Job Discussion Forums

[Scott G]

I know it is still like 6 months away before August but I like to plan things ahead and be very organized. I have been doing my research and realize that Taiwan would be the best place to start my career as an English Teacher.
I have been reading all the posts on here about best places to work, best place to live, good food, etc etc. I also have noticed how Aristotle comes and does the downer thing. It reminds me of that Saturday Night Live skit they do with a character called Miss Downer. It is very similar
I am narrowing my choices for places to work. I have now this as my selection:
1. Chiayi
2. Keelung
3. Hsin Chu
4. Ilan
5. Hualien
6. Taipei County
and I guess Taipei is at the bottom.
I know that is not a huge narrowing down but it is better than with what I had started out with at the beginning.
I have heard good and bad things about chain schools but the one thing that seems to be common is that they are good for starting out. Less stress in the beginning.
Now I am just working on the process. What should come first?
Probably the plane ticket to Taipei airport.
Second, my 60 day Tourist Visa
Third, letting my parents know that I am off and gone.

Fourth: Fill in the blank
Fifth: Fill in the blank
and so on.
This is where you can come in and help me. Is this a pretty sound process.
Also, will I need a laptop there? I have computer here but really cannot lug that around with me. I hate to part from it since I have such highend stuff on it.
I plan on bringing my road bike (bicycle) with me. I need it for training...yeah yeah, I know about the pollution. I am making contacts with cycling teams in Taiwan and they are giving me advice.
Schools I have applied are Hess, Kojen, Joy, Kid Castle and some Recruiters that seem good people.
Thinking about studying Mandarin Chinese too.
Ok, I have said a lot and somewhere amongst my novel is a question

[TaoyuanSteve]

The best advice I could give you is come here with an open mind as to where you want to live. Any particular reason Taipei is at the bottom? I would recommend getting here first before ranking cities. When you get here, I suspect your list might get inverted.

IMO, dealing with major companies direct from overseas is ok. Large comapanies tend to rip people off less often and also tend to be more organized. They are good places to start, but also can be good for your entire career here to. Experience has taught me that every place has its goods and bads; there certainly is no shangri-la. However, recruiters are a bad idea. I got ripped off by one and too many people I've met have also. So I think that, from overseas, they're a bad risk and totally unnecessary. If you can, I think the best thing you could do is come here with no firm commitments to any company, take a week or two to look around and get used to it here, decide where you want to live and finally do a job search on the ground here. Good luck.

[Pop Fly]

I am surprised to see Taipei at the bottom. It is so much more convenient than any other place here. You can still live as cheaply as you can in any of your other choices by living across a bridge (Yong Ho, Chong Ho, Panciao).

Chia Yi is a lovely little town and has good access to Kenting for weekend getaways. But it is small. The smaller the town, the more you will stick out. It can get lonely.

Hsin Chu I enjoyed. There is a good foreign community there and some great mountains to ride around in. A little windy, but slightly warmer than Taipei in the winter. Just stay away from The Pig and Whistle.

The second time I came to Taiwan, I decided to try a recruiter. I didn't get ripped off and they actually did alot of follow-up. Not all are bad. All, however, are redundant. There is simply no need to use one. You could arrange for a soft-landing directly from the company if that is your reason for wanting one. It was mine. However, if I was to do it again, I would just show up, check into a flea-bag hotel and start walking in ever-widening circles. Take your time when choosing a school. The 1st year can fly by or drag on forever. Why not check out a few and make a short list. Choose wisely, live happily.

Also, never leave your bike unattended. While crime here is minimal, your bike will disappear within 10 minutes of being left unattended, locks or not.

[Aristotle]

[Scott G]

So which cities are great for meeting cool girls, good work, and somewhat cleaner air than othert places in Taiwan?

[Aristotle]

Taipei is in my opinion, is the best place for nightlife and work. Clean air and a pollution free environments are rare commodities on Taiwan. Haulien on the East coast is generally considered to be one of the more pristine areas of the island however there are not many good paying jobs. The people of Taiwan are pretty friendly but lack a certain amount of integrity particularly when dealing with financial matters or face.
Good luck,
A.

[matchstick_man]

I-lan, Hualien and Taitung all have clean air. I disagree about the pay in Hualien. From the teachers in Taitung, Hualien and even some in I-lan it's getting the hours that's the problem.

Meeting girls-you'll have no problem with this anywhere in Taiwan.

[Aristotle]

[izzyismydog]

How come no Tainan on your list? I may be partial cause I live here, but I think it's one of the better cities!
No gorgeous beach and no mountains nearby, but we are closer to Kending than any other major city (besides Kaohsiung) and really not a long drive to the mountains. The pollution isn't consistently bad- which means it's better than a lot of places.
I agree with everybody else, a small town would suck. Tainan gets a bit dull (at least as far as cultural events) and it's the 4th largest city! We have to head off to Kaohsiung or even Taipei once in a while for museums etc- mind you, it's pretty close to get to anywhere in Taiwan if you have the time.

[Ki]

If you absolutely must use a recruiter, make sure that your contract is with the school and not the recruiter itself. Of course they will seem like nice guys to you, you are a walking dollar sign to them just waiting to sign your life away.