Job Discussion Forums

tanklor1 · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 26

I've been in Korea for the past two years now and I'm considering jumping ship to Taiwan this May. It is a terrible idea to arrive without a job first or should I seek one out?

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

Seek one before you come, get a visitor's visa and not a landing visa, and get your ARC/work permit processed before you come.

On the other hand, wing it, be prepared for a merry-go round, ie, expenses and evasive employers, find a hostel in Taipei and branch out or, don't stay in Taipei. Go to smaller cities/towns where there's apt to be less turn-over.

Hsinchu's a good destination, maybe Taichung or Miao-Li.

Dig into the beauracratic aspect of living here to defend your stay, meaning, try not to take any job that's not going to offer you an ARC, which is why I'd said, find a job before you come here. You can learn a lot and feel things out, however, by experience and coming here on your own. Thing is, it'll drain you.

Don't work for the following: HESS, Kojen, Jordan's, Happy Marian, IDEAR; elementary/high schools, or numerous others you can see posted too frequently on the 'job's available' board Tealit.com.

BigWally · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:56 pm Post subject:

Ferfichkin · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 140

According to StayingPower, you shouldn't work for HESS or Kojen. I worked for HESS for one year, and I've worked for Kojen for the past two and a half, and I have had no problems with either. I'm sure you could do better than HESS and Kojen, but I know for a fact that you could do worse; I work for a small cram school in the afternoons now and, although the pay is higher, so are the headaches and disorganization. I wouldn't dream of working full-time at this small school; HESS and Kojen are both better options in my opinion.

All I'm trying to say is that many people on these boards advise people against large cram schools in favor of smaller ones. They make is seem like some kind of divine law. I would advise you to do as much research as you can and try to find a school that seems to have some good reviews, or look on tealit for the names of some schools and then ask people about them on here or on forumosa. I know that many small schools are better than HESS and Kojen, but I guarantee that many are worse as well. So, I wouldn't just blindly follow that logic that smaller is better because you could easily wind up in a situation far worse than you would have at HESS or Kojen.

fich

jgmodlin · Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 120 Location: USA

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

Ferfichkin · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 140

I guess, although I'm not sure, that you're trying to say there is some kind of contradiction in what I wrote, or that I didn't provide the OP with any advice about what he should do. I'm going to be honest; I'm not really sure what you're talking about. I'm just going to review what I wrote, and if you still think there's a problem, let me know.

#1 I said that the OP shouldn't blindly follow the logic that smaller schools are better than larger schools. In my opinion, that's true.

#2 I said that you could do better than HESS and Kojen, and you could do worse. That's a fact.

#3 I said that I know that many smaller schools are better than HESS and Kojen. This also is a fact.

#4 I said that you advised the OP not to work for HESS and Kojen. That's true.

Then you asked me what the OP should do. I already did, but I will again. I advised the OP to do as much research as he/she can in an effort to find a school with good reviews, or to look for the names of schools on tealit and to ask people about them on here or on forumosa. That is pretty much what I said verbatim. That's what I think he/she should do.

I'm still not really clear what you're talking about. I said that the OP could do better than HESS and Kojen, and that he/she could do worse. That's true, and in my opinion, he/she should do as much research as possible, in the manner I suggested, and if that research leads him/her to a smaller school, that's cool, and if it leads him/her to a larger school like HESS or Kojen, then that's cool, too. I think it's important for the OP to understand what he/she wants in a school, and then do research in an effort to find a school that meets those desires. For me, in my first year here, that research led me to HESS, and I'm very thankful it did. I wanted a school that would give me some support and training, both of which I recieved, and a school that would allow me to make some friends since I was new to Taiwan, which HESS did as well. I knew I didn't want to work for a smaller school because, after I did some research, people were saying a lot of smaller schools don't provide much training, and that it could be difficult to make friends at work since your school has a small staff. So, I chose HESS and I have never regretted it.

So yes, I disagree with you. You told the OP not to work for HESS and Kojen, but I think for some people it could be a good option. That's not to say that they should or shouldn't work for HESS or Kojen, but rather to figure out what they want in a school and let that direct their decision. For me that research led to HESS and, although it didn't work out for you, it could be the right choice for some other people, too.

Let me know what you think.

fich

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

Yes, I think you're pro-HESS/Kojen, but really have a conscience that thinks differently.