Best way to find a university position?

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
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I’m new to the forum, and have been spending some time reading old posts, including this sometimes acrimonious thread: [url]What's the point of working at a university in Taiwan?

What is the best way to approach a university to ask about a position? Dropping by in person, unannounced? By email or phone to ask about non-advertised openings? Only by responding to a genuine job announcement?

In the States, professors looking for semester to yearly adjunct employment write directly to department chairs asking for visiting slots. This is standard and not seen as rude. Is that so in Taiwan, too?

About me: I’m an American; 46-year-old white guy college professor and statistical consultant; PhD Cornell; standard academic background. Two years ago I interviewed for a position in the Statistics section of Academia Sinica. Although most in the group wanted me, the chair (probably wisely) turned me down because my Chinese was not up to par. It’s better now, but still far from where it needs to be to lecture in that language. Plus, I am embarrassed to say, I still cannot read nor write.

I teach all levels of math and statistics (well, from high school level on up). I have not taught English, but am intrigued. I would like to teach writing.

I will be in Taiwan this December and part of January. I had thought I would write to schools—in math or statistics possibly foreign languages—and ask to stop by for a visit. Of course, this is slightly out of the regular academic hiring cycle: some positions are free in January, but most begin late summer. Still, nothing ventured, etc.

Why Taiwan? I love it. I am doing OK and can afford the move professionally and personally.

If universities are out, I’m happy to explore other avenues (I’m already visiting a company that uses statisticians). I saw the Taipei American School. I imagine I am too old and “overqualified” for buxibans. Of course, I’m actually under-qualified, because I have never taught kids.

Thanks everybody.

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Welcome.

I disagree, though - it’s not acrimonious - it’s just a way of saying hello and checking. Keep making inquiries if you are serious.

You say you love Taiwan. Why do you say “I love it?” if you haven’t been here? xxx

3

ThreadKiller,

I’ve been many times; including the time at which I interviewed with Academia Sinica.

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mattstat, I’ve only been on the university scene for the last two years, so might not be the best person to answer your questions.

But I think you will have little chance if you are not here. When I interviewed at my school, they were - besides the obvious qualifications - probably also paying attention to how long people had been teaching in Taiwan or Asia.

I’d love to know how other teachers got their gigs at universities, though.

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[quote=“ThreadKiller”]

I’d love to know how other teachers got their gigs at universities, though.[/quote]
I got mine because I just utterly ROCK! Although I don’t have an undergraduate degree, they hired me because I’m good-looking. And know how to throw a sticky-ball.

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[quote=“ThreadKiller”]
When I interviewed at my school, they were - besides the obvious qualifications - probably also paying attention to how long people had been teaching in Taiwan or Asia.[/quote]

Good point. That’s why I figure I’ll take a month or so starting in December (when I’m free) and ask around.

I have the looks nailed (as long as people close their eyes). But sticky-ball?

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MS, lately people have been telling me I should start looking at uni jobs as well (b/c of my credentials) and its the lack of connections which is holding me back. I am already here and ready to interview but don’t really know anyone or have some way of introducing myself. If you can do that, you are most of the way to the dean’s office already!
A: Its good that you are coming during the hiring season AND taking your time to do it right
B: Now I know where my sticky ball is (and I thought it was a euphemism!)

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During my own Uni days, the tried and true Reverse Cowgirl/Reacharound combo was a bit of a house favourite, but YMMV… :thumbsup:

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[quote=“mattstat”]I’m new to the forum, and have been spending some time reading old posts, including this sometimes acrimonious thread: [url]What's the point of working at a university in Taiwan?

What is the best way to approach a university to ask about a position? Dropping by in person, unannounced? By email or phone to ask about non-advertised openings? Only by responding to a genuine job announcement?

In the States, professors looking for semester to yearly adjunct employment write directly to department chairs asking for visiting slots. This is standard and not seen as rude. Is that so in Taiwan, too?

About me: I’m an American; 46-year-old white guy college professor and statistical consultant; PhD Cornell; standard academic background. Two years ago I interviewed for a position in the Statistics section of Academia Sinica. Although most in the group wanted me, the chair (probably wisely) turned me down because my Chinese was not up to par. It’s better now, but still far from where it needs to be to lecture in that language. Plus, I am embarrassed to say, I still cannot read nor write.

I teach all levels of math and statistics (well, from high school level on up). I have not taught English, but am intrigued. I would like to teach writing.

I will be in Taiwan this December and part of January. I had thought I would write to schools—in math or statistics possibly foreign languages—and ask to stop by for a visit. Of course, this is slightly out of the regular academic hiring cycle: some positions are free in January, but most begin late summer. Still, nothing ventured, etc.
Why Taiwan? I love it. I am doing OK and can afford the move professionally and personally.

If universities are out, I’m happy to explore other avenues (I’m already visiting a company that uses statisticians). I saw the Taipei American School. I imagine I am too old and “overqualified” for buxibans. Of course, I’m actually under-qualified, because I have never taught kids.

Thanks everybody.[/quote]

In preparing to move back to Taiwan, and not knowing how things were going to play out yet, I emailed letters of interest to several Taiwanese universities who had placed add on tealit.com. I was contacted by several of them, though one waited a very long time about it, and asked for my credentials. I emailed digital copies of my degrees and then they wrote back asking to schedule interviews.

One was very interested and even though I’d emailed many times to say that I was regrettably unable to be in Tawain in time for an interview, kept trying to re-schedule. But if I could have made it to Taiwan in time, I could have interviewed at several universities.

I think if you find something listed a tealit, you’ll have some chance of at least finding out the process and making some contacts. You are more qualified than I, but my qualifications are in English and teaching, which I’m sure makes a difference. I hope this is helpful to you, and I wish you good luck.

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if you get a job at the Taipei American School while still stateside, your pay and conditions are vastly better than if you, the same you, land the same job from within Taiwan. In the second condition you are considered a local hire, and miss out on the free return trip to the States per year, relocation expenses, housing support, American health insurance, etc, that the off-shore hires get. Of course, if you’re a US citizen and are hired from off shore, then you also have to pay US taxes.

as for uni positions, you really have to be here so that the uni doesn’t have to pay all of the above either. Plus, being on the ground let’s you use your nose to sniff out the dead meat.

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[quote=“urodacus”]if you get a job at the Taipei American School while still stateside, your pay and conditions are vastly better than if you, the same you, land the same job from within Taiwan. In the second condition you are considered a local hire, and miss out on the free return trip to the States per year, relocation expenses, housing support, American health insurance, etc, that the off-shore hires get. Of course, if you’re a US citizen and are hired from off shore, then you also have to pay US taxes.

as for uni positions, you really have to be here so that the uni doesn’t have to pay all of the above either. Plus, being on the ground let’s you use your nose to sniff out the dead meat.[/quote]

All true, but the on island copetition is pretty fierce for positions at TAS. Well at least it is down here in Ktown (KAS). The community of private school teachers, at least down here (and I would imagine the same in Taipei), is pretty small and you run into one another, making the circut. There aren’t many schools down here to begin with and competition for students and qualied teachers is fierce. More schools, but it can’t be that different in Taipei. Of course, a place like TAS might just take on a Phd for prestige. You’d make more at TAS than at a university, but you’d work forty or more hours for it.

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[quote=“housecat”]
I think if you find something listed a tealit, you’ll have some chance of at least finding out the process and making some contacts. You are more qualified than I, but my qualifications are in English and teaching, which I’m sure makes a difference. I hope this is helpful to you, and I wish you good luck.[/quote]

I’ll certainly try tealit, and I’ll let everybody else know how the remote search goes just in case such experience would be useful Thanks.

13

All,

Among other places, I emailed the Foreign Language Department of National Taiwan University and was told this: “thank you for your interest in a teaching position with us. we are not authorized to hire individuals whose phd or academic training falls outside the customary liberal arts trajectory.”

Math and stats are certainly outside the customary liberal arts trajectory, PhD or no.

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[quote=“mattstat”]All,

Among other places, I emailed the Foreign Language Department of National Taiwan University and was told this: “thank you for your interest in a teaching position with us. we are not authorized to hire individuals whose phd or academic training falls outside the customary liberal arts trajectory.”

Math and stats are certainly outside the customary liberal arts trajectory, PhD or no.[/quote]

Makes sense. It’s a Foreign Language departmant. So, email the Math and Stats departments? But then, I guess you need Chinese.

NTU is considered the best school on the island. They can have standards that the rest might not afford. Shoot again and aim slightly lower?

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[quote=“mattstat”]All,

Among other places, I emailed the Foreign Language Department of National Taiwan University and was told this: “thank you for your interest in a teaching position with us. we are not authorized to hire individuals whose phd or academic training falls outside the customary liberal arts trajectory.”[/quote]

Also likely that the functionary didn’t know what Math and stats were and took the safe road of just tossing it.
Several times I’ve seen the government Immigration Department bounce visa apps for attorneys as not having the requisite education level because they didn’t know what a JD was.

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Housecat,

Right. I’ve tried the math/stat departments and have had some luck. I’ve already got one talk lined up. (Plus, no actual rejections…yet.)

However, I thought others might like to know that, at least for some colleges—I’ve since received a similar rejection from two more Foreign Language departments—you’d better have a relevant background in English before applying. That is, a PhD in some unrelated subject (like statistics) isn’t considered sufficient.

The good news is that nobody seems to mind the unsolicited emails. Which tells me that, at least for this portion of the job process, it is much like academic departments here in the States.

Chief,

You may be right. I am constantly running into people who ask “What does a statican [sic] do?”

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[quote=“mattstat”]
Chief,

You may be right. I am constantly running into people who ask “What does a statican [sic] do?”[/quote]

Tell them you clean up after statican’ts :thumbsup:

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FLDs in less prestigious schools will often take a PhD in an unrelated subject over an MA in Applied Linguistics with relevant experience. YMMV.

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[quote=“mattstat”]All,

Among other places, I emailed the Foreign Language Department of National Taiwan University and was told this: “thank you for your interest in a teaching position with us. we are not authorized to hire individuals whose phd or academic training falls outside the customary liberal arts trajectory.”

Math and stats are certainly outside the customary liberal arts trajectory, PhD or no.[/quote]

Just found the following:

newweb.management.ntu.edu.tw/chi … p?id=00210

You should check out their Global MBA program where they offer classes taught entirely in English. I think that would be where you might find a suitable fit. Here’s the link: newweb.management.ntu.edu.tw/eng … /index.php

Good luck!

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xtrain,

You may be right, but I haven’t had a positive response from one yet. I should say that I only emailed universities in and around Taipei.

aleegulotty,

Aren’t you a sweetheart. Thanks.