What are the chances to find a job in HK

[gilly23]

Native english speaker from Canada. I can also speak Cantonese pretty fluent. I hold a TEFL cert and have one year of teaching experience. What are my chances to find a job. I think its impossible to find sponsorship with an employer so i guess i have to apply for a dependant visa.

[Botox]

If you speak English AND Cantonese AND have teaching experience, provided you have money to move over and stay afloat for a few months, you should be in a good position - there's heaps of teaching jobs being advertised. If you have a degree too, much better.

Most schools do prefer female teachers though, especially where young children are concerned.

[gilly23]

I got no degree but a tefl cert. Any chance to find sponsorship?

[KnowItAll]

Not to be harsh, but this is hardly a place for specifics.

Hong Kong is not going to be any easier or harder to get a job, when compared to your current place of residence. If you are confident you can find a job where you are, doing what you want to do, there is a reasonable chance that you'll find something in HK and someone may sponsor you.

The general rule is you don't know until you come down and hit the streets with your resume in hand and smile on your face.

[shanx999]

gilly23,

a cynical but practical opinion

if u are native English speaker ( aka white skin) + Cantonese speaker + tefl certificate, u should be able to get a job as English teacher in HK.
u shd be applying right now, as school year is about to start

do u know where to look?
are u physically in HK already?

[HKFella]

If not class teachers, schools like Hong Kong Int'l School (HKIS), and I'm sure others, employ teaching assistants. Worth checking those out too to get a foothold. (http://www.hkis.edu.hk/). Do a google search of international schools in Hong Kong for more leads. There's a website which is a bit awkward to navigate initially but once you get the hang you'll find fairly good info on international schools in HK (you need to click an interactive map: http://www.shambles.net/hongkong/

With Canuck connections, there's Canadian International School, Delia School of Canada, and Chinese Int'l School (favourite of Canadian citizens of HK origin who returned to HK). But don't limit yourself to those.

There's a Native English Teacher scheme for local schools but I doubt if one year experience will qualify you. There's also a good bit of private language instruction going on informally. On both these I don't have much dope - others might.

[gilly23]

Originally posted by shanx999
gilly23,

a cynical but practical opinion

if u are native English speaker ( aka white skin) + Cantonese speaker + tefl certificate, u should be able to get a job as English teacher in HK.
u shd be applying right now, as school year is about to start

do u know where to look?
are u physically in HK already?

Im chinese but i dont look like one. So your saying the employers will consider you if your white? But the big problem is i need a working visa.

[gilly23]

Im getting laid off here and going to receive a nice package to go with it in Canada. Planning to go HK and look for a teaching job. Im a Native English speaker born in Canada and i can also speak Cantonese. I hold a TEFL cert and 6 months teaching experience at the YMCA. I was wondering is it impossible to find sponsorship? I have a place to stay for free so that will take most of the load off me.

Any opinions or where i can find a job?

[Hal]

Speaking from personal experience, many international schools look for teachers with a degree in education and preferably someone who is a caucasian. There are many HK Chinese parents whose children study in international schools and they seem to think that if a teacher is a non-white, then he or she is not good enough to teach their kids English. Reverse racism seems to be the norm here.

If you want to look around, check out the South China Morning Post's website and look under their classified post. The new school year is starting in less than two weeks' time, so most schools are done with their hiring. But I think there's no harm in looking. Good luck.

[shri]

International schools will need the candidate to have a degree.

Plenty of English learning centers who will be happy to have you if you talk with a north american accent. The pay is not that brilliant though.

There is also a good market for english conversational coaching. Rates run at about $150-250/hour.