Hong Kong
PROS & CONS
Living and working in Hong Kong is amazing, but it is not all amazing. Here you’ll find a list of what we find to be the greatest, and not-so-great things about Hong Kong.
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Great way to grow your network of friends and professional acquaintances
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Paid training and competitive monthly salary allow for excellent quality of life and savings potential
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18 public holidays per year + 10 paid annual leave (according to the Monkey Tree academic calendar)
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Foreign teachers are held in very high regard by the locals
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Small class sizes and generally very well-behaved students makes teaching fun and a very manageable experience
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Opportunity to work amongst different cultures and develop cultural awareness
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Highest income tax bracket is only 16.5%
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Excellent entry level and middle management positions to experience teaching and develop teaching skills
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Huge support network to help grow as a teacher, mentor, colleague, and leader in the workplace
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Easy application, on-boarding process, and arrival.
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No experience required due to
comprehensive in-house training
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Tons of entertainment means time not spent at work is never boring
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Size of flats are small compared to Western Standard.
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Saving money can be difficult given the amount of available entertainment
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Friends come and go fairly regularly
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Don’t necessarily get to choose which center you’re placed in
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Intercultural management can be confusing and challenging at times
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Hong Kong is far from home for most teachers, meaning that most people end up away from home for at least a full year.
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Contractual penalties for leaving before 12 months
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Late nights until 7:30 for two evenings a week
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Not everyone can have consecutive days off
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Air pollution is worse than in many other Western cities (though not nearly as bad as much of China)