Job Discussion Forums

[shyarra]

I really REALLY want to go to Taiwan upon graduation from college, and I'm planning to get my TEFL certification before I go so I can teach English. My father, however, is freaking out, afraid that if I go alone I won't have a support structure if things fall through. He wants me to find several others who are going and go with them, or find a group. So my question is this: What support structures are out there for English teachers abroad? Are there groups I can go with and not have to pay for the privilege? Is there anyone else out there looking for a travel buddy in a year or so (not that finding a travel buddy over the internet wouldn't make my father even more nervous)? Please, help me convince my dad that this is a good move for me and that I won't be sold into slavery!

[Ki]

I think that you have two valid options. Either come here with a large chain school like Kojen or HESS, NOT a recruiter. Or just come here and head straight for a hostel. You will find all of the help and support you will need in a hostel. IE Lots of other foreigners to help you work out what you need to do and be your friend. It is this second option that I would recommend.

Recruiters pretend to offer you this support but in reality you will have far greater problems and hassles with them.

Many girls come here solo without any real problems. There isn't much point waiting around at home for one of your friends to want to come along. You could be waiting for ever.

[MomCat]

Shyarra,

Once you have a job there will be probably be other FTs at your school. Considering the diversity of teachers, you may or may not find someone to connect with.

Perhaps I'm being too blunt but the need for support structures and teaching abroad are not often found on the same page. But my impression is that it's your father, not you, who needs it. If that's the case then it can be approached a little differently. You will need to have ways to let you father know you're doing okay. Here are a couple of suggestions:

Buy a package deal to come over here, airfare + hotel (Unfortunately they're not easy to find to Taiwan - try Orbitz). It will give you the needed exit flight and a place to stay for the first couple of weeks. There will be employees at the hotel who speak English. Make sure your father knows the hotel's information before you leave home.

Buy maps of Taiwan/Taipei while you're still at home. Leave one with your father and bring one just like it when you come over here. Then you can let your Dad know where you'll be staying and describe the location on the map he has.

Once you're here buy more maps. One in English, one in Taiwanese (to show to a local person if you need help finding someplace), one of the MRT system.

Buy an MRT card. The MRT (subway) system here is reliable, easy to use, safe and clean. It also has wireless connection (WiFly) hookups in the stations. (Someone else will have to tell you how to get an account.) The card can also be used on the busses. It will give you independence from those sell-you-into-slavery taxi drivers.

Bring with you a digital camera and a laptop set up with wireless access. Learn how to use it at home. Send Dad an e-mail with photos every day for the first few weeks. If there are people in the photos make sure there are more females that males.

If you belong to a church, find one of your denomination here. Contact it if possible. Attend once you're here.

Tell everyone you know (and everyone your dad knows) that you're going to Taiwan. Someone will know a family here and can give you an introduction.

Always carry with you a card with you Dad's phone numbers and e-mail address. Have someone write instructions on how to reach him in Chinese on the card.

When do you expect to arrive?

I'll be home for the summer but back again in the fall. If you're in Taipei you could keep my contact information handy. I'm a safe, older woman without too many bad habits. Boring for you but, perhaps, reassuring for your dad.

Cat

[Serious_Fun]

young white female?

Seriously though: your father's concern is normal. He would gain a lot from reading through some of the blogs that other young ladies have created to keep their family members informed. Here is one:

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Becks14/



also: he will be a part of your support network while you are overseas, especially if his credit card pays for your airfare home if/when needed!

good luck.

[Dr_Zoidberg]

[SanChong]

My perspective is that generally foreigners in Taiwan are VERY friendly to new foreigners on the scene. I think we are usually happy to have new faces and new people around. That's why we are travelling after all!!

Ki: I think saying that all Recruiters are bad isn't really fair. That USED to be the case, but things have changed. Look at Buxiban.com, for example, and see some of the recommended recruiters. Reach To Teach, for example, seems to be the kind of organization which would be very useful to this young woman.
Also, some of them will place teachers at chain schools like Kojen or Hess and then you have the benefit of support from both sides.

[Ki]

I agree Sanchong and after rereading my last post it does look very anti-recruiter. I am not anti recruiter per say but think that you need to be extra careful about some of them. Websites like buxiban.com are a great source for info for this.

I think it is best to lump recruiters into two distinct categories, those you sign a contract with and those which allow you to sign a contract with the actual school you will work for. I have always maintained that signing a contract with a recruiter will more likely than not cause you a lot of unnecessary pain and money. Never sign a contract with a recruiter. Using a recruiter just to find you a school however is, I agree, a possible way to go.

The aforementioned website does include a list of "good" recruiters, Reach to Teach and Dewey seeming to be two good choices. Perhaps this is the direction for our friend to head. I tend to think this is different to coming here with a contract signed with the recruiter. If you come here with Reach to Teach you still need to interview and demo with the school. You don't come with a guaranteed job so if they don't like you then you are still unemployed. It seems just the same as finding a job on the internet or in the newspaper.

The other recruiter option is to pay the recruiter, maybe 20 per cent of your first pay check, to find you a job. I am loathe to give money to a recruiter but if you do the math it works out better than signing a contract with a recruiter who will take 20 per cent out of you pay check every month. And if it helps you to find a job to start work straight away, instead of maybe two or more weeks then it is still better for you financially.

So, in short, I think recruiters can be a useful tool at times. So use them when they are useful and don't use them when they aren't. And if something doesn't look right it is probably because it isn't right.

Regarding hostels, true, many people come and go without even saying goodbye. But my best friends in Taiwan are the ones I met when I stayed in a hostel here. I never really found any great bonds with any of my co-workers. Hostels are great places to meet new people, find work opportunities, find parties, find people to rent an appartment with and learn what to do with Taiwan/work issues like the health check. Just try to get away from the foreigner enclave once in a while. Of course it would be best to bring a friend with you, I was under the impression that nobody else wanted to come.

[trukesehammer]

Young WHITE female? Heh! Why don't you just tell Daddy you'll be living with one of these wonderful betlenut-chewing guys?



Seriously, though, you might want to tell your Paw to relax. Girls here are pretty safe compared to the States. It's the only place I've ever been where girls can walk alone with confidence at night without getting the heebie-jeebies.

[Northwood]

trukesehammer, where do you get your photos from? Always enjoy your posts......

[shahrezade1001]

hi there,

i went to taiwan after my college graduation with the ymca oscy program. i think it's still running. it was exactly as you said--lots of support. all we had to pay for was our own plane ticket there.

pros:
1. immediate network of foreigners to visit all over the country, many of whom you will probably bond with.
2. assurance that you won't be overworked or otherwise taken advantage of--actually your hours will be much shorter than average and your pay only somewhat lower than average.
3. hierarchy of supportive people to turn to if you have problems in your local branch--there's a coordinator for foreigners who is likely to understand and sympathize with any cultural clashes with your management, even if she can't necessarily fix everything.
4. everything set up for you--good quality housing, transportation (bikes), job. they even paid us the day we arrived.

cons:
1. lower than normal salary--though still plenty to live on and save for travel
2. you have to wait until you can go through their cycle of interviews, i'm not sure what time of year they hire but it's only once
3. you have to live wherever in taiwan they put you--though i never found this to be a disadvantage. but if you're set on taipei your application has to be much stronger.
4. you have to apply so you may not get in--not really sure how competitive it is.
5. you have to live with the roommates they put you with, who are probably also the other foreigners you work with (american and japanese.) this was the worst drawback for me and did seem to cause problems for some others as well. everyone had their own room, but working and living with people who (as it happened) i didn't get along with was trouble.

good luck! you can pm me if you want to ask me more questions about taiwan or the program, though i'm sorry to say i don't know their contact info.

[shahrezade1001]

p.s. don't worry about the christian thing. you don't have to be either christian or religious. some are, some aren't. it's a christian organization, but unless you have something *against* christianity you won't feel uncomfortable in any way.

[trukesehammer]

[Pop Fly]

Nice pic Hammer. Very organized.

But if it's photos you want, here's another googled pic that exemplifies how truly civilized Taipei is.

[SanChong]

Ki said: