UNDER PAID & OVER WORKED

By: Eva Wai 

Today the cost of living has gone up drastically from ten years ago, finding a well paid job is triple the more times difficult. What can University graduates do; there are too many unemployed people out there.

Jobs in Taiwan are not easy to find, and today companies are becoming more aware to assure themselves both the safety of their company and staff.

Many places either higher part-time for cheaper rates, or full time if you’re really good but that’s because you will be doing five different jobs at once whether you like it or not.

Companies look for handy people, if you are capable of doing more than three different tasks you’re good as gold why? The company only needs to hire you and not three different people saving him time and money to train.

This is why even a basic job requirement such as a salesman in Taiwan work over-time and yet still don’t get over pay.

A salesman from a certain company took his time to talk with me, about his job duties and daily hours and what his actual job title is.

 How many hours do you work per day?

“I start at 9am and finish at 1am mostly, if I’m lucky I finish maybe one or two hours earlier” said Mr Andy Hsu

 Wow! that’s 16 hours of work in a day, what keeps you so busy?

“I’m required to go to my office every morning, reply to all my customers’ emails which at least takes me three hours, I eat my lunch for 30minutes. Then start making calls and confirming orders with my customers from around the city”. said Hsu

 What products do you sell?

“Our company sells semi-conductors, components and electron parts & pieces that other companies need in order to make electronic goods that we use in our everyday lives”. Said Hsu

 So what is your job criterion and where is your company situated?

“I don’t have a specific job outline, I did when I first started but later as I learnt more I was required to fill the shoes of others.” Said Hsu “Also my company is situated in Nei Hu district and deals with over millions in sales amounts, I run to clients the whole day, sort out next day orders and try get future orders and also treat my customers when needed.” said Hsu

Sales representatives in Taiwan are one of the average jobs in Taiwan, people who are in this field don’t get paid well, and are only half insured. They travel to their clients with their own car, if anything happens it’s their fault.

Everyday, finding a job is not as easy, if the government doesn’t do something soon a lot of people will be living in poverty. People have no choice but to do several tasks at once in order to survive in that company and remain employed.