Wacky contracts, tealit.com, and bad timing

[mjs513]

I've just moved from another city and having a hard time finding a quality job in the Taipei/or Green line area. I almost signed with two schools, but their contracts have been just ridiculous- penalty clauses and taking money away for being late etc. This is illegal, besides being incredibly insulting and humiliating. If the schools working environment had been nice, I could have dealt with all the bs in the contract. Am I doomed to working with a school like this because of the time of year? My recruiter I'm working with, who is very very nice and wonderful, says it's a bad time of year. I've searched tealit.com so many times and sent out lots of resumes, but very few replies. Does anyone know of any better websites or have any recommendations to finding a decent job. Should I go from school to school? Thank you for any advice!

[PigBloodCake]

I've just moved from another city and having a hard time finding a quality job in the Taipei/or Green line area. I almost signed with two schools, but their contracts have been just ridiculous- penalty clauses and taking money away for being late etc. This is illegal, besides being incredibly insulting and humiliating. If the schools working environment had been nice, I could have dealt with all the bs in the contract. Am I doomed to working with a school like this because of the time of year? My recruiter I'm working with, who is very very nice and wonderful, says it's a bad time of year. I've searched tealit.com so many times and sent out lots of resumes, but very few replies. Does anyone know of any better websites or have any recommendations to finding a decent job. Should I go from school to school? Thank you for any advice!

Hey mjs, sorry to hear what you're going through. perhaps you might wanna go from school to school (door to door). You would also have better luck networking with fellow Formosans here.

Regarding tealit.com, I'd call instead of sending resumes.

You might also wanna try 104.com.tw and yes123.com.tw and search using the keyword 'English'.

Here's what I found using yes123.com.tw with 'English' as keyword:

04.16
English Teacher (Nat... 芝麻菁英美語雙十分校 1年 大學 新北市板橋區 分
04.14 Part Time English Te... (附設臺北市私立哥大英語... 2年 大學 台北市大安區 分
04.13 NATIVE ENGLISH-SPEAK... 臺北市私立夏恩英語短期補... 1年 大學 台北市大安區 分
04.12 外籍英文老師 English... (長頸鹿仁愛分校)私立弘毅... 1年 大學 新北市蘆洲區 分
04.06 English Editing/ Tra... 台灣併購與私募股權協會 不拘 不拘 台北市松山區 分
04.06 English Editing/ Tra... 台灣併購與私募股權協會 不拘 不拘 台北市松山區 分
03.29
American English tea... 私立富蘭克林美語短期補習... 不拘 大學 台中市豐原區 分
03.21 English Editor 美艾資訊整合有限公司 2年 大學 新北市新店區 分
03.15 English teacher 台中縣私立柏岳數學短期補... 不拘 專科 台中市豐原區 分
03.06
English Conversation... (英代外語國際認證機構)桃... 1年 大學 新竹市東區 分
02.23 Native English Teach... 新北市私立新榮富幼稚園 不拘 不拘 新北市新莊區 分
02.22 菲語業務專員Salesmen (... 全球財務顧問有限公司 不拘 專科 新北市林口區 分
01.04 English Patent Engin... 聯誠國際專利商標聯合事務... 不拘 大學 台北市大安區 分

Good luck.

[MaoMao]

The schools in Taipei are starting to smell blood and squeezing every last dime outta us here. Too many people here willing to work for no money or terrible working conditions. Good for you for not taking those *&^% jobs. I wish there were more people like you out there.

[mjs513]

Thanks MaoMao,,, I've been around the merry-go-round too many times, and I've seen quality schools, and disturbing schools, so I know how nice and not so nice it can be. Not willing to go back although still working at one job until I find something better. I'm not too proud and going hungry, as the other one mentioned, but I won't stop looking. Unfortunately, might have to sign the contract and break it later. But schools here are so much more freaked out about that than in my previous city. They haven't asked me to sign the crazy contract yet, but it's a matter of time. PigBloodCake,, I didn't know about yes123, thanks a million for that. I already found 4 that look promising. Cheers guys!!

[EigerMarcus]

The American Chamber of Commerce has local and regional job postings: http://www.amcham.com.tw/content/view/3300/495/

Not much in the way of teaching jobs listed for Taiwan at the moment but some listed for other countries. Another resource anyway.

[PigBloodCake]

Thanks MaoMao,,, I've been around the merry-go-round too many times, and I've seen quality schools, and disturbing schools, so I know how nice and not so nice it can be. Not willing to go back although still working at one job until I find something better. I'm not too proud and going hungry, as the other one mentioned, but I won't stop looking. Unfortunately, might have to sign the contract and break it later. But schools here are so much more freaked out about that than in my previous city. They haven't asked me to sign the crazy contract yet, but it's a matter of time. PigBloodCake,, I didn't know about yes123, thanks a million for that. I already found 4 that look promising. Cheers guys!!

No problem mjs. I'm glad you rejected those bad offers.

Perhaps Forumosans should form an invisible union where some of us could collectively call those bastard laobans advertising hourly rates that are below $600NT/hr and chew on 'em before hanging up. It's pathetic how some could stoop so low into sending their resumes to those douchebags. I mean, come on, is Taiwan the only country where you can survive?

[PigBloodCake]

BTW, besides 104.com.tw and yes123.com.tw, there are others such as 1111.com.tw and 518.com.tw although you will see multiple ads from the same employer.

The Chinese keywords for job sites are 人力銀行 (labor bank).

Good luck.

[bigduke6]

Thanks MaoMao,,, I've been around the merry-go-round too many times, and I've seen quality schools, and disturbing schools, so I know how nice and not so nice it can be. Not willing to go back although still working at one job until I find something better. I'm not too proud and going hungry, as the other one mentioned, but I won't stop looking. Unfortunately, might have to sign the contract and break it later. But schools here are so much more freaked out about that than in my previous city. They haven't asked me to sign the crazy contract yet, but it's a matter of time. PigBloodCake,, I didn't know about yes123, thanks a million for that. I already found 4 that look promising. Cheers guys!!

No problem mjs. I'm glad you rejected those bad offers.

Perhaps Forumosans should form an invisible union where some of us could collectively call those bastard laobans advertising hourly rates that are below $600NT/hr and chew on 'em before hanging up. It's pathetic how some could stoop so low into sending their resumes to those douchebags. I mean, come on, is Taiwan the only country where you can survive?

I have seen hourly rates well below 600. I would not ever take a job for less than 650, but I have decent savings and my wife is local, and she has a relatively decent job. I have a support base.
These mutha effing laobans know that there are many foreigners without this support base, that need to work to survive and they prey on them like sharks.
I know guys who are desperate for decent gigs and it gets down to a choice. Use what cash you have to survive and look for work, or head off somewhere else. My advice is head off if you can.

[PigBloodCake]

Thanks MaoMao,,, I've been around the merry-go-round too many times, and I've seen quality schools, and disturbing schools, so I know how nice and not so nice it can be. Not willing to go back although still working at one job until I find something better. I'm not too proud and going hungry, as the other one mentioned, but I won't stop looking. Unfortunately, might have to sign the contract and break it later. But schools here are so much more freaked out about that than in my previous city. They haven't asked me to sign the crazy contract yet, but it's a matter of time. PigBloodCake,, I didn't know about yes123, thanks a million for that. I already found 4 that look promising. Cheers guys!!

No problem mjs. I'm glad you rejected those bad offers.

Perhaps Forumosans should form an invisible union where some of us could collectively call those bastard laobans advertising hourly rates that are below $600NT/hr and chew on 'em before hanging up. It's pathetic how some could stoop so low into sending their resumes to those douchebags. I mean, come on, is Taiwan the only country where you can survive?

I have seen hourly rates well below 600. I would not ever take a job for less than 650, but I have decent savings and my wife is local, and she has a relatively decent job. I have a support base.
These mutha effing laobans know that there are many foreigners without this support base, that need to work to survive and they prey on them like sharks.
I know guys who are desperate for decent gigs and it gets down to a choice. Use what cash you have to survive and look for work, or head off somewhere else. My advice is head off if you can.

Definitely. I spoke with a co-worker on how Taiwanese complain about low pays from the laobans. Well, they're no different from the laobans who are running their businesses on ultra-thin margins by sending resumes to jobs that are paying peanuts. She happened to agree with me but said that some folks really don't have much of a choice. In a way, I agree since they only have Taiwan citizenship (there's always China but that's a different story).

OTOH, foreigners DO have other choices!

[TheGingerMan]

Perhaps Forumosans should form an invisible union where some of us could collectively call those bastard laobans advertising hourly rates that are below $600NT/hr and chew on 'em before hanging up. It's pathetic how some could stoop so low into sending their resumes to those douchebags. I mean, come on, is Taiwan the only country where you can survive?

That's all fine & most dandy, but it takes for granted that some schmuck of a foreigner actually deserves a base salary of 600 and hour. Which, given much of the current content of many a foreign teacher, indeed beggars belief!