Heres my plan - What do you think?

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

Im one of those “overseas chinese”. Im planning to go to Taiwan to teach and learn chinese. My reasons are clear, I wanna learn about my own culture, learn the language and explore another country. After a year I plan to travel more. Taiwans like a stepping stone. Ive saved up enough money $5000 + but I do want a job over there too - what job, Im not so picky about.

So thats the background, heres my plan and I d like you guys who’ve already moved and experienced this stuff before to tell me if theres anything going wrong! Thanks in advance.

1 - Applying online, got an interview next wk with Hess. If I get it good, if not Im going anyway.
2 - Finding a room to stay/Estate agents over the net. If that fails I ll find a hotel and go down to local estate agents?
3 - Get there and find a job if I dont have one already. Will approach schools and buxibans to begin with but if that fails I know very basic mandarin and may get a crap food place job?

I appreciate the help …

2

First, you didnt tell us when youre coming, there is a hiring season (though you can still find jobs in the off season, but not as good ones)

[quote=“williamd”]Im one of those “overseas chinese”. Im planning to go to Taiwan to teach and learn chinese. My reasons are clear, I wanna learn about my own culture, learn the language and explore another country. After a year I plan to travel more. Taiwans like a stepping stone. Ive saved up enough money $5000 + but I do want a job over there too - what job, Im not so picky about.

So thats the background, heres my plan and I d like you guys who’ve already moved and experienced this stuff before to tell me if theres anything going wrong! Thanks in advance.

1 - Applying online, got an interview next wk with Hess. If I get it good, if not Im going anyway.[/quote]

Search the forums about Hess.

[quote]
2 - Finding a room to stay/Estate agents over the net. If that fails I ll find a hotel and go down to local estate agents?[/quote]

Estate agents over the net are going to find you apartments at American costs, when they are half that here (or less, less if you are outside of Taipei, my 3 bdr, fully furnished, 2 balcony 24 hr security apt in Taichung is 300usd a month). Local agents will simply charge you half a months rent you pay DURING SIGNING of lease, not a moment before. Come live in a cheap hostel/hotel for a few weeks then find a place.

[quote]
3 - Get there and find a job if I don’t have one already. Will approach schools and buxibans to begin with but if that fails I know very basic Mandarin and may get a crap food place job?[/quote]

No, no crap food place job, you will make like 3usd an hr.

You can find a buxiban job, not being a white bignosed makes it harder though. search the forum for “abc” and find tips.

3

When is the hiring season Confusious??

Thank you for your help btw

4

Do you have a degree and what is it in?

5

[quote=“williamd”]When is the hiring season Confusious??

Thank you for your help btw[/quote]

There are a few:

  1. july (ahem, NOW)- EARLY august (big one) before the start of school

  2. dec-january for spring semester (much smaller hiring season, mainly to fill the positions people who have left the country vacated)

  3. may-late june (for the summer)

Now, you CAN find a position just about any time, but you will most likely get the scraps/leftovers rather than the good ones. We got here first week of Aug last year and that was the VERY tail end (ie mainly scraps left, but a few juicy jobs still around, but not many).

6

Do you think it’s possible right now for somebody that will graduate in a few months to quickly do a TEFL, and get some sort of letter from the university (or transcript of grades) to confirm that I will have a degree and then apply for a job and secure one, before all of the juicy ones disappear?

Do they pay for flights there? I don’t have a lot of money right now as I’m yet to get a job.

I’m not the OP, but i’m jumping in here because of what has been said about the job season.

7

KOJEN is also not too bad with ABC types being paid as foreign teachers. And, in my experience, they are not too bad a place to start off at. You could look them up when you get here, or email them and see what they say. :2cents:

Good luck dude!

8

KOJEN says I d have to go to Taipei for an interview though and the interview isnt guarenteed when I get there :confused:

Im confusd about the hiring season;

the above post said July - Early August but he also said that he went to TW in early August and there wasnt much jobs left, only scraps. This contradicts … Is (now) actually the hiring season?

9

[quote=“williamd”]KOJEN says I d have to go to Taipei for an interview though and the interview isnt guarenteed when I get there :confused:

Im confusd about the hiring season;

the above post said July - Early August but he also said that he went to TW in early August and there wasn’t much jobs left, only scraps. This contradicts … Is (now) actually the hiring season?[/quote]

Now is the hiring season. However, in early August a lot of jobs will have been filled

10

[quote=“Arteta”]Do you think it’s possible right now for somebody that will graduate in a few months to quickly do a TEFL, and get some sort of letter from the university (or transcript of grades) to confirm that I will have a degree and then apply for a job and secure one, before all of the juicy ones disappear?

Do they pay for flights there? I don’t have a lot of money right now as I’m yet to get a job.

I’m not the OP, but I’m jumping in here because of what has been said about the job season.[/quote]
You’re asking a lot for this market. It’s unlikely any employer is going to bother will all that when there’s an over-supply of candidates right here.

A TEFL doesn’t get you a work permit, unless it’s accompanied by an Associates Degree. A transcript is not a degree. You need the degree in hand. It’s unlikely employers are going to do anything if you don’t have the proper paperwork to begin with.

Please don’t come here without any money. Even if you get a job offer before you come, it takes money to get set up, and time to get enough hours to make a living. I had a colleague once who ate ketchup from packages because he had no money. I had to give him money to get the MRT home from work one day. Not a good idea.