Writing/Editing/Teaching Older Learners in Taiwan

#1

Hi, everyone.

I am currently living in Shanghai, China. I was previously doing college entrance essay editing but ran into visa issues (government regulations now require two years postgraduate experience in non-teaching industries for work permits, whereas I only graduated in May 2017). My long-term goal has always been to save up money for housing, apply for HES, spend a year with ICLP working on getting a good foundation in academic Mandarin, and then applying for the Taiwan Scholarship and possibly doing my MA with the multi-university Inter-Asian Cultural Studies program. I really liked Taipei’s friendliness, freedom, and creativity when I visited, and I’m more than ready to leave China. I have several contacts and friends in the city.

However, because of my current visa and job situation, I need to decide quickly whether to try to leave for Taipei now (earlier than originally planned) and explore work options there until the program begins in September (I still need to save for housing) or stay put, grit my teeth, and do teaching work and jump through the visa hurdles here. As a US citizen, I suspect the visa situation in Taiwan would be much simpler. Ideally, I’d like to be doing something in writing or editing, either for a Taiwanese or international company, or, if it comes to it, teaching teens or adults. Freelancing is also an option, although it seems riskier. (I’ve done the kids thing and don’t plan to do it again.) Some of my friends in Taipei have added me to networking groups and promised to make some introductions, but it’s still too early to tell. What would you advise in my situation?

Thanks. :slight_smile:

#2

AFAIK the same rule applies in Taiwan for non-teaching jobs. Teaching adults you should be fine. Generally lower hourly rates, compared to teaching kids, for new starts and fewer hours.

#3

someone should say that freelancing is illegal in your situation, unless there is something not written in your post.

#4

Can you elaborate? I must admit, being here has made me somewhat jaded about these things, even if it’s not ideal, given that my ultimate goal is to be a legal student in Taiwan.

#5

So I’ve heard. What kind of salary range should I expect/shoot for? Bear in mind, I’m just looking for simple but bright housing, a little spending money, and enough to save up gradually. Is this realistic?

#6

I’m just about to board a plane, but I would aim for a minimum of 600NT an hour. Forget about salaries or fixed incomes.

#7

Per actual teaching hours or total hours?

How much money should I expect to bring to get set up in Taipei?
#8

Last I checked, Wallace Academic Editing is hiring. https://www.editing.tw/en/recruitment Freelance is, I think, illegal unless you have a work permit. It is probably possible to find a part time (14 hrs/ week min for work visa) post at a buxiban given that the new semester is about to start but you would have to hustle. There are a few one on one / small group test prep type places in Taipei, and occasionally will see a post for business English for adults.

#9

you may get most of info on work permit that you need to know here.

Foreign Professionals to Work in Taiwan
https://ezworktaiwan.wda.gov.tw/en/Content_List.aspx?n=3840722B002ADEAB

#10

Wallace is always hiring. It will never not be hiring. :sunglasses:

#11

do you know how much they pay per 1000 words? roughly…

#12

I don’t know their freelance rates but around the industry standard. I think their inhouse salaries are around 60,000 a month.

#13

if editors are indeed actually editing, say, 5-6 hours per day, that’s not a high rate very independent ones, imho

#14

No it’s not but you get a visa and an office to work out of and a guaranteed work flow. But yeah if you can turn around 5000 words a day as a freelancer then that is a much better deal. 5000 may sound low but the quality of some of those papers has to be seen to be believed and you have to annotate the edits and do feedback.

#15

Teaching hours.

#16

Applied, though since Taiwan also probably requires two years postgrad experience for the work permit… Why are they always hiring? Bad work environment?

#17

:popcorn:

#18

It’s a stepping stone type of job. Not a great working environment. They frown on talking during work hours, lots of pointless feedback, that kind of bullshit. So high turnover. But if you don’t like teaching it’s better than nothing.

The two years experience thing is now waivable. Employer just needs to attach a form making a plausible argument as to why they need the hire.

#19

One of many things the guys across the Strait could learn from… We just lost two out of three of our branch’s foreign staff thanks to visa rules, some relatively new. One was an experienced admissions counselor with decades of experience at Princeton and Yale who committed the grave sin of being over 65.