be granted to compensate work given on a Sunday or public holiday. no public holdays for first year.

Sounds like im selling my soul for 1.5 years to this centre. What do you guys think?

No hols? The words 'slave labour' springs to mind.

[jkao34]

Let me revised that. You do get public holidays off. Its No company holidays until completion of contract.

[carang]

"how much do i deserve?"

not

How much could i reasonably expect to be offered with my lack of proper qualifications and so little work experience?

Sorry, but as an employer, i would likely steer clear....for all of the reasons that BE listed above and that the title is a little off-putting. But, hey, what do I know?

Good luck, I think you're going to need it. (meant sincerely, not sarcastically.)