Nowadays very common.
To my understanding, a bachelors degree and a TEFL is what is needed to get a VISA. Tutorial centres are entry jobs, you don't need experience for it. With the lack of supply of new teachers coming in recently, and the factor of not needing a VISA, puts the guy in a good position.
All is needed is a bachelors degree in a native English speaking country.
It is how it is advertised. A lot of it is common knowledge. The majority of TEFL/TESOL courses are multiple choice and the units can be skimmed through in an hour (with an average of 10-12 units in total).
Though there is no real point of getting any that advertises a higher study duration. Employers in tutorial centres don't really care for it and it is useless in a school setting.
A lot depends on whether OP actually wants to teach English or to work in a language centre. There's a world of difference!
Thanks for the advice everyone. For me getting the TEFL is preferable as I would like to know what I'm doing and not scamming any kids by giving sub par lessons. It seems language centres are also the easiest way for me to get my foot in the door. If no experience than I guess an interview would probably be focusing a lot more on how I'd apply what I learnt on TEFL to a class?
There are quite a lot of teaching jobs, mostly for learning centres for children, on JobsDB at https://hk.jobsdb.com/hk. The salaries for full-time posts are in the low twenty-thousands, and they take their pound of flesh.
The Trinity CertTESOL course is tough, and there are a meaningful selection interview and test.
I agree with the earlier post, you are ripping off clients if you don't know what you are doing. An online TEFL course is a good starter, though.
If you make it through such a course and have practised somewhere, somehow, you could apply to HKU SPACE for part-time teaching (where a fistful of courses add up to a full salary), and you don't have to teach English. Look at their range of courses, and apply to teach what you already know and are good at.
Did you manage to find a teaching job? Kind of in the same situation. Just completed an online tefl and looking for appropriate jobs with no previous teaching experience.
No I'm actually interviewing for roles for my previous career path and am close to getting a job offer, so I probably won't need to do teaching. The job market has picked up again since Hong Kong re-opened. Well at least in my industry.
I've done 80% of the TEFL course I bought and I'll probably complete it anyway as I've already paid money for it, and you never know, I may need to utilise it in the future if the same situation occurs again.