Job Discussion Forums

[canadian-girl]

Ok, well....this sucks....I booked my plane ticket for Taiwan, got my Visa, thought everything was great until....the school contacts me and said they need me next week (they fired the teacher)! Even though they have always known I will be arriving on the 30th, they said they might not be able to wait that long and i might not have a teaching position anymore! I'm totally stressed over this. I cannot change my departure date without a penalty (which I cannot afford, the plavce ticket was expensive as it is). So now what?! grrrrr......unorganized people drive me nuts!

Now this is the quick version....and there's more involved....and I hope that they are just stressed about not having a teacher (which I can understand)...but dont stress me out! I'm waiting on a response to see what the heck is happening. But if it all goes to poop, I'm not sure what to do. I still want to go to Taiwan and teach but now I have a bad taste, so to speak.

Sorry...just needed to vent...I'm sure everything will work out...

[Fortigurn]

Believe me, I was equally stressed regarding my own trip to Taiwan.

Don't be. I had a job here on my third day, without any hassles. I didn't have anything organised, either.

There is plenty of work here. If that school doesn't want you, someone else will.

[Taylor]

Dear Canadian-girl,

Any school should be able to survive two weeks without a 'foreign' teacher.

Does this school only hire one foreign teacher? If there are others, it should be easy to split the foreigner's time to 'sub' the other classes.

If they hire only one native speaking teacher, then it reflects badly on them that he must be fired (poor selection, poor management, etc.)

I never felt that people in Taiwan were very political (as in 'office politics')...but it may be that I was immune to it after 7 years. They could be trying to play headgames with you, but I don't want to start any conspiracy theories. Where is A.K.A.T.D.N. when you need him?

Don't change your flight, etc. Stay on your own schedule. Keep us posted!

Sincerely,

Taylor

[wombat]

I agree that you shouldn't change your plans if it is going to disadvantage you. My guess is that the school can survive until you arrive but would prefer that you arrive earlier as it is better for them. If you could do so without inconveniencing yourself then great. If you can't then explain this to them. In many cases schools and recruiters will put the pressure on when in fact there was never any need for such.

I would have to wonder about the quality of a school that expects you to jump through hoops to help them when you haven't even started work there. What is it about that particularly school that makes the position something that you are willing to stress over.

I realise that it may sound daunting, but arriving here without a job is really the best way to go provided that you meet the minimum criteria for employment as a foreign teacher.

[Hap Thorton]

I agree with the advice you've been given so far. As far as the school saying they need you right away, there's no way the need is so severe that it outweighs rescheduling your flight. If you let your employer know about your flight situation and they pressure you or give you an ultimatum, I would be wary.

Finding a job after you've arrived is not difficult. If it comes down to it, look at it as part of the adventure. Seek out some (foreigner) English teachers and ask about places to work. BTW, you might want to drop the name of your prospective employer on this message board. Find out what people know about them. Try asking about good places to work in the city you're headed to.

Oh, yeah: Don't forget to bring your university diploma, as it is required in order to get your working papers. It has to be an original. No copies or faxes. And it has to be in English, or translated into English. I would also bring about 12 passport photos. You'll need them for various employment forms, and having them ready to go will save you the trouble of having to go out and get them in Taiwan.

And try to prepare yourself for a certain lack of organization, or at least what many westerners perceive as a lack of organization. This won't be the last time you encounter it.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

[TaoyuanSteve]

My advice may sound extreme, but I think you should drop this school. They are too desperate for teachers and, from the sound of things, may possibly throw you to the wolves without any training or assistance. It's not what you need when you're new to the country and, possibly, English teaching. Their added pressure for you to get here now only reflects badly on them. If you still want to work for them, tell 'em to pay for the plane ticket if they want you there now.

[kait]

I guess I'll be another voice in the chorus here. If they want you badly enough, they will pay the added penalty fees for having you arrive earlier than you planned.

[matchstick_man]

[kait]

Or, it could be that she's tripped upon a school who is not afraid to get rid of teachers who really need to go. Keeping teachers just because you need a warm body in a classroom is a reality at my school. I've wondered exactly how bad you'd have to be to lose your job here.

[canadian-girl]

Thanks everyone for your support. I am going to stick with my plans and "wing it", see what happens....the worsdt thing being...at least I get a holiday!

Always try to look at the bright side of things...i've calmed down....thanks to my friend "pepsi", lol..do they have pepsi in Taiwan?

[kait]

Coke is more common, but Pepsi can be found.

[canadian-girl]

Booooo! coke...blech! lol....well, i guess thats one way to get off caffine! lol

[Dr_Zoidberg]

Yeah, I had to go off Timmy's cold turkey. if I can get off caffeine, you can too.

[Hap Thorton]

I meant diploma. Is a degree tangible?

[Fortigurn]