Job Discussion Forums

[serenesanti]

Hello, all: A lot of people have posted that it's a bad idea to accept a position while still in the States. So supposing I did just move to Taipei to try to find a job, how does that work with visas and such? Wouldn't I have to return to the States to be issued a work visa? I'm a bit clueless about this sort of thing.

Also, have any of you just moved there, jobless, and found something? Is it relatively easy to do? I have an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and lots of teaching experience. I plan to move to Taiwan (or perhaps China) around mid-August.

Thanks for any info!

-Serene

[Sheep-Goats]

You have an MA in Applied Ling and haven't left the country yet? Weirdo.

The visa thing varies by country. For us United Statesians the best thing to do is get a 60 day visa from your local Tawian Trade and Whatever Office (which would be called a consulate if China weren't so uppity about Taiwan calling itself a country). If you don't get this visa in advance then you can still get four weeks upon arrival, but that four week on-arrival stamp can never be extended and so isn't enough to look for work on. Once you have your visa then you fly into Taiwan and find a job. Fortunatly, Taiwan allows you to transfer a tourist visa into a working visa while you're in the country, so you won't have to leave.

The work permit process takes about a month to finish up, and once it's going (to a certain point) you can also extend that tourist visa, so unless you spend more than a month looking for work the 60 day visa should be enough. But even if you screw that up Hong Kong is an hour and a half away and the Taiwan not-Consulate there does nothing but grant Taiwan teachers visas of varying sorts all day long, it seems.

Mid-August is a great time to be on the ground looking for work, but you may want to come a little earlier to get your feet on the ground. Be aware that print shops and internet cafes can be suprisingly hard to find here, so have your ducks in a row as far as printed resumes and other applications documents go to whatever extent is possible for you. You don't want to lose a week of job hunting because you can't find anyone with a computer attached to a working color printer, afterall.

You'll probably need 3,000USD to get started here. Taiwan isn't cheap, Taipei especially. Your biggest expenses will be rent/lodging or going to the bars if you plan to do that -- with 3,000USD you'll be able to go to the bars on the weekend and pay deposit on an apartment. With any less than that you'll have to choose one or the other. With 2,000USD you'll be right on the line as to making it or not, even if you scrimp and save every cent you can.

I have a BA in English, three years EFL experience, and a CELTA. I also have a teaching portfolio and show up to interviews in a shirt and tie (real rarieties here). I had job offers on my second day on the ground, but I picked about until I found something that was pretty close to what I wanted -- took me three weeks. With a MA you'll probably want to get a uni job ASAP, but if you're eager to go overseas you can work a lesser job here for a year and probably have a lot better chances of getting that uni job you want due to contacts next year.

As for the Taiwan / China thing, I'd really reccomend you not go to China until you've cut your teeth in working overseas and just how nasty the Chinese can be in some ways. Taiwan's a gentler start, for sure, and has better pay. But the market has all the teachers it needs here, so you'll actually have to try to get a job -- whereas in China you'll literally get job offers while walking down the street.

[serenesanti]

Thanks so much for all the information! Very helpful. Yes, I suppose I am a weirdo for not having moved abroad sooner (I graduated in 2003), but it's taken me some time to overcome inertia!

I think just getting a tourist visa and finding a job once in Taiwan seems the best idea, so that's likely what I'll do. Very scary, though! Yes, I would prefer to work at a university, though I've heard the classes tend to be very, very large, even 60+ students. I might be better off starting at a private language school.

In any case, thanks again!

-serene

[Sheep-Goats]

[Aristotle]

Wages and benefits are deteriorating island wide. With an MA in TESOL you may be able to get employment in on the higher education institutions but be warned they may not offer better pay, benefits or working conditions than the local Bushi Ban. Also your degree has to be approved by the MOE. You can start working before it is approved but you won't be paid until the approval comes through if it ever does.
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A.

[clark.w.griswald]