Been looking for ESL jobs starting this fall, but virtually every posting I can find is for ASAP, or in the very near future. I get that looking for work 6+ months in advance is way too early, so when is a good time to search?
I know I can just get a job on very short notice, but is it wrong to assume the schools trying to hire ASAP are the disorganized ones that are bad to work for?
Welcome to the suck, they’re all disorganized, they’re all bad to work for.
Sure. I’ve taught in Japan and Korea for 7 years so I know a majority of private ESL academies are somewhat disorganized wherever you go, but there’s a sliding scale.
I actually have no idea what I’m talking about. I just thought it’d be a cool thing to say. I’m sure some schools are marginally better than others.
TL;DR If you know you are going to need a job in the future, start looking for it through social networks and direct contact - whether you are looking for an English teaching job in Taiwan or anything else anywhere else.
… is it wrong to assume the schools trying to hire ASAP are the disorganized ones that are bad to work for?
That sounds true but a little harsher than it has to be. Without a doubt, those schools that can plan regular recruitment periods – probably built around the school year – are more organized and better funded than those that need someone right away. This is insight you should take advantage of instead of looking at as a problem for you.
Are you talking about teaching in a university? Or are you talking about teaching in my Aunt Millie’s pre-school in Zhonghe that she set up last year around the corner? If both have posted a need for a teacher ASAP, are you going to avoid inquiring in the university position? (We can leave crazy Aunt Millie and her latest cockamamie idea on their own)
Since you are planning 6+ months in advance, I would assume you are supplementing your job searches with good old fashioned research and schmoozing. That’s what I did when I planned my first trip to Taiwan – in the early '90’s. I decided I was going to teach English in Asia in the fall, after spending the summer winding things down. I worked my personal network in New York (there was no Internet then) and found someone who knew someone who knew someone who knew someone who taught in Kaohsiung. That person referred me to the Main office at Hess, which was on a 4 season recruiting cycle, and joined the September recruitment batch.
Today, with Facebook and LinkedIn as starting points, and more schools (from private elementary schools to universities as well as cram schools) used to having foreign teachers, you can be reaching out to people directly about potential positions that will open around the regular school calendar, who best to approach about such openings, and how.
I’m in the same boat as OP, I’m looking for jobs that start in fall, but I’m really unsure of how to proceed at this point. How does one shmooze in the Taiwanese education industry from overseas? Any advice welcomed!