Job Discussion Forums

[james_tesol]

Yes this is the same post as of 2 days ago before I was told by the administrators to re-post after some problems! Thanks for those who replied on the original post, all your comments were most valuable.

Yes I have posted to numerous other forums since I really have no idea of where to teach yet! Guess that maybe lazy in the eyes of some! For me I was just doing research�.so here is the original post if you want to reply! Thanks!

I have a degree and master degree in business from a UK uni, a 2 week TESOL course qualification, a CELTA, 2 years teaching experience in a college in Thailand, and when i finish my contract at my present job, i will have had 1 years experience in a prestigious Korean university.

My question to all you knowledgeable people out there, is this....

1)What is the best job I can get there with my qualifications in terms of money/hours/holidays etc etc.
2)I don�t need to save money, but I don�t want to lose money from home either. Is it possible?
3)I don�t want to work split shifts. Is it possible to find a good schedule?
4)I would only like to work at 1 institution. Is this possible?
5)Obviously it�s nto a deciding factor, but always worth asking�.What is the dating scene like there, and is there any chance of having a girlfriend?
How long are the contracts usually for and what happens of you want out?


Any ideas or comments would be most welcome!

[Aristotle]

With an MBA you should be qualified to teach in a University on Taiwan. I would recommend reading Scott Sommer's Weblog for more information.

Scott Sommers' Taiwan Weblog

There are widespread problems within the public education system on Taiwan and the Universities are no exception. In addition the pay is remarkably low.
Business English provides the highest paying salary for English teachers but some business background is required.

[daily chai]

Hi Aristotle, just wanted to add that a master's degree and 2 years of documented FT teaching experience are the MOE university lecturer certification requirements. James, it will be helpful to get those letters certifying your work experience on company/institution letterhead before you go, or directly upon arrival.

A girlfriend will not be a problem. They will pop up like daisies. You just want to have an eye peeled for who is out for your passport via marriage, and who is a gold digger. I see that all the time.

University jobs are very pleasant, and will pay more than in Thailand. Welcome to Taiwan!

[JZer]

[Ki]

Non-split shift jobs at the one institution are certainly possible but many places do try to force the split shift apon you. I wouldn't accept such positions for a number of reasons, including making it so much more difficult for you to find a p/t job to supplement your income. There will, however, be a two hour break during lunch time if you work mornings. Not sure about the university scene.

The dating scene is good. But not as good as everyone tells me it is. I wouldn't worry so much about girls wanting your passport but about girls who date an endless string of foreigner guys with maybe one or two other boyfriends on the side. But hey, the same can be said about the foreigners who have two, three or more Taiwanese girlfriends.

[773]

In regards to dating here...the girls flock around foreign men like flies on crap. Yes, a majority of the time they want a foreigner for his passport / money or for the status of dating a foreigner. It gives them good face with their friends...it's trendy. As a married foreign female here with many foreign male friends my husband and I have made through the years, I frequently get asked by the local women to introduce them to the foreign men I know. I have also heard a few of the women say that "everyone knows western men can't resist Asian women." They are seriously delusional! Be careful. There are plenty of single western women here, I would suggest dating them. You will have a heck of a lot more in common, and you won't have to put up with Taiwanese immaturity, obsessive and possessive nature with men, and materialism...just my observations! Good luck!

[SpedEd]

My opinion of the OP's qualifications is that they can get a job just about anywhere in Asia and command an above average salary. The question is of course where. The big three (Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) countries all have their strong and weak points. For lifestyle, I'd pick Japan; for money, Korea; for an overall balance of the previous two, I'd go with Taiwan (but I think there are some extremes down there worth knowing about).

And since it's the Taiwan forum, I'll relate the experience I had down there: I had the misfortune of being placed in a small sourthern city of Taiwan by a very dodgey recruiter (of which I later learned). In fairness, I was down there for only about a month and the school that I was placed in didn't want a teacher at all but rather a pure entertainer, complete with squeaky plastic hammers. I didn't have the funds to explore other schools so I hightailed it outta there, with the intention of trying another stint later on.

While I was down there in this relatively small city, with a population of about 70,000 (I was also in two other small cities with populations around the six-figure mark), I noted some exceptional things. Firstly, for a city so small by Asian standards, it was polluted to hell. And keep in mind there apparently aren't any *sidewalks* in Taiwan! I didn't know this, and being an avid walker, I kind of panicked and felt compelled to drive a scooter amongst the horrendous traffic to get around. Despite previously owning motorcycles, I never felt comfortable enough to hop on a scooter and drive one down there.

Also, the weather was remarkably hot and humid when I arrived (in May) and would get hotter through the summer months. When I say hot and humid, I'm talking about walking out the door of your place and having your top soaked in sweat in about an hour. Adding insult to the situation when I was there, the rainy season consisted of 24 hour rains that would extend over an entire week at a time, spread out over several weeks - it basically rained the entire time I was there (how depressing).

However, I noted that Taiwan seemed to have some of the friendliest people on earth. But, I also noted that it was almost exclusively *male* friendliness. In the places I was at, any females I came across seemed very much conservative. Seldom would they make eye contact let alone engage in a conversation. However, I know these cities were small, so it could have been a situation of foreigner shock or something. I do know that I'd never experienced so much hardcore staring from the locals of any place I've been. For what it's worth, while in Korea, I hear quite a few positive comments regarding my looks so it's anyone's call why the ladies in Taiwan behaved they way they did.

Personally, I think Taiwan still has the potential to offer the most balanced work and personal life for the expat. After I finish with Korea, I wish to got to Japan ("Where it's fun, fun, fun, until your daddy takes the T-bird away...") and perhaps go back to Taiwan. This time to a much bigger city to see if I'm actually repulsive looking or if it was the boonies culture that made living there so tough.

[trukesehammer]

[trukesehammer]