Job Discussion Forums

[TheBiggestBob]

Hi there,

I've finally decided to teach in Taiwan. Although I have done a good bit of research over the web, I still find the abundance of information and different view points a little overwhelming.

I originally thought it might be a better idea to apply with one of the big chain schools and secure a position before arriving. However it appears that obtaining the 60 day tourist visa might be a better option as it gives me the chance to check out a few different locations and schools before committing to anything.

I would just like to ask if anyone has recently had any success this way. That is entered the country on a tourist visa and converted it into a working visa once finding work. From what I've read, it appears that you do not have to leave the country to change to a working visa if you find work within a short space of time. Is this usually the case?

I'm from Australia, have a degree and a TEFL certificate but no experience.

Any view points would be kindly appreciated.

[bellam4x]

The new semester starts on Monday. All the schools are pretty much done hiring. I came on a tourist visa and had no problem finding a job, but I also had a lot of qualifications.

[TheBiggestBob]

Yeh I thought that might be the case. Although there seems to still be alot of places advertising for teachers. I'll just have to go over and give it all I've got. Thanks for the response.

[yamahuh]

You should be fine to come over on a 60 day and start looking. Look at it this way; 60 days is two months to find a position, if you cant find one in that amount of time you're probably not going to.

A couple of things I would recommend are that a: you set up some interviews before you arrive so that you can hit the ground running and b: you get your medical check done a.s.a.p after arriving. Getting results back from the medical check can take between a week and 10 days - you don't want to have to be waiting for them if your visa is about to expire!!

If you're not too old and not too ugly (politically incorrect but a Taiwanese buxiban reality) and can get the kids in your pocket quickly during any demos you will be asked to do, you should be fine. Take a look online for some simple but interactive games that you can pull out of your 'bag of tricks' to get the kids excited and involved. Buy yourself a couple of sticky balls and a soft dice once you arrive, I've found that you can play most games with one or both of those two simple accessories.

[TheBiggestBob]

Hi there,

Thanks for the constructive feedback, really appreciated. At the moment I'm creating some lesson plans and games that should cover most scenarios in a demo lesson. There seems to be quite a number of activities in relation to lesson games etc on the internet. The course I've recently completed also helped alot in this regard.

Good advice on the medical check, I'll try get this done asap once I've arrived.

Luckily I've had a bit of feedback from employers and recruiters from Taiwan. I've heard mixed stories about recruiters from these chat forums, but from what I can gather many of the recruiters charge the employers and provide a free service for the teachers. This is quite similar to how they operate over here in Aus.

I'm 30 so hopefully I'm not considered to be too old. Haha and hopefully they don't find me too ugly either.

Cheers.

[yamahuh]

Yeah, you should be fine.
I'm 45 and still manage to find employment from one year to the next (although every year it gets just a little bit harder). Of course I have my dashing good looks and boyish charm to thank for that...

[Dr_Zoidberg]

Bob, you should have no problem finding work as long as you don't contract TaipeistheonlyplaceinTaiwanitis - a debilitating disease that effects 1 in every 2 ESL teachers who come to Taiwan.