How difficult was your job search?
- I’m white and I got a job offer the first time I applied for one.
- I’m white and I found a job within my first week.
- I’m white and it took me a while (more than 2 weeks) to get an offer.
- I’m not white and I got a job offer the first time I applied for one.
- I’m not white and I found a job within my first week.
- I’m not white and it took me a while (more than 2 weeks) to get an offer.
0 voters
Well, back in 2001, I began posting on orienteguemosa.org.com.tw.com because I had heard all sorts of rumors about jobs being hard for black teachers and wanted to hear someone say something different (and also to find a place to live and a job). I was coming straight out of college with only two semesters’ of teaching experience, largely with adults, and a TESOL cert from my university. More than the average FOB, but I knew as a black person, I’d need that extra oomph. I spent several months before coming here doing a similar routine:
- Look for a job.
- Find one and send my resume off to it.
- Receive an e-mail that I was the perfect candidate for the job and could I send a photo.
- Send a photo and either a) hear the job was taken or b) never hear back from them again.
- Look on the internet and see the school contacted was still looking for teachers.
- Repeat steps 1 through 5 over and over.
In time since I arrived in Taiwan, after finding a job with a really good school, I have spent almost 5 years working under the tutelage of many great teachers here, including two of the former principals of TYPA Tiger Tots. I’ve attended lots of workshops, meetings, symposia, and courses (on my own money and usually, my own time), and built up a huge library of teaching resources, research, and strategies. In this time, I’ve also developed my own teaching style and philosophy.
Currently I am looking for supplemental work as I am trying to save money like mad so I can go back to grad school in 2007 and get my M.A. Ed. I’d hardly call myself a neophyte to the teaching industry, but damned if the rejections are not rolling in again. One in particular, from David’s Language School, not only sent me an e-mail saying all their positions were filled (at all four branches I suppose although their ad said they needed teachers at all times), but then two days after receiving their rejection, they put up a new ad on tealit.com.
Now, I ain’t the sharpest light bulb in the drawer, but I do declare I was hoodwinked.
At any rate, it’s leaving me really worried about finding work and how little this country has changed in the last 5 years. They might have Jell-O in the Wellcomes and English announcements on the buses, but they still don’t believe that English can be taught by a black person.
I believe this may be the beginning of a series as I restart the journey into employment as a heiren in Taiwan…