Job Discussion Forums

mongrelcat · Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 232

hi
i came over to this forum from Turkey b/c i must get out of there. I know people are busy and often don't like to take time to answer newbies Q's....but if anyone can put in their two cents i'd be glad for it...

Private school vs. Language school - are the pros and cons the same the world over?

can you find used bookstores for leisure reading mat'l in Taiwan?

how about the postal service? PTT in Turkey is a horror....i seldom get my mail within 3 or 4 weeks if at all.

cost of living - is cat food considered a "luxury" item there too?
can one (who doesn't cook) find decent inexpensive food
for most of their meals?

beer - are there other kinds of beer available besides the "local" or
"national" brand?

health insurance - i see many jobs offer health insurance but is it usually
"state" insurance or can private be bought or coerced?

oh yeah...tobacco - is Taiwan a smoking country? as in nicotine? does anyone know if handrolling tobacco can be found there?

i suppose i'm mainly talking about Taipei here. Really i've only just begun looking for jobs in Taiwan and i know next to nothing about the EFL community there.

appreciate your help.

MC

jonks · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1240

mongrelcat · Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 232

ok Jonks ( i love you already)

i'm only at the stage where i'm browsing thru jobs listed....

and i have to say, it's pretty scary.

by Private School, i mean a real school that parents pay for. a k-12.

i have seen a website that looks as if it has pretty good information on all schools...language, private, universities. It has a rating system and a blacklist.

But can a person who isn't even in Taiwan get a decent job (i'm qualified and experienced)? contract before i go? Or is Taiwan one of those places that you really need to be there?

I'm just seeing a lot of negativity about Taiwan right now. People being dumped and deported, treated very poorly, etc.

As I say, I'm a newbie. I guess I'm just looking for someone to tell me "Don't worry MC, everything will be alright. You'll get a decent job and not be deported for no reason. They won't turn on you like a pack of hyenas once you've been there for a month.

*sobs*
*smiles*

BigWally · Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:51 pm Post subject:

mongrel,

i'm a "new poster" too, and honestly, i'm getting a different feeling that you are about taiwan...

here's my story (oh, and I'm still in Canada) my girlfriend & i got in touch with a recruiter for a specific school (which happens to be a chain), that i was connected to by a friend...spoke with him, got all the details & the job, and they are basically going to be doing all the leg work for me...they're helping me get a scooter, apartment, and have a contact who will pick us up at the airport, take us to our apt (although we did get this apt thru our friend), and give us info to get around town...the school is also helping us with our ARC & residents visa, and have given us step by step as to what to do before we arrive (read: how to get visitors visa)

i've seen it called a "soft-landing" before, that is someone who isnt sure about moving to taiwan getting work set up before they arrive....less unknowns (read: less stress & worry)...i'm not exactly sure what other schools do, but this place has helped us out tremendously, and so far its been a pretty simple process, and everything is going along smoothly...

i've read similar stories from people getting jobs thru chain schools, but i mean i'm sure there are exceptions to this as well...but if you're looking for a softer landing maybe consider a chain??

good luck with the move!

cheers Smile

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Those soft landings don't always lead to a great year in Taiwan. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they lead to a life of hell. Which is why it is always good to do your research and ask a lot of questions. Which I see we are already doing, well done.

Just don't ever sign a contract with a recruiter. Always sign with the school.

Oh, and the hard landing isn't hard at all. It is easy to get a bus from the airport and it is easy to walk into a hostel.

BigWally · Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 5:35 am Post subject:

Ki,

Thanks for that info about not signing with the recruiter, and I havent, I've been lurking on these boards for months now, so i've done my reading, but good info for someone less "search button" experienced than myself.

I've confirmed with our recruiter/recruitment rep, for the school we are teaching at, and that we are accepting the position. Although, the contracts we have been sent are with the school, and we have to mail them to our contact at the school in Taiwan.

I'm hoping that our "soft-landing" will be nice, because not only do we have the contact at the school to help us out, we also have some friends who are returning for their 2nd year teaching in mid July, so we'll have some friends in place, which i'm thinking will help out a whole lot!

mongrelcat · Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 232

well i haven't given a thought to recruiters because i know in other countries people say to stay far far away from them.

Are you paying a fee for all this help?

if not, who is the name of your recruiter please.... Very Happy

SanChong · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 335

When working with a Recruiter, it's very important to work with a GOOD, honest one. As long as you do your research properly, you will be able to find some very good and honest recruiters out there. Buxiban.com recommends a few.

Actually, the right recruiter can help to make sure that you work in a fully legal situation. If they are a recruiter which makes sure that they only work with legal schools, they can help you sift through the confusing options you might find on Tealit, for example.

I do agree with Ki: Make sure you are actually signing with the SCHOOL, not the recruiter. Many recruiters provide just this service.

Northwood · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 66

Ki wrote

SanChong · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 335

Northwood, to answer your question, it is possible to sign with a recruiter. IACC, for example directly employs teachers and then farms them out to different schools. I believe there are others that do the same. It's likely NOT a good idea to work with that kind of recruiter.

Alternatively, there are recruiters like Reach To Teach and Dewey who work with schools, helping them to find teachers. However, through these companies, you sign a contract directly with the school. They just help to make the entire process easier to navigate.

jonks · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1240

jonks · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1240

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Just do it properly. I like that. That is what I didn't do when I first came here. I signed with a recruiter, though they preferred to call themselves a consultant company, and had nothing but problems all along. The one thing that they did do right was pick me up from the airport, albeit late. But it is so easy to take the airport bus, and cheap.

Having a recruiter as your employer is very very bad. They will deduct fees for whatever they want and you can't do anything about it. They are also given money by the school, 10 - 20 000 more than you get EVERY SINGLE MONTH. You are better off paying a once off fee and avoiding all the hassle. But teachers, wrongly, think that a "free service" actually saves them money.

Taiwan can be a great place but it can also be hell. Some schools/recruiters can be good and some can be pure evil. And occasionally it all depends on your circumstances.

BigWally · Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2006 1:17 am Post subject:

Northwood · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 66

Jonks wrote: