Job Discussion Forums

[coffeespoonman]

Hi all,

My girlfriend and I are currently teaching in Turkey. Our contracts end in July, whereupon I'll be heading up to do the Trans-Siberian thing. Assuming that I'll blow my savings on traveling across the world, I'm going to want to pick up a job for at least a year in Asia, possibly in Taiwan.

Question #1: How easy is it to work (legally or illegally) without a degree? I have a B.A. and M.A., but my girlfriend only has her cert.
Question #2: What kind of work will she find without a degree? It's pretty easy here in Turkey to have a perfectly good standard of living without a B.A. Is it the same in Taiwan?
Question #3: How well connected is Taiwan by boat? I HATE flying, and have been making a sort of "grande voyage" out of crossing the world overland only. It's been great so far, and I know I can easily make it to China, but can I get to Taiwan just as easily?

Thank you for the help.

Oh, and ghost, if you have any other Turkey-Taiwan transition tips, can you hook me up? Cheers!

[clark.w.griswald]

[Aristotle]

There are few passenger ferries to or from Taiwan. There is still a periodic ferry service to the Southern Japanese islands out of the northern city of Keelung but the current government has been working full tilt since it's inception 6 years ago to isolate Taiwan and it's people by and means possible to further their political agenda. That means a drastic reduction in passenger ferry traffic formerly known as the "Blue Highway".


Most employers have little interest with credentials or legalities as laws on Taiwan are widely ignored by the vast majority of the population living outside of Taipei. Even in the capital, laws tend to be just one big grey area that changes with the needs of the criminals.
The biggest problem most teachers are facing on Taiwan is the decreasing pay and low number of jobs caused by Taiwan's continued economic decline coupled with a drastically reduced number of students resulting from an aging population and immigration by Taiwanese families with the means.

Be prepared, get a multiple entry visa from the TECO office (what real countries call a consulate) and bring enough cash to set you up for several weeks or months depending on the job market next season.


Good luck!
A.

[wood]

[sigmoid]

[Miyazaki]

[clark.w.griswald]

For anyone who may have missed it Miyazaki is referring to the fact that you can legally get a work permit to work in Taiwan if you have a diploma plus TESOL.

Miyazaki I am not misleading anyone. Although it is theoretically possible to do this, it is also very difficult in practice. In my opinion it is misleading to suggest to people who don't have degrees but do have a diploma plus TESOL that they can get work here in Taiwan as in practice it is very difficult for these sorts of people to get work.

Why? Well as I have said many times on this board I see the reasons as follows:

1. Many schools and employers are unaware that they can theoretically process a work visa for academic qualifications less than a bachelors. This means that applications from people who don't have at least a bachelors are not likely to given serious consideration by most schools. In fact many schools state a degree as being a pre-requisite.

2. Even if a school is aware that they can legally hire someone who doesn't have a degree but does have a diploma plus TESOL, given the choice most of those schools will choose a degree holder as they are more marketable to the students. The market is already competitive enough for teachers who are on an even footing, I feel sorry for anyone who starts out behind the black ball with anything less than Bachelors.

3. Finally and most importantly, what qualifies as a diploma in the eyes of the government in Taiwan and which TESOL certifications do they accept? I consider myself to be pretty well versed in administrative and legal issues here in Taiwan, but this is an issue that I have never received a suitable answer for. Maybe you can answer this one for us Miyazaki!

So although it is theoretically possible to get work here with a diploma plus TESOL and some teachers do it, it is next to impossible in terms of practicality.

Given this fact I would personally rather a teacher who may have had a chance to find a job give Taiwan a miss for more productive shores, than to be responsible for suggesting that that person come on over only to find that he or she c