What should I do? (question about teaching and financial stability in Taipei)
Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate some advice from ESL teachers who are teaching long-term in Taipei. I've lived and taught in Taipei for 7 years, but am still a few years off applying for APRC because of a combination of shitty factors. I'm finding it hard to improve my career prospects, especially without APRC.
I'm grateful that my workplace can sponsor my ARC and that I don't have to teach big classes or little children, but a lot of other factors are ... not great. My salary is fairly low, and the hours are unstable. I'm pretty sure I don't get the legal minimum amount of hours for an ARC-holder. I often work 6 days a week, but only for like 2 hours or less per day. I feel like I'm burning out, but also like I'm barely even teaching.
I live frugally, I have a few roommates and fortunately my rent is pretty cheap, but it’s still really hard to save much money with my current salary.
I've stuck it out in this job for a year because I need the visa and I wanted to gain experience teaching adults, but I've hit a wall recently and I just want to get a different job.
One option would be getting a second job, because then I wouldn't have to worry about finding another place that could sponsor my ARC. I'm trying to rearrange my schedule, but a lot of my one-on-one students prefer to have class at specific times, and I'm scared of losing students and increasing my financial stress even more. This weekend I have to send a rejection email to a well-paid part-time job that wants to hire me, because they can't offer ARC and the schedule clashes way too much with the busiest times at my ARC job.
I know teachers in Taipei who earn decent money at some of the big chain cram schools, but teaching very big classes and/or working with little kids just isn't for me.
I'd like to find a full-time job in Taipei teaching older kids, teens and/or adults. I'd love to work in a workplace that cares a lot about teaching in ways that really target the students' linguistic needs and goals. I need a job that can sponsor my visa and ideally pay me a little more. (I have my Trinity CertTESOL, and a master's degree (not in education)).
Before I accepted my current role, I did a bunch of interviews at several well-known language institutes that wanted to hire a teacher with the kind of resume and skills that I have, but didn't want to offer ARC for the role.
I'm at a point where I'm starting to feel like I have no future here. I'm starting to wonder if I should change careers or just move back to my home country, but I don't even know what job I'd do, and I genuinely enjoy teaching and have worked hard on building my skills.
I know it’s extremely difficult to make stable money through private tutoring. I also know it’s easy to find financial stability and get ARC through the kids cram school chains (e.g. HESS, Joy etc.)
Do you know anyone who has found ARC sponsorship and financial stability through other kinds of language institutes (e.g. test prep centres, British Council, university language centres etc.)? If you know someone who's managed it, how did they do it? Do you have any other practical suggestions that have worked for you?
Sorry this is so long. I'd really appreciate any advice you can share.
(Edited for clarity)