Teaching in HK without degree

[tooezy]

Greetings from the land down under!

Moving to Hong Kong, where i plan on teaching English at first and attending part time university. My main question is i have an impressive background yet no bachelors degree, can i find work teaching English in HK? My secondary question what university has the best reputation for economics/commerce/finance degree. Last and not least how can i gain permanent residency in HK. Need your insight please help! This is my story..

I am 24 years of age live in Queensland, Australia and have spent the last six years working for the same financial institution in Australia. I have numerous high school and academic co-curricular achievements, such as, high OP rating, first place for debating at GPS level (Maughn House Prize), Gold Coast Junior City Councilor, Student Representative Councilor, Global Young Leaders Conference USA, Round Square Representative and was even a House Captain and prefect.

I also have various certificates etc from working such as Cert 4 in finance, MFAA & FBAA membership, Accredited Mortgage Consultant and Cert 4 in IT. When it comes to my work i am extremely dedicated and put in long hours and also run several of my own business ventures from home. Some would say i am a work-a-holic.

I have consistently worked my way up through the ranks and have gained management status within my company. Somehow i was able to maintain employment throughout the financial crisis here in Australia. Recently my employer presented me with a three year contract to continue working, unfortunately for them i have out grown the company and wish to broaden my horizons and obtain a university degree. Furthermore i have spent the last ten years of my life working on several businesses of my own.

HK is the perfect place for me for to keep learning and growing. However lucrative my contract offer is i just cannot accept plateauing for the next 3-5 years. Therefore i have decided i would prefer to make significantly less money, initially, and have the chance to learn Chinese and make it big in HK either working my way up the corporate ladder or risking most my money on a new business venture in HK within the finance sector. My logic behind this is that while I am young I need to take high risks in life and really throw myself in the deep end, while i still have time to correct my mistakes.

I have read heaps about TEFL and TESOL certs and will be obtaining one shortly another attempt to better my chances in finding employment. In an attempt to get a head start i have started learning Mandarin with a personal instructor. As you can see i am dedicated and want to reside in HK although would prefer to study in HK and not here at home, i wish to meet people, network and learn Mandarin/Cantonese.

Please any feedback would be great!!!

P.s. My spouse is Chinese/Australian and can speak Mandarin and English fluently. Therefore HK is perfect for us because she can get a job in her current field. I want to get married and start a family in HK as we want our children to have a higher level education etc etc

[BenMore]

There is very high competition from Hong Kong high school students for places at university, so, your actual academic qualifications would have to be up to scratch. I can't magine that your impressive work record would hold any sway in entrance to university. You would be able to study whatever subjects you needed for university entrance including Chinese. You would be best contacting one, or several of the universities that specialise in your preferred subjects and asking what was needed for entrance. They all have websites detailing their courses and contact details. I'm quite surprised you haven't already done this as it would seem the obvious way to start such an endeavour as you're planning.

If you're planning on marrying your spouse be prepared for some strange questions - dictionary definition "spouse (spous, spouz) n. A marriage partner; a husband or wife.

[Dave O'Dottu]

Not having a degree may be a hindrance in securing employment with a company that would sponsor you for a work permit. This would limit you to the 3-month tourist visa.

Even if you did find work for this time period, the authorities would look askance at a quick visa run when your time was up. This would restrict your working time in HK because you would not be allowed to stay in the city the second time for any appreciable amount of time.

You seem better qualified in finance, so if you could get sponsorship with a company in this field that offered you a job, this might be a better route.

On balance, expat english teaching is not a good field to work in. You have to put in one to two (unpaid) hours outside of class to prepare lessons, and neither the schools nor most of the students are very respectful of you.