Job Discussion Forums

[Mr. White]

All yours ........

[IrishTony]

I'm looking for a clairvoyant in Taiwan who can provide me with next months winning lotto numbers. Must be willing to accept an iou for services rendered.

Polite replies only

[Mojoski]

Mr. White, thank you for your offer. I do have some questions. I would like to work in Taiwan, but there seem to be very few possibilities that fit me. First of all, I need to make 60,000/month in an inexpensive area (more in Taipei) to meet my financial goals. I have always taught adults and would like to continue that, plus I don't have a K-12 certification. Just about all of the adult schools seem to have atrocious split shifts five days a week. A uni job would be ideal, but almost none of them advertise, and I haven't found a good list of them. Do most of them have English Centers attached, like most countries? Do they ALL require graduate degrees? I don't have an MA, but I do have 33 credit hours gradute work and 9 years experience in two countries.

So, if you care to address any of my specific and implied questions, I'd truly appreciate it. Thank you.

[Mr. White]

[Mr. White]

[Mojoski]

Mr. White, much appreciated. Basically confirms the impressions I have gleaned from my job search. Fortunately, Taiwan is not the only place I'm searching. It's a more friendly environment (I've been there a few times) than the middle east, but the jobs are mostly not very advantageous. I'll keep looking, as long as I am still unattached, but I seem to be a more valuable commodity elsewhere.

[stillmattic]

Thanks Mr. White or anyone who responds. Whatever you can answer will be greatly appreciated.

Im 23, live in the US and planning to just 'show up' in early September

1) Before I arrive do I need to get a travel visa or can I take care of all that when I get there?

2) Do I need any special vaccinations prior to arrival?

3) Do I need to bring a recent criminal background check with me?

4) I graduate in August and it takes 2 months for the school to send out the diplomas. Will a recent transcript showing Ive completed all the classes needed for my degree be good enough to get a job?

5) Im going to arrive on a travel visa; do i need to a plane ticket to HK, Maccau, etc. prior to arrival to prove that im just there on vacation?

6) I think im going to live in Kaoshiung because of the weather and the proximity to the ocean. Ive heared it described as a polluted port city though. Whats your opinion? Are there any nice beaches in the city? Not Hawaii nice but like Pusan (if you've been there) nice. What I liked about the beaches in Pusan was that the beaches attracted people 24 hours a day and were a cool place to hang out or party. What about the beaches in Tainan?

7) Can I rent an apartment with just a travel visa?

In South Korea most teachers did privates on the side; is that the case in Kaoshiung?

Thats all for now.

Thanks,
Matt

[nomansnomad]

Thank you Mr. White^^

I'm moving to Taiwan to teach in August and I'm thinking of taking online courses at the same time...but I dont have a computer >.<
I was wondering does Taiwan have computer rooms.. If you've ever been to Korea, I mean something like a P.C 방...

[Rooster_2006]

[Mr. White]

1) You don�t have to get a visa before you arrive (as you can get a 30 day landing visa on arrival) but you are advised to get a 60 day visa before you leave the USA.

2) If coming direct from the USA (not traveling in certain hot spots before you arrive) then no, you don�t need any vaccinations.

3) No. Only a very small minority of schools ask for a criminal record check.

4) No. You need to arrive with your diploma if you want to get a work permit. You could teach illegally until you get your diploma and then get a job at a school that applied for your work permit (but your 60 day visa would probably expire before then, meaning you had to do a visa run out of Taiwan).

5) Technically, yes. Better safe than sorry. Some airlines won�t even bring you to Taiwan without proof of a flight out of Taiwan.

6) Big Wally (a regular and valued poster here) is best placed to answer that.

7) It depends on the owner. By law they can do what they like � but the fact you are on a tourist visa is not a good thing when trying to negotiate a lease. In addition, many owners like to have a local guarantor (should you burn the apartment down and do a runner). Schools sometimes act as guarantors.

8 ) Yes, but cash in hand work needs to be kept out of sight of the tax man and most employers.

[Mr. White]

[Mr. White]

Mr. White will be taking a vacation to India very soon.

[BigWally]

[Rooster_2006]

To the poster who asked about the comparability of beaches in Busan/Pusan and Kaohsiung:

I have been to Busan 10 times, and I just moved to Kaohsiung and am living on Cijin Island where most of the beaches are.

Kaohsiung's beaches are MUCH more polluted than Busan. In Busan, you might go hours on Haeundae Beach (or the beaches near Taejongdae) without finding a syringe. Not so in Kaohsiung! The beaches in Cijin have a clearly defined line of trash washed up on the beach, and when you go swimming (if you dare), expect to swim past food wrappers, bricks, etc.

Kaohsiung's beaches look nominally more scenic because they have more palm trees and coconuts. Kaohsiung's beaches, being closer to the equator, are also warmer, although Busan's beaches aren't exactly freezing either (I went into the water near Busan in late November and it was perfectly swimmable).

One redeeming factor for Kaohsiung's beaches (I'm thinking of the main one on Cijin Island near the ferry) is that waves are of decent size and surfers can surf. However, sea lice (tiny jellyfish spawn) are a huge problem (I already had to be hospitalized here once for sea lice). Apparently this is a big problem for surfers here. I confirmed this with two surfers.

As much as I *DESPISE* Korea for its extreme, blatant racism and treating me like an insect/piece of foreign trash during the five years I lived there, its beaches are much nicer than the ones I've seen in Kaohsiung.

[SandyG20]

Information on how to get an MOE application - see my post under Moe Taiwan. Applications are not on their sites listed. Thanks.