Job Discussion Forums

[Rooster_2006]

I actually have nine days, but let's just pretend I have only three days, because we want some just-in-case padding here.

What would you do to find a job in three days?

[MomCat]

I would go through every job listing site I could find looking for every school that had posted an ad in the last six months, was in the area where I wanted to work, offered the hours I wanted to work, and had the ages I wanted to teach.

Then I would call (CALL) them and tell them I'd seen their ad, was interested in their school and would like to come in to talk to them.

If you are articulate, respectful, have a neutral accent and have the needed paperwork they will talk to you if they have any need for a teacher.

The tough part will come when they want you to work without an ARC. Stating your need for an ARC is imperative.

Good luck,
Cat

[JZer]

I would go to the 7th floor of the Mandarin Training Center and look on the board for desperate schools looking for a teacher.

You could call an agent. They can put you in touch with schools that were not able to fill their need for a foreign English teacher.

[dangerousapple]

You're in Kaohsiung, right? Get on kaohsiungliving.com (yahoo groups) and start applying for every single job listing there.

Good luck.

[forest1979]

Given the present economic climate I would spend two days praying and then another desperately striving for a lucky break. Even if I could find a job there's no way in just three days anyone would respond unless they have classes beginning basically now and they are desperate for a new teacher.

[Rooster_2006]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

I actually did manage to find a school that will continue my ARC! YES!!!

However, Hess is throwing up every possible roadblock to me being able to continue my life in Taiwan.

They are cancelling my ARC on Monday, and are only giving me the Cancel Contract Agreement (necessary to switch the ARC) on Saturday.

In other words, I only have a small fraction of a business day to switch my ARC to the new employer, because my ARC could theoretically get cancelled on THAT day.

Needless to say, I'm going to convince my new employer to camp out with me in front of the bureau of labor/immigration office (not sure which one) and enter and file the paperwork at 8:30 AM. The only way to be 99% sure that I can continue my ARC is to present all the paperwork before Hess is able to cancel my ARC on the same day. It's like a sick, twisted race.

How am I going to deal with this in the future? Get two employers, each with 14 hours or more, with a work permit for each one. It's the only nearly sure-fire way to ensure this won't happen again.

***MY ADVICE TO OTHERS WHO COME TO WORK IN TAIWAN FOLLOWS***

1. New teachers in Taiwan should avoid placing all their eggs in one basket. In other words, avoid going with an employer that monopolizes your legally allowable teaching hours (32 hours). It's best to have two employers, each with their own work permits, that each provide 14 or more hours per week (the legal minimum to keep an ARC). That way, one can fire you, and you can still stay in Taiwan.

2. If you have made the mistake of putting all your eggs in one basket, like I did, START LOOKING FOR A JOB AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST HINT YOUR EMPLOYER MIGHT FIRE YOU, BEFORE HE ACTUALLY DOES SO. This is because in theory, your ARC could be cancelled tomorrow. How long it takes the ARC to get cancelled largely depends on how quickly the employer reports it, and then the time it takes for one government agency to report it to another. In a best-case scenario, this is seven days, but theoretically it could be instant. If you have just been served the Cancel Contract Paperwork, the most you have is seven days to do all the necessary switching. This is not enough time for most people to find a job (especially when you have the black mark on your record of being fired), so it is imperative that you find a job BEFORE being served with this paperwork.

[JZer]

[JZer]

[JZer]

[Rooster_2006]

Thanks JZer, it sounds like you know this process pretty well. After reading Tealit and your posts, I agree that I'll probably have slightly beyond Monday, but exactly how much time I have, I can't be sure.

Had I been fired from a small hole-in-the-wall school, I'd be breathing much easier now, but I'm worried because Hess seems to have so much control over visas in Taiwan. They were able to get my work permit and ARC when it was supposed to be impossible (they applied on the last day of my visitor visa, no problem, and you're normally supposed to budget a whole month for that). Their teachers teach kindergarten, which is illegal for everyone else, but the government looks the other way for Hess. Who's to say they won't use this same power to banish their ex-teachers from the country as quickly as possible?

I will still try to file all my paperwork early on Monday in case there are unexpected difficulties, and I agree with you that I have more than just Monday, but given the way Hess is able to get things done with immigration/the Labor Bureau, I wouldn't be surprised if it's cancelled faster than with most other schools.

[JZer]

[JZer]

[JZer]