Job Discussion Forums

[demianamar]

Hello,

It's June 15, 2005 and I've been offered an hourly contract through Footprints recruiting to be in Taipei by the end of this month! Min 18 hrs of teaching several age groups for $540/550 NT. This would be at KOJEN school in Taipei. I know y'all say not to go with a recruiter or work for chain schools, but it just makes me more comfortable for now. Does this all sound ok this contract? I may be able to get something through Jump Start schools......shall I hold out for another contract and dive right into this and leave home by June 27th???

Any positive help would be great.

[Girl Scout]

There is nothing wrong with working for a chain school. It is simply that some of us like their practices and some of us don't. If you want a "soft" landing in Taiwan and you don't have a lot of teaching experience chain schools are just fine.

The money is at the bottom end of exceptable. Your pay will be just under 10,000/wk. or appx. 39,600/mo. If you have debts to pay back home you may not be making enough money. You might want to calculate your estimated monthly expenses in TW. This will give you a better idea if this job fits your needs. (current exchange rate is 31.2NT - 1US)

The good news about your job offer is that it is only 18 hr/wk. That gives you a lot of time to do privates. I currently make 800NT/hour with mine.

[clark.w.griswald]

The only person that recommends that teachers avoid chain schools is Aristotle. He has never supplied any reasons for this opinion though, so it is pretty obvious that it is based upon nothing other than his personal dislike of successful businesses.

It is true that chains don't pay the most, but overall they offer the best job security. Add to this the training and the fact that you can most likely pick up extra hours as you go along and you start to see that they don't offer such a bad deal at all.

Most importantly, when you are at a chain you know that you needn't worry about the legalities of the work that you are doing. This peace of mind is worth a lot, particularly if you ask someone who took a higher paying job at a small independant school on the promise that an ARC would be forthcoming, only to find that the ARC never arrived, or was issued in the name of a company other than the actual employer. Both of which are illegal.

I would like to see any reason that working at a chain is not in the best interests of a newbie to Taiwan.

[Ki]

I'm sure that the "job" will still be on offer in July. So don't bother rushing here if it isn't in your best interest to do so. Looks like you haven't been given a set job nor with a set number of hours. So they will give you whichever position comes first no matter when you arrive. I'll bet that the 'end of the month' deadline is just an incentive to get you over and nothing more.

DON'T SIGN THE CONTRACT UNTIL YOU GET HERE

Is Footprints the official recruiter for Kojen or can you go to Kojen directly? Can you come here and have a look around before accepting (signing) the Kojen offer? Don't bother 'holding out' for something better back home though.

[demianamar]

Thanks everyone!! your advice has been most helpful! I really appreciate it. I'm going to try to deal with schools directly if this contract with the recruiter doesn't cut it. And thanks for advising me not to rush and that there's always work out there....

If anyone is leaving from Canada soon...specifically Ont, let me know:)

[Incredible Ape]

I recently spoke to Kojen in Taipei. Luisia Sia is their in-house recruiter, and has been working for them for many years. She mentioned that she will soon be splitting off from Kojen to work as an independent recruiter, working soley for Kojen. If you would like her details, I'm happy to supply them.

BTW, after talking to her, I decided not to sign with Kojen. No specific reason, I just felt that she was a little evasive under basic questioning. I didn't want to teach kids, she said that would be fine, but she wouldn't put it in the contract, so I found work elsewhere.

[Sheep-Goats]

[zealflyer]

Being offered under $600NT isn't that strange for a newbie these days. I had schools offer me $550...and even $500...when I got here 7 months ago. I held out for $600 but obviously some teachers don't.

[Aristotle]

[clark.w.griswald]

[gregoryfromcali]