Job Discussion Forums

[jdkrone]

Just wondering what the best areas for a newbie are? I arrive in Taipei and plan on looking for permanent(is anything in this life permanent?...I hate that word) work there.

[jdkrone]

[jdkrone]

[creztor]

Taipei, simply because that is where 90% of the work is, if not more. Sure, the rest of Taiwan is great but that is a moot point when your coming here to teach and the jobs are mainly in Taipei.

[Shimokitazawa]

[jdkrone]

Are there any good hostels or pubs in Taipei to check out for jobs postings?

[markholmes]

Your survey is probably flawed because most people come to Taiwan (80% in Taipei), live in one place and leave, so they don't really know what it is to live in the other places. I lived in Kaohsiung and Taipei and they were both good places to live. I guess Kaohsiung had the edge in terms of weather and laidbackness, but Taipei had other things to offer.

[Dr_Zoidberg]

By including activities, culture and pubs you automatically eliminate all of Taiwan outside the big three cities: Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung.

[zipper]

Can't eliminate culture outside the big cities.

[Rooster_2006]

Go for Taipei. Right now, the number of job ads on Kaohsiung Living is a mighty one or two per day, but during a dry spell (January, for instance) it's more like one posting per week. Finding work in Kaohsiung is not reliable, and when a job inevitably goes south, you want to be able to find something else as soon as possible. In Kaohsiung, qualified professional teachers will flock to interview at an illegal kindergarten that pays 450 NTD an hour. It's pitiful. It's like watching maggots fight over a scrap of a rotten soybean pod.

[knight4ever]

Are there any decent teaching jobs for newbies in Taipei? I got a job just south of Hsinchu City. My gf (she is from Taipei) and 2 recruiters told me that Taipei is not the best place to start for newbies because they prefer experience. If a Taipei school hires a newbie, I hear they can be pretty rough on you. Anyone hear anything different?

[creztor]

Recruiters usually have positions in rural areas simply because the schools do not know how to find teachers. It doesn't surprise me to hear a recruiter warning new teachers to stay away from Taipei because they need you to take their job offer so they can get paid a commission. All the chain schools have the majority of their branches in Taipei and they welcome new teachers and 99% if not most of schools offer training. How can they not want new teachers? Who is your recruiter?

[knight4ever]

My recruiter is Bryan at esljobtaiwan. He's a very professional person but he keeps telling me I will have a very hard time in Taipei because I am new to ESL. I have corporate/business teaching experience but he said that doesn't matter. Yesterday he sent an email to me saying that the job he has near Hsinchu might be my last option because most schools have already started their school sessions. He said he can get me a job in Taipei but I will not like it. Schools in Taipei are cutthroat according to him. Can you shed any light on this, creztor? Or anyone else for that matter?

[creztor]

Have you applied for jobs in Taipei or are you just taking his word? Have you looked for jobs in Taipei yourself to see what is available? There are plenty of job boards with positions listed in Taipei.

[knight4ever]

You got me. I'm taking him at his word. I'm back in Florida but I will be leaving for Taipei next week. My gf is not terribly familiar with the ESL job market so it's a case of the blind leading the blind when I ask for her help. Are there any job boards you recommend online or should I just arrive in Taipei and start looking? I appreciate any help you can offer.