Pros
1. Benefits and compensation: Compared to other companies in similar markets, BigByte compensates its workers well and makes an effort to provide worthwhile benefits for its staff, such as self-improvement bonuses, company retreats, and regular work dinners. 2. Regular routine: The program offers a structured routine for teachers looking for stability. Hours are fixed and within normal working times. This is a stark contrast from a lot of competitors that lump you with hours that you didn't ask for or fail to give you the hours you agreed to. 3. Interesting curriculum: Common Core-aligned curriculum allows teachers to be creative in their lesson planning and bring their personality to the class. If you have a genuine interest in teaching, you will find this gives you the ability to test yourself and improve your skillset. 4. A great group of co-workers: There's a lot of incredible, hardworking people that create an excellent work environment and do their best to make your life easier. Speaking for myself, the people I worked with made this experience more than worthwhile and I have built some lifelong friendships here. 5. Numerous opportunities for growth: If you have a passion for any other aspects of business, you are encouraged and given opportunities to pursue them within the company. In saying that, the ball is in your court when it comes to these opportunities and you need to be proactive in seeking them out.
Cons
1. Lack of communication: Mistakes are made in every business and this is unavoidable. However, at BigByte, miscommunication along the chain of command means that mistakes can be quite repetitive. This proves frustrating for employees as it feels like improvements are not being made and mistakes are not being learned from. 2. Undefined roles: Part of the reason behind a lack of communication is a lack of defined roles. Roles tend to be vaguely defined, meaning employees are unaware of who is responsible for a task. As a result of this, some tasks are just not done and come back to bite you later. 3. Keep it simple: There is a tendency to focus on peripheral aspects when addressing systemic problems. Instead of getting to the true root of a problem, attention is aimed at surface issues which may provide temporary solutions but do not fix the problem in the long-run. 4. Entails a lot of hard work and passion: A lot of Western teachers come to Taiwan expecting the same work culture as their home country. Unfortunately, this is just not the reality of working at BigByte or in Taiwan. This means you may need to put in extra hours outside of your contractual obligation and you might need to prove your worth before you are rewarded/compensated for it. For me personally, this wasn't a con but, in my experience, this was a common complaint other teachers had.