Job Discussion Forums

[chaz]

I'm thinking of taking a job with Saxoncourt in Taiwan. Can anyone offer me some advice on both the company and the place? If I do go, where's the best place to be based? Taipei?
Would love to hear your thoughts!

[taiwan boy]

Have a look at the Job Information Journal on this web site for starters and also other posts in the discussion forum. It will give you some different opinions about Taiwan. Secondly, head over to Google.com and do a search for "teaching English in Taiwan" and some other searches like "living in Taiwan". See what you turn up.

I don't know anything about Saxoncourt, but it is best not to sign up for a job before you arrive in Taiwan. Come here and have a look around first. Taipei is probably the easiest city for foreigners, particularly new arrivals to Taiwan, to live in. There are a lot of job opportunities in all the major cities on the Western side of the island.

[Sunpower]

OP:

DO NOT come to Taiwan through an Agent or Recruiter.

Best suggestion that I would have for you is to save up enough money to sustain yourself in Taiwan for a couple of months and take 10 days or so to travel around the Island.

Make sure you have a return ticket back to your home country.

Get to see what it's like here in Taiwan. Spend some time in Taipei and some of the other areas you may be interested in.

While you're here read the job postings in the Taipei Times and China Post and on the Internet Job Boards.

The key idea is to save up enough money so that you can come over on your own and check it out and find a job you think you're gonna like and a place you think you can live in.

OP - Be careful about this, as where you work and live can make or break your experience teaching EFL in Korea, Japan and Taiwan, etc, etc.

Good luck!

[ophion]

Sunpower's advice is priceless. Make sure you have some cash on hand. Tour the major cities (and the countryside if you are into that) and see what the lay of the land is. Talk to other foreigners. A little experience is worth a lot in Taiwan.

Avoid recruiters (especially IACC) no matter what they promise you.

[Richard]

I agree. There are lots of jobs to be found in Taipei without bothering with recruiters or agents - on Tealit, in the newspapers, or just walking door to door. Stay in a hostel for the first few weeks - all of them are filled with both experienced and rookie teachers who talk shop all the time. Many people I met when I came here would pass along job contact numbers and addresses that they weren't going to/didn't need to check anymore. Avail yourself of this grapevine and you'll find work in no time at all.

[chi-chi]

You can come here flat broke, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Jojo]

All your advice sounds great for a person like me who is planning on going to Taiwan in the near future.

My question to all of you is, how much would I need to start up? What about costs for travelling around Taiwan as Sunpower suggested for 10 days or so to find a place I would like to live in?

Does anyone know why there hasn't been a recent Lonelyplant guide to Taiwan since 93(?I think).
Any good suggestions on books on Taiwan?

Thanks
Jojo

[wix]

[Aristotle]

My unwaivering recommendation for all who want to come to Taiwan or any SARS infected parts of east Asia is........... Please Don't!
The current SARS epidemic will either become wide spread within a few weeks to a month or come under control. Any unnecessary travel puts you at risk and may add to the spread of this contagion.
Use common sense and put off visits until this thing blows over or up, whichever the case may be.
Years of living and working with the Chinese have taught me that face is more important than anything else, even your well being and health. The reports and news are being controlled to give a picture that is beneficial to the government and their efforts to contain any damage this epidemic may cause.

[chaz]

Thanks so much for your responses - most helpful, all of them. Don't think it's possible to come with lots of money and weeks to spare... that's why I'm working not backpacking!
The edition of LP Taiwan that I have was published in 2001 and is very useful from the point of view of someone who hasn't been there but is hoping to move there!
So no one has heard of/worked for Shane English Schools (Saxoncourt)?

[Jojo]

Hello,

Wix: Thanks for the update btw! If I could only find the book, I'd be doing ok

Chaz: Where did you find the 2001 edition of the LP Taiwan? I cannot believe that Chapters of all places (ok I've only been to the one) does not sell this book. In fact, the one I was in had no(zip, zilch, zero) books on Taiwan!
I guess I'll get with the program and buy on the internet. Good Luck!

Jojo

[Richard]

Jojo:
Indigo bookstores usually carry them. If you're in Toronto, U of T bookstore is another good bet. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office on Yonge St. has tons of books on Taiwan as well.

[Jojo]

Thank you Richard for replying. Although, I am in the Ottawa area at the moment. I will definitely check out the Taipei Cultural Office here.

Cheers,
Jojo

[Stephen]

Chaz

Shane either owns Saxoncourt or vice-versa. Any job Saxoncourt offers you in Taiwan will be with Shane. As for reputations Saxoncourt was listed as an institution to avoid in the job hunting seminar on my cert. I did actually apply for a job they were advertising and can thoroughly support the accurate assessment made by my tutors. This job was in the Middle East, however, the salary and conditions were abysmal (as well as the conditions being exceptionally represive even by middle eastern standards) and to accept the job would have been an act that would have justified locking me up for my own protection. The impression I took away from Saxoncourt was that it was well dodgy. Friends I know who have applied for jobs with them have formed similar opinions; however, I've yet to meet anyone who has accepted a job with them. On the global job hunting scale, I'd say treat with extreme caution.

As for Shane, never worked for them. But they are one of the biggest chain-schools in Taiwan. They primarily teach kids. I would not describe teaching for Shane as a great job, but some people I've met seem/seemed happy to work there. Expect low pay, they are a chain-school and you are entering the wonderful world of McEFL. Expect incompetent management. Your DOS isn't going to be well qualified. Your DOS will have become a DOS by longevity; they didn't leave. These people are probably fairly clueless and just on an ego trip, or they never wanted to do it in the first place but were forced into it, so don't expect too much from them. Another problem is it is a chain school, so asking what it is like is kind of limited in its usefulness in a way. This is because within any chain school things will vary a lot between branches. One branch may be good to work for another may be terrible.

To compare Shane to the other chain schools is difficult, and I don't really know; I've never worked for a chain school. I'd say better than Hess, but really I'd do more research on what is available before taking any chain school job.

Good luck
Stephen

[Sunpower]

Is this the same Shane operating in Japan?
Anyone know?

Sounds like the same corporaton.

They have one hell of a bad reputation in Japan as well.

Proceed with caution, I guess!