Job Discussion Forums

englishmaster · Joined: 03 Sep 2004 Posts: 118

I am in contact with Richmond International English Institute in Taoyuan, and they are willing to grant me an interview if I come to Taiwan (I am outside of the country right now). Does anybody have any information about the place? So far, they are responding to all my questions, and I am tempted to risk the expense of a flight to Taiwan for a job with them. However, they have an intensive interview process, apparently, including a teaching demo. Does anyone know anything that can help me prepare?

Thanks.

Mr. White · Joined: 09 Oct 2007 Posts: 36

Let me be clear about this.

1. Nobody would fly to Taiwan for an interview.
2. They could easily reject you.
3. You would be mad to accept their proposal.
4. I just looked them up and found their advert. Their conditions are nothing special.

WALK AWAY

Tainan · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 120

I had an interview with them three years ago. They were one of the better schools I saw. After the first interview, and the second interview, and the teaching demo, they offered me a contract--and the details were quite different from what they had described during the interviews. Basically they kept all the "bad news" for after I'd already accepted a job. For example, in the interview they'd mentioned a reasonable number of teaching hours, but then in the contract they said that in addition I should sit in the school "cafe" for an hour every day to chat with students. Also, there was something highly strange about how a teacher could be fined for calling in sick or something of that sort. Finally the vacation time was absurdly low--something like one week off in the year. I'm afraid my memory of the episode is not very clear anymore--I remember chatting about it here or in another forum, so probably all the details are buried somewhere--but everyone agreed that the surprises on the contract were a deal-breaker.

Tainan · Joined: 01 Apr 2009 Posts: 120

Having said that, I had decided to accept the job anyway. (that was the point where I ended up having to leave the country because of a medical emergency.) My reasoning was as follows: 1. I was new in the country and needed to "pay my dues". 2. These people at least were not flakes. You would not believe some of the flaky people who interviewed me! This by contrast seemed like a pretty professional place. 3. The pay was not bad. I figured I could endure one year without much of a vacation, save money, get to know people, improve my language skills--and then find something better at the end of the year.

Of course it would be crazy to go to Taiwan just for this one interview! But if you want to work in Taiwan, go anyway. Even if you don't get (or more likely, don't like) this job, you can still look for and probably get another one, although advice from people currently in the country would be more useful on that end.

Finally, have you been in Taoyuan? I hate saying bad things about a place, but in this town the one attractive feature I noticed (apologies to Johnson) was the road to Taipei.

englishmaster · Joined: 03 Sep 2004 Posts: 118

Thanks for the responses. Of course, I would interview at other places than Richmond if I went to Taiwan--I wouldn't fly all the way there just for one interview! And I have been to Taoyuan, glorious gateway to Taipei. Its proximity to the latter city would be OK for weekend getaways, though.
I was really only thinking of Richmond as a stepping stone to a uni gig, which is what I really want (I used to teach at a Taiwanese uni). You pretty much have to have your feet on the ground in Taiwan to get one, and a contract at a place like Richmond would give me that.

Good luck to all of us.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Sorry I don't want to be the bringer of bad news but "uni gigs" are not as widely available as they used to be, and the competition for such jobs is incredibly intense now. You really would need a stand out CV to have a chance of cracking a uni job.

TJA · Joined: 09 Apr 2009 Posts: 27 Location: Greater Taipei

englishmaster · Joined: 03 Sep 2004 Posts: 118

Guys, as I've explained, there are in fact other places I could interview other than Richmond; I don't really need anyone to tell me it's insane to fly to Taiwan for a single interview. It's just that Richmond, judging from what my contact there has told me, stands out among the others.

I appreciate all the responses, however. I knew that things are tight right now in Taiwan, but you have reinforced that knowledge. Without the realistic prospect of moving on to a uni, I am indeed considering not going.