Job Discussion Forums

[Suburban_Andy]

Like the topic title says, why Taiwan? I've enjoyed what I've seen of the place so far and it looks like it'd be a great place to spend some time, but the situation for ESL teachers is awful compared to other places. So what is it about this place that makes you put yourself through it?

I arrived here about a month ago looking for work and it's been one headache after another. I've applied for many places online and either get ignored or demo for them and then told that the position has been moved back 2 months or that the position is in fact part time. I've been offered two part time positions so far (12 hours a week) and both wanted me to sign a 12 month contract to get my work visa. 12 hours just isn't going to cut it, money-wise. I've been door to door handing out cv's and they either chuckle or politely take my cv telling me they'll get back to me in a few months. Which will be past my 3 month visa limit.

It's maddening. Add on to this the fact that when (if) I get a full time job I'll have to pay 20% tax for the first 6 months according to what I've read on this site.

I'm not sure why you put yourselves through it when the prospects are so much better in Korea etc. I'm not bothered about the fact that they don't pay for your apartment, flights etc- but it's the fact that finding a full time job is so hard makes me wander why people bother. I know some people aren't crazy about Korea but I spent a year there myself and had a great time. Having done some subbing here already the teaching in cram schools doesn't seem a whole lot different either.

Before you say 'well, go elsewhere then' you should know that my girlfriend is here and I do really like Taiwan in a lot of ways, but coming to another country to teach English is stressful enough without all these other layers of sh*t.

I haven't went down the recruiter route as yet, but I think that'll be my next step despite hearing pretty terrible things about them, I don't know what else to do.

Oh and could someone help dispel/add to another one of my worries? I'm a UK citizen who has came here on a 3 month visa. I don't have a visa as such, just a flight booked in and out (my all else fails flight) as I was told this would be all I need. Is it? Or do I need an actual physical visa?

[Kionon]

It might be a good idea to ask these questions on Forumosa as well.

My experience: I have been to Taiwan, I enjoyed it a lot, and plan to go back. I have not worked there, but I considered it. I have been to Korea, I hated it, and I definitely did work there, though I sometimes wish I could purge myself of my horrid experiences. I live and teach in Japan, have been here almost as long as I've been anywhere in my home country as an adult. At the end of this year, I will have been here longer than anywhere I've ever lived as an adult. As I mention in my first post in the Japan forums, Japan has become as much home as anywhere in my home country.

My opinions: From what I understand it is no more legal to look for work in Taiwan on a tourist visa than it is in any of the other common Asia destinations. And with most destinations, it's done anyway. In order to work, you most definitely do need a work visa, and any subbing you've done on a visa exempt stamp is completely and totally illegal. If caught expect to be fined. Heavily. If not deported and barred entry for several years after that. I don't know exactly, but again, Forumosa can (and had when I asked) point out the exact process you could expect.

My experiences with Korea are such that I will never, ever, ever go back. So I am not really inclined to consider it as having fewer issues than Taiwain. I would be inclined to consider the opposite as being true. One thing I am absolutely not clear about is if Taiwan's visa belong to YOU (like Japan) or belongs to the Company (like Korea). If the latter, there is no way I would teach there. I value freedom of job movement too much.

Standard disclaimer about me not being an expert, about my experiences and opinions being my own, and about your mileage varying, etc.

[JZer]

After five years in Taiwan you can get your own permanent residency. A nice thing for people planning to stay a while.

Taiwan is better than Korea since the foreigners here are more diverse. Furthermore dating in Taiwan is a lot more peaceful.

As for the tax you get it back as long as you come before July 1. I usually only pay 6000NT a year in taxes.

[Daphne]

Well, Andy; your experience is shared by nearly all who arrive nowadays on the island without a contract looking for a full-time ESL gig. A recruiter is very likely to set you up with one of the part-time gigs you already described, or even worse a full-time gig at a buxiban that has had many teachers abscond recently.


Surely the woeful US and UK economies have had a huge impact on the ESL job market. Taiwan is one of the best examples of how saturated and competitive some of the locations with the best prospects before the economic crisis have become. Look at how many applicants a school with a rather shoddy reputation like Hess gets for each opening on the island.


In Japan nowadays the great majority of ESL jobs advertised are open only to applicants already in the country. Coming there now with a limited budget in hopes of landing a full-time teaching contract in a matter of days or even weeks would pretty much be career suicide. If you choose to do this with Taiwan, your window of opportunity is a bit wider thanks to the living expenses on the island being considerably lower than those of Japan.


Even a country like Thailand where the salaries are at least half of what one makes in Taiwan, Japan or SK, is nowadays flooded with native speakers looking for jobs.


Well, both the love/hate relationship of current and former teachers with SK, and the comparisons of it with Taiwan are very well-documented on these forums. SK on the surface still seems to have a large number of full-time jobs to choose from, but a large part of that is likely due to how much of a headache getting an E-2 has become in recent years.

[Suburban_Andy]

Thanks for the frank assessment guys, I appreciate it. In your opinion do you think it would be worth taking the part time work?

[zipper]

If a school offers you a part time work with an ARC, then you should accept it, because you can always look around later to supplement that school�s pay with non-taxable part time work here and there.

I have been doing it that way for years. I find it beneficial, because if you are working for 2 or 3 schools and one of them cans you, then you still have a couple of schools to teach at. And you might be able to transfer your ARC to another school, but JZer knows more about this issue than I do.

Good luck.

[JZer]

Why live in Taiwan? I guess it is the fact that I save 30,000NT a month a can go out every weekend. What more could one ask for?


Some people may not like it but these days you probably need to string together several part time jobs. That is best done by getting an ARC from someone. Currently you can have work permits for one full time school and two part time schools. I currently have work permits to work at three schools.

I can tell you more about my situation by pm if you want more information. I currently work for two different branches of Kid Castle and another buxiban.


These days you might want to consider China. On the surface the pay looks low but many teachers take uni jobs for 1000US a month and an apartment and earn another 1000 teaching at companies in the afternoon. Or you can work at a language school in the evening or on Saturday. Actually the going rate for part time language school work in China is higher than Taiwan in major cities(Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, etc.).

I hope that helps.

[JZer]

[creztor]

Suburban_Andy, there honestly is very little economic reason for anyone to come to Taiwan to teach, as you already pointed out. Many places are offering minimum hours and they expect you to jump through hoops even though it is clear no-one could live on the hours they offer, or at the very least manage to save any considerable amount of money. Here is something I read very recently. Last year 400 kindergartens in Taipei had to close because of the drop in the number of births (there were 1000 kindergartens three years ago in Taipei). Because of this public schools are looking to close around 1,200 grade 1 classes because they know the students aren't there. Based on the drop in births they estimate that 1/3rd of universities in Taiwan will be forced to close in 10 years time. This is why the Taipei government is now offering 20k NT to anyone who has a child, they are desperately trying to stimulate growth. This is also why the KMT is now trying to make it possible for PRC students to come and study in Taiwan. If things continue on as they are there will just be so many schools/unis closing that it won't be funny. The long term outlook is bleak and it is clear how bad things are by just looking at the jobs currently available.

[JZer]

The job market in Taiwan is bad, fact or fiction? Does anyone really know?

[creztor]

Fiction of course. We're all earning 1,000nt an hour, pulling 40 hour weeks teaching children how to say "what is this" and sing abc songs. How could the market here possibly be bad?

[JZer]

The only thing I know is that I earn a decent living in Taiwan. I also know several people who have gotten English teaching jobs in the past 12 months.

[zipper]

Ssssh! Oh dear. Let's not broadcast it to the entire unemployed Western world.

[Shimokitazawa]

I've gone over to the Korean site and there are many teachers there that absolutely love living and teaching Seoul and Korean in general. They also make good money at it, too.

Why are experiences so diverse in Korea?

Yes, the opportunities in Taiwan are very few at the moment. I have not been able to find a job but have been looking. I'm here staying with a friend right now. I send my resumes out and talk to schools on the phone but nothing yet.

I've been here a month also now.

[Shimokitazawa]

20% tax the first six months in working in Taiwan is also something that annoys me and I forgot to mention that.

This 20% tax, and the low salaries compared to Korea, turned one of my friends off from accepting a job offer here in Taiwan.