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JeffC
Joined: 03 Sep 2009
Posts: 13
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 Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:35 pm Post subject: Teaching in Taiwan |
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Sorry all, I know these questions have been asked hundreds of times but I'd really like some advice catered to me.
I have a few questions about teaching in Taiwan any and all responses are appreciated.
1. I have the resources to pay my own way to Taiwan and put myself up, would it be better for me to come over and look for a job or just hope and pray someone offers me one?
2. Is it reasonably easy to renew an expired visa? Or if I don't have a company providing me with a work permit after 60 days will I be asked kindly (our not so kindly) leave the country?
3. Do schools really care where you graduated university from? IE is it better to be a US grad vs a British grad, or from a big-name school that they have heard of?
4. Where is the best place to look for a job?
5. Cell phone question: Is it possible to switch an American cell phone to a Taiwanese company? Or will I have to buy a phone in Taiwan?
Thank you so much in advance! |
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Ki
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 475
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:29 am Post subject: |
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1. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. You will be much better off if you do. But do so now 'cause the school year has already begun.
2. An expired visa? I believe not. The ARC needs to be applied for at least 15 days (Ithink) before your visa expires. You can however renue your visa, using work as the reason why, if the deadline is too short.
3. Schools sometimes do care which passport you hold, regardless of your accent. Except for IELTS (where British passport holders hold king), Canadian and US passport holders are luckier than others. Yes, Quebeckies with thick French accents, immigrants with thick russian accents are prefered over English language speakers from elsewhere. Some schools really are like this. Others are more progressive.
4. Check out the big cities. Taipei, Taichung, Kaishung and maybe Tainan. It will be better for you to acclimatise to Taiwan lifestyle also.
5. It all depends on your cell phone provider in America. I did bring a cell phone with me from Australia and had a huge problem because it was locked without my knowing. I would recommend you asking your cell phone provider before leaving. |
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JeffC
Joined: 03 Sep 2009
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you very much.
I guess my question about the visa is if I can't find a job in 60 days. I am very nervous about traveling all the way to Taiwan and not being able to find a job. I'm a 22 year old caucasian (apparently this matters?) American, is the prospect of me finding a job pretty good? |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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| 2. Is it reasonably easy to renew an expired visa? Or if I don't have a company providing me with a work permit after 60 days will I be asked kindly (our not so kindly) leave the country? |
The key is you need to get your health check does as soon as possible. You need to have applied for the work permit within 60 days. You can get an extension of your 60 day visa as long as you have a receipt from the labor board showing that someone has applied for a work permit in your name.
You need to have the health check completed to get a work permit. It takes seven days to get the health check back. |
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BigWally
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 765
Location: Ottawa, CAN (prev. Kaohsiung "the Dirty South")
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| Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Ki wrote: |
| 1. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. You will be much better off if you do. But do so now 'cause the school year has already begun. |
Agree. It is a bad time of year to go right now. Also there has been rumours of shrinking job markets, and teachers having to settle for less than ideal hours or working conditions.
| Ki wrote: |
| 3. Schools sometimes do care which passport you hold, regardless of your accent. Except for IELTS (where British passport holders hold king), Canadian and US passport holders are luckier than others. Yes, Quebeckies with thick French accents, immigrants with thick russian accents are prefered over English language speakers from elsewhere. Some schools really are like this. Others are more progressive. |
The proper terminology is Quebeckers, or as they would prefer Qu�b�cois. 
Also agree here, even some American accents, Texas or other southern states COULD have a more difficult time than a Canadian from say Ontario or Saskatchewan.
| Ki wrote: |
| 4. Check out the big cities. Taipei, Taichung, Kaishung and maybe Tainan. It will be better for you to acclimatise to Taiwan lifestyle also. |
Kaohsiung
| Ki wrote: |
| 5. It all depends on your cell phone provider in America. I did bring a cell phone with me from Australia and had a huge problem because it was locked without my knowing. I would recommend you asking your cell phone provider before leaving. |
The important thing to find out is if you have a GSM Phone. The easiest way to find this out is to open the back of your phone, and look and see if you have a SIM Card. Its a small white card that slides into a "socket" near the battery. If your phone has a SIM card, then it should be about 95% guaranteed to work in Taiwan. I say 95% because there are some really crappy phone providers out there who lock phones, and make them useless if a SIM card from another provider is inserted.
If your phone doesn't have a SIM card then you're outta luck. Not to worry though, cell phones are wicked cheap in Taiwan. |
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JeffC
Joined: 03 Sep 2009
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I will probably be unable to arrive in Taiwan until mid-October would I be better off just waiting until January or some other time? Would it be possible for me to a get part-time job for the time being, and would I be able to get a work permit through a part-time job? |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I will probably be unable to arrive in Taiwan until mid-October would I be better off just waiting until January or some other time? Would it be possible for me to a get part-time job for the time being, and would I be able to get a work permit through a part-time job? |
Yes, some schools will tell the government that you have 14 hours when you only have 8 so you can get a work permit. It depends on the school. |
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Dr_Zoidberg
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 406
Location: Not posting on Forumosa.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 3:55 am Post subject: Re: Teaching in Taiwan |
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| JeffC wrote: |
| 1. I have the resources to pay my own way to Taiwan and put myself up, would it be better for me to come over and look for a job or just hope and pray someone offers me one? |
There's no harm in looking or even contacting employers before you come, but it's best to have boots on the ground before accepting any job offers. To put it bluntly, buxiban laobans aren't exactly known for their honesty.
| JeffC wrote: |
| 2. Is it reasonably easy to renew an expired visa? Or if I don't have a company providing me with a work permit after 60 days will I be asked kindly (our not so kindly) leave the country? |
You're supposed to do the courtesy of leaving of your own accord before your visa expires. Overstaying is frowned upon and could result in you being denied re-entry. As for renewing a visa, you don't. You spend a couple days somewhere like Hong Kong, and come back with a new one.
| JeffC wrote: |
| 3. Do schools really care where you graduated university from? IE is it better to be a US grad vs a British grad, or from a big-name school that they have heard of? |
These are the qualities buxiban laobans look for in teachers:
-white
-young
-female
-physically attractive
This doesn't mean you won't get a job if you fail to posses any or all of these qualities, it just means that you will have a more difficult time getting hired if your competition fits the bill and you don't.
| JeffC wrote: |
| 4. Where is the best place to look for a job? |
It varies. The less you fit the bill above, the further out of the big cities you may have to go. |
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BigWally
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 765
Location: Ottawa, CAN (prev. Kaohsiung "the Dirty South")
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject: Re: Teaching in Taiwan |
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| Dr_Zoidberg wrote: |
| JeffC wrote: |
| 3. Do schools really care where you graduated university from? IE is it better to be a US grad vs a British grad, or from a big-name school that they have heard of? |
These are the qualities buxiban laobans look for in teachers:
-white
-young
-female
-physically attractive
This doesn't mean you won't get a job if you fail to posses any or all of these qualities, it just means that you will have a more difficult time getting hired if your competition fits the bill and you don't. |
Sounds like the same criteria that I used when I was looking for a girlfriend. I got lucky...4 outta 4! Booyah! |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like the same criteria that I used when I was looking for a girlfriend. I got lucky...4 outta 4! Booyah! |
Just remember that it does not matter if you can speak English or not as long as you got an American or Canadian passport.
white
-young
-female
-physically attractive
5.American/ Canadian passport |
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JeffC
Joined: 03 Sep 2009
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| What are the chances of finding a part-time job in October/November? |
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BigWally
Joined: 07 Jun 2006
Posts: 765
Location: Ottawa, CAN (prev. Kaohsiung "the Dirty South")
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| not ideal. as in most places in the world, the school year typically starts in september...most bushibans seem to run in 3 or 4 month terms...the summer term is typically slowest. from recent reports, it seems the job market is shrinking, and jobs are hard to come by at any time of year. |
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JeffC
Joined: 03 Sep 2009
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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One more question...
If I took Mandarin classes at a Taiwanese institution would I be able to apply for a student visa? If so, would I be able to find a part-time or possible tutor job while on a student visa?
Thank you again for your answers, everyone's help has been greatly appreciated! |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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not ideal. as in most places in the world, the school year typically starts in september...most bushibans seem to run in 3 or 4 month terms...the summer term is typically slowest. from recent reports, it seems the job market is shrinking, and jobs are hard to come by at any time of year. |
There are usually some part time jobs available in Taipie that cannot be filled. Of course they may only be 3 or 4 hours a week which is why no one really wants them. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:41 pm Post subject: |
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One more question...
If I took Mandarin classes at a Taiwanese institution would I be able to apply for a student visa? If so, would I be able to find a part-time or possible tutor job while on a student visa?
Thank you again for your answers, everyone's help has been greatly appreciated! |
In order to get a student visa I believe you would have to study Mandarin at a university language center. I don't think that any private language schools can offer more than a two month visa. Part of that is the result of the system being abused in the past. Schools were giving student visas to people who did not attend class |
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