Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Job Hunting

My initial time here in Taiwan is rapidly coming to a close and I am realizing that I haven't done even a quarter of the things I want to do. There are still about 800 places I would like to visit.
I have decided that I would like to spend at least one more year here and hopefully try and travel a little more during that time. Another option I'm thinking of is to save up as much as possible over the next year and when my time is up travel around as much as I can for a few months.
Two issues with this scenario: first I need to find another job. I do not want to work in a cram school anymore. It's been a good experience for the most part, but it does not really provide any fulfillment beyond getting to know the kids and seeing them progress (or not in many cases. A cram school curriculum is quite demanding and it's hard for many kids to keep up.)
Second, I would really like to have a person to do all the traveling with. Generally I like to travel with another person, because I get their perspective on things and often they will want to try something that I would not do for one reason or another, but because I'm with that person I will give it a try.
I am working on the job issue. I thought I would have that all figured out by now, but here I am with only 3 1/2 weeks to go and I haven't found anything I like.
I had an interview today at an all girls Catholic high school. I was told I would have to do a teaching demo and was given two pages to prepare from. I was not told that this demo would be in an actual classroom of 40 students. Taiwanese girls do not tend to be an exuberant talkative bunch when they are in a classroom. So I launched in as best I could. I highly doubt I will be getting that job.
Interestingly, about an hour after that interview I was called by another school I had applied at and offered an interview. They have not requested a teaching demo, so it shouldn't be quite as nerve wracking.
An hour and a half later I received a call from the first recruiting agency I had signed up with and was told that there is a Catholic school that is interested in interviewing me. A teaching demo will be required. She then told me where the school is and I asked her the name. It turns out that it's the same school I just did a demo at. I somehow doubt they're going to want another demo.

All in all I guess I just have to let things happen as they will and do what I can to attain what I want.

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