6 Sep 2018 | Veronica
1. East Meets West
If you’re considering Asia for the first time, or if you’re a bit intimidated about culture shock, Hong Kong is the perfect place to live. Walk around neighbourhoods like Sheung Wan to see exactly how East meets West here as you pass a western coffee shop followed by a traditional Chinese medicine store side by side, hearing French, English, Mandarin, and Cantonese as you go.
2. Holidays, holidays, holidays!
Speaking of East meets West… Thanks to recognizing both Eastern and Western festivals, there are 19 public holidays in Hong Kong. Teaching in a local school you can expect even more! Approximately 1.5 weeks off for Christmas, 2 weeks for Chinese New Year, and another 1.5 weeks for Easter. With this generous holiday time, you benefit from being able to take holidays longer than the average businessperson (making friends jealous and meaning you can book flights outside the worst of the peak travel times!).
3. Easy and affordable access to other parts of Asia
With good pay and lots of holidays, live the wanderlust travel dream of cheap and easy access to beaches, diverse cultures, famous sites, and budget-friendly luxury resorts. Working in Hong Kong as a teacher you’ll definitely become familiar with the international airport!
4. A Big City, A Safe City
Hong Kong’s population comes in at a cool 7.4 million – yet it remains an impressively safe city. As a young woman, I feel safer here than in most cities I’ve been anywhere else in the world. Part of this is thanks to how dense it is! Not only do neon lights brighten the streets, but people, cars, taxis and buses, are out at all hours.
5. A Rewarding Job
Teaching English is rewarding. Seeing a student have a breakthrough on a challenging topic, or gaining the courage to speak up in class, or coming up to you to share something new they’ve learned… there’s nothing like it. You’ll gain skills and work experience that will benefit you for years to come, regardless if you remain in education or not.
6. There’s a need.
I was a bit uneasy pursuing a job in teaching with limited teaching qualifications. English is increasingly common (many born and raised Hong Kongers speak at native-level fluency), but there are many pockets of the city where students don’t have the same access to English resources. I still believe a qualified teacher is best, but a passionate native speaker can go a long way for these schools!
So, are you ready to book your flight?