Fantastic support at Hess. Not as bad as the rumors. Worth a try if you're willing to actually work.

As a current Hess teacher, I can say that my experience has not been nearly as bad or ugly as some of the previous reviews claim. In fact, it's been just the opposite.

Personally, I have had a great experience with Hess and in Taiwan, and I plan to continue working here. This school (company) has given me many opportunities that I couldn't have found elsewhere in Taiwan. As a big company with foreigners in higher-up places, it also gives its teachers more potential to move up or participate in activities that smaller schools don't do.

Of course, no school is perfect, so this is not to say it is negative-free. Yes, Hess requires a lot of its teachers. You will work hard. It won't be a vacation in Asia where you can just stand in class looking foreign without any more effort exerted. If that's what you're looking for, Hess is probably not the best place to start for you. There are hiccups now and then, but if you're willing to utilize the resources available, it's nothing that can't be sorted out.

Speaking of resources, the support at Hess is second to none. They are fine for more experienced teachers, but especially for first-time teachers, you'll be well taken care of and guided the whole time. This is what lead me to Hess to begin with, and I have not been disappointed. I've been lucky to avoid all the horror stories of not being paid or schools shuttering up in the middle of the night.

Bottom line is this: A lot of people who have bad things to say about Hess came into it for the wrong reasons or with inaccurate expectations. For a lot of these people, Taiwan or teaching isn't for them and it has nothing to do with Hess because they'd have the same complaints about any school.

Realizing that things work differently in foreign countries and realizing that you actually have to WORK will take care of most issues. Anything beyond that, don't just stew about it or bail out before giving it a chance. Talk to someone, and usually the issue can be solved with some patience and teamwork.