Is it a waste of time to look for teaching jobs in Taiwan if you're not living there?

[bigduke6]

I think all kindy jobs will be illegal for you unless you have a JFRC which means you are legally married to a local. There are other exceptions, like residency, but you won't qualify for those. Pound the pavement is good advice if you are in Taiwan and already working. In your situation it is duff advice, and quite frankly promoting illegal activities. WHY there are not stickies for these things the lord alone knows. These questions are asked time and again and met with the same experiential guff which will count for nothing when you back is against a wall. In such cases you will be lambasted on here for your short sightedness at listening to the advice offered here. Catch twenty, 'SAY WHAT?' two.

I suspect the inaccuracy exists because it drives up post counts to have people ask the same mundane questions time and again, only to be met with the same factual inaccuracies from posters. I am likely to be wrong, but for the life of me it is a head scratcher.

Even with a JFRV they are illegal. However, the authorities will simply overlook the infraction. I have never heard of anyone with such a visa getting into trouble for teaching kindy.

[tomthorne]

Even with a JFRV they are illegal. However, the authorities will simply overlook the infraction. I have never heard of anyone with such a visa getting into trouble for teaching kindy.

At the risk of starting up yet another bloody kindy thread...

Of course, it's working at an illegal address which screws kindy teachers. The MOE make it impossible to have a work permit at a kindy address - therefore you must be deportable if you get caught at a kindergarten on a standard ARC. JFRV/APRC holders don't fall into that category. However, as you say both they and the school should technically still receive a fine for infringing the MOE rules about kindy teaching. For some reason they never do - I guess because the MOE don't carry out the raids. It's all so breathtakingly illogical. Maybe it makes more logical sense from a different cultural perspective?

[Feiren]

I definitely want to do things by the book, I am generally a law abiding person and the threat of being deported after spending all of that cash to get there makes me uncomfortable.

Fair enough. Stay law abiding. But reality in Taiwan sometimes makes that difficult. Especially when you are starting out. A chain school will take care of all this.

There are certainly a lot of contradicting statements here, some people just show up and find work, others find from abroad, etc. I guess its to be expected that there is no a stereotypical employment scenario there for teachers. But, should I expect that if I visit there to interview for jobs, the schools will want me to start immediately? If an ARC only takes about 3 weeks to process, I would think that most schools can wait that period and it would also help me to settle my affairs back home.

Many won't. They are small businesses and need you to start soon. But if you find one who is ready to go by the book and wait, that is probably a good employer.

Those of who are telling you need to find a job in person do NOT mean that you should come and visit. You should come here, find a job, and stay. If you tell employers that you are visiting to find a job and that you will leave Taiwan and come back, they will NOT hire you. The risk of your not coming back is too great.

[quote
I am usually hitting up Tealit.com everyday for new jobs and its a hit or miss in regards to getting a response. How useful do you think networking is to find a teaching gig in Taipei? Or is it really all about seeing you in person and watching you demo? If networking is key, are there any tips/sites that you can send my way?[/quote]

I'm surprised that you are getting ANY responses Taiwanese employers in general HATE email and never respond. That's why you need to be here in person.

Networking for English teaching jobs means hanging out in bars and meeting other teachers who may know of a job at their school. The hostels (Formosa Hostel etc) used to be good places to 'network' since there are other teachers coming and going. You may find some of the characters you meet in those places (if they still exist) a bit disturbing if you are a newbie.

It is really all about seeing you in person and watching you demo. They want to see YOU to make sure that you are 'normal' and will not freak out the students or parents with your piercings and tattoos (less of a problem in Taoyuan, lol).

This thread actually reflects the reality of the situation in Taiwan. There is a lack of clarity and a big difference between what the law says and what actually happens. That doesn't mean there isn't any law and that you shouldn't abide by it. You should. As a result, there is a considerable division of opinion among foreigners about what one should do. You'll have to find your own way just like everyone else. You have received a lot of good advice here from people like Superking (even though disagree with him).

I think you should try to get a job with a chain school like Hess, Joy, or Shane. If you can't, come to Taiwan when you are ready to stay and find a job.

Good luck.