Job Discussion Forums

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

If you are not white your easiest route would be through a chain school like www.kojenenglish.com or maybe Hess

hunter21 · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 8

BigWally · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:10 pm Post subject:

Demand is highest usually in Jan., May. and September as these are the most common turnover times for teachers. The new year, beginning of summer and end of summer respectively.

If you just show up and hit the bricks, you may find something within a week, or it may be a month or two. Either way you need to be financially prepared to live for at least 2 months with no income.

Once you choose a city to live in, start finding out what you can about it. Try to talk to people from that city, and get an idea of the job market in that area. You can also use other websites, that have been posted on here, to start looking for jobs from overseas.

The bigger chain schools also have websites with lots of contact information.

A recruiter is simply not necessary anymore. Save your money, you're gonna need it once you're here.

ruak12 · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Hong Kong

teacher77 · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

Okay, so I've read on here (Hunter and others) some of you had the interview with Reach to Teach back in January. How did things go? Did you end up getting a job through them? I just interviewed with them a little over a week ago and they've accepted me, but I do not plan to leave until summer because I am a contracted teacher, so I'm still in the middle of the process. They seem very legit and are very personable and quick to respond every time I have attempted contact with them. I just wanted to do a little more research and see what happened with those of you who had posted earlier. Thanks!

merc_wilson · Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Taipei

Hi everyone,
It's interesting the difference between reading the forums before teaching overseas, and reading them once you're here. I've been in Taiwan since July 07 and I came through a recruiter, Reach to Teach. Without them, I probably wouldn't be here, or I'd be at a really bad school, with bad management and crappy pay.
The comment 'save your money, recruiters are useless' a few threads back was interesting - R2T didn't take any of my money... they're paid commission by the companies . Regardless of this, here's been my experience;

R2T know what it's like to work in Taiwan as an English teacher. They know (and being here, now I know) that Taiwanese school managers have a very different approach to staff than Western managers.

I had no idea about Taiwan before coming here, and I certainly didn't know about the differences between schools. After I explained what I wanted, R2T suggested Taiwan, and told me about some different jobs that were available. One was perfect, and less that 72 hours after my initial contact with them, I had a job offer and contract.
It's easy to get one before you leave for Taiwan, and I would recommend it. Never at any time did I have to sign anything of R2T's... just the company I work for.

Needless to say, I'm quite happy here! - and I'm still in contact with R2T (they have great social events Laughing

)

lennonwasright · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Taipei

I'm a bit biased because I've had a great experience with Reach to Teach.

They hooked me up with a quality school, after they gave me some options. I also met most my good friends in Taiwan through various Reach to Teach functions.

So really, why not? They're free and legit!

Samu · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

I have been reading Dave�s for ages (from when I first thought about coming to Asia to now, as a fully fledged teacher). I never needed to write anything here but this and other threads about Reach To Teach has got me to sign up and give something back to this online community and RTT.

I�ve been reading enough of these thread and forums to know that there is a negative feel about recruiters. Fine, but don�t dump RTT into that. Sure, I imagine there are loads of horrible, lying, shady, money grabbing, double faced recruiters out here � but you have to make a distinction between the good, the bad and the ugly. I interviewed with a few other recruiters and schools at the same time as RTT and I sensed problems almost immediately. Dewey tried to ram a job down my throat and a few schools sent me contracts before I had even interviewed with them.

Ok, now to for the reason why I wanted to post. I came here with RTT and they were brilliant all the way. They were professional, helpful, patient and above all else they were up front and honest. They explained everything (told me about the tax situation after July, told me about the less attractive features of each job, told me that teaching kindi was illegal, gave me the e-mail address of teachers at the schools I was looking at, etc). They made it easy for me which was exactly what I needed.

I didn�t want to land here with nothing. I came here to have a good experience and I didn�t want to chance my year by possibly ending up trapped in bad school. No thanks. I wanted to know that from day 1 of 365 I was going to have fun, teach, get paid, have support if I needed it, meet some awesome people and have an inspirational and eventful year. And that�s what I got.

Is it the perfect job? No, but I think I am right in saying that there is no perfect job here and I was never under the illusion it would be perfect anyway. And here�s the other thing�..the number of teachers that come into the school I work at looking for the perfect job. Good luck to them, but I guess their advantage of coming here without a job gradually becomes their disadvantage, as their money and visa runs out. If they ask me I tell them to forget Nirvana and get in touch with people like Reach To Teach.

RTT is run by an N. American guy (I don�t think it�s forum etiquette to name names). He is one of the friendliest and most sincere people I have met here. I think he was also a teacher here and he now does lots of extra stuff like organize social events and runs some sport teams. He is a guy that makes a positive difference to our foreign community and I�m happy to support them in the same way they have supported me and all the other people I have met through RTT.

Good job RTT! Thanks for all your help.

Mary Ann Davis · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Asia

How about international.avenue and/or Mirela Ploesteanu?

BTW, a colleague wrote me that she'd had a good placement from Reach to Teach. Mary Ann

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

craigzy · Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 87 Location: taichung

she hunted me down on facebook as well.

craigzy · Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 87 Location: taichung

she hunted me down on facebook as well.

Mary Ann Davis · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 30 Location: Asia

So I wonder if her (Mirela's) jobs would be authentic? She says she has several. I wrote her a year or so ago, but there were none. I wrote her again last week & now she has many. Mary Ann

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

I think schools are hiring now for the fall, so she may have some. She's also relocated to Taipei so most of them may be there.

Make sure she doesn't get her commission from your pay check.

Hounds · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 6

...is that Mirela is not on the up and up. I have seen the exact same advert in multiple locations. Sometimes it's been over a year old and sometimes it's been posted very recently. And the pay is $80k per month. I sent my information after seeing the advert the first time and the subsequent e-mail exchanges with her led me to believe she is a bait-and-switch type of recruiter.