Job Discussion Forums

[stavrogin2001]

Sorry to ask a question that has been asked a million times before, but here is my situation.

I have been living and working on the mainland for a few years. I have had some bills from back home to pay, like student loans, so I have not been able to save much over the time here.

I would like to move to Taiwan to live and work and a recruiter <a big one I will not mention names> said that all I would need is a few hundred US to get started in Taiwan if I take a job with a provided accommodation.

Is this true? Do most of the recruiters/schools help new teachers get setup, or am I setting myself up for ruin?

Any advise would be great.

[TaoyuanSteve]

You really should have as much money as possible when you first get here. However, it is possible to get started without much start-up. Some schools have dormitories for newly arrived teachers and other schools will loan you money. However, you are correct. A few hundred US is definitely a good idea. I'd even venture to say a bit more would be preferable. But, if the school is providing accomodation (not necessarily a good idea to accept it, but that's another discussion), that cuts down your start-up costs signifigantly.

Read these boards to get the general feel for what people think about recruiters here. It's not good.

[stavrogin2001]

Thanks for the advise.

I guess my major problem is that I am on the mainland right now with a very small budget for getting there. The best way to do it would be to have enough money that I could arrive and go looking for a job myself, but it is all monetary at this point. I guess my other option is to do another 5-6 months on the mainland and put some more money together before going to Taiwan.
Do most of the schools have dormitories that you can live in until your first paycheck?

I hate traveling on a shoestring, especially when the shoestring was made in the PRC.

[canadian-girl]

i was wondering the same thing. I'm bringing about 20,000TWD. I hope this is enough cause its all i have! lol.

[Dr_Zoidberg]

20 000 TWD is enough if you're careful with your money and don't take too long to start getting an income.

I get by quite nicely on 2 500 NT per week, I just can't take in the nightlife or eat at expensive restaurants.

It's sufficient for buying groceries and having some walking around money, and doesn't inlcude rent.

[Ki]

Bring a credit card, just in case. If you plan on going the student route for the first few months you will need to also pay for a trip to Hong Kong and need to ensure you have NT$100,000 in an account. The school or recruiter may help you with this, for a charge. If you lose a day or two teaching it, which may be needed for a visa run, it will cost you.

How do you know the recruiter is a big one. Recruiters always lie about their credentials and give pervasive answers. Just because they say they are trustable and reliable and their advert appears every second day doesn't mean that they are. There is at least one recruiter which advertises on Dave's which should be avoided at all costs. Once bitten, twice shy.

[Big John Stud]

I would say you need about $50,000 Australian dollars to start up! And that is going cheap! Forget about a new car or buying a house like I did when I moved here!
Good luck!

[Aristotle]

The amount of money you will need to get started really depends a lot on where and when you are coming to Taiwan.
Beginning and end of summer tend to be the best times to come as that is when most all contracts expire and people who want to go somewhere else do. After the Lunar New Year is also a good time but it may be difficult to find a really good job at that time.
Taipei is by far the easiest place for a newbie teacher to find work. It also has on average higher paying positions and the people are more tolerant towards what the local government deems the lesser races.
Good luck,
A.

[Taylor]

Dear Mr. Stud,

Did you mean to post that someone might need $50,000 Australian dollars? That would be enough for someone to establish a small school!!!

Why would anyone need 1.3 MILLION Taiwan dollars to begin teaching English here?

Taylor
Kaohsiung

[stavrogin2001]

Thanks you all for your help and suggestions.

I think that I will try to get hired through a real school, not a recruiter before I go under the understanding that I am in this situation. Then I will make sure the contract reflects as much.

Hopefully it will be ok.

Thanks again

[matchstick_man]

$2,500 seems a little on the high side to me. But then I'm really stingy with my money as far as luxury items but I did take in the night life nearly every week and I eat mainly cheap Chinese food. Actually no it's probably a reasonable amount as some weeks I tend to spend more than others.

I would say US $1000 for start-up. I would have said 1500 but the exchange rate is shot but 1500 would be a far safer amount as a safety net.

[Xenophobe]

Keep in mind it is always better to have more money than is necessary, rather than the opposite. My wife and I went over with $ 2500 CDN and that was just enough to cover all our start up expenses and carry us over until our first paycheque. You don't want to find yourself in a tight spot that far from home.

[stavrogin2001]

So a recruiter telling me that I will be ok with 500 US and a few loans from my new employer would be a bit too optimistic? Mind you I would have free housing.

[TaoyuanSteve]

You could do it on that amount. If anything went wrong with your job, though, you'd have to weather the storm until you had enough money to leave. I think the message most are trying to convey is the more money, the better. 500 US would probably work if you have housing from the get-go.

[Big John Stud]

Taylor wrote:

Dear Mr. Stud, Did you mean to post that someone might need $50,000 Australian dollars? That would be enough for someone to establish a small school!!! Why would anyone need 1.3 MILLION Taiwan dollars to begin teaching English here? Taylor Kaohsiung

Trust me stavrogin2001 $500 is not enough! Okay you got free housing so you wouldn't need as much as I thought but you should take at least 800,000 NT. Remember you are going to a new country with a different culture. Cover yourself just in case something happens!
Good luck!