The salary level is fairly good for southern Taiwan (but salary isn’t everything; more on that below).

This company is hilarious. Recently, I discovered that during interviews, someone was badmouthing those of us who had left the company. I had originally decided that we should part on good terms, but apparently everyone wants to play their cards—so let’s throw them all on the table!

After I resigned for various reasons, the manager was still choking back tears, saying that he hoped we would all remain friends and that we should part on good terms—various pieces of nonsense like that. Yet it turns out he was stabbing people in the back. Does he not know that this industry is small and that people will find out immediately when you stab someone in the back? I’m dying of laughter! And the most ridiculous part is that he was badmouthing people during the “interview process,” while making small talk. What on earth was the point of bringing this up in an interview? I really don’t understand!

Below are my personal experiences at this company:

● The salary does not reflect the workload

The salary and position agreed upon during the interview were for a “programmer.” Then, on the very first day of work, I was told to take on the roles of both PM and SA. This isn’t about saying that, once you enter the workforce, you shouldn’t expect to be asked to do extra work; the problem is that these responsibilities were “not mentioned at all” during the interview. At the time, I was told that all the requirements had already been discussed and that I would only need to go in and code, so they offered a programmer’s salary. Later, I discovered that the requirements had not been discussed at all. After bringing in a programmer, they simply expected that person to shoulder everything.

The worst part was that, after I raised the issue, they tried to brush it off by saying, “Ah, haha, I didn’t know these things required someone with professional expertise to handle them. I thought it would be fine to combine the roles.” I’m asking you for money! Money!! Money!!! Otherwise, what do you think I’m working for? To have a heart-to-heart with you? Also, right after giving me a verbal offer—before even signing a contract—they told me to attend a meeting with a client. At the time, I wanted to make a good impression on my new employer, so I gritted my teeth and went. Looking back, I was such an idiot!

● Poor integrity

Basically, this company sells manpower by assigning people to work onsite. Previously, we were told that the manpower we had sold to a certain client would only be provided until a specific date. After the deadline, we were supposed to package up the code, hand it over to the client, and at most answer questions by email. So, after the deadline, I immediately moved on to another development project to make up for the staffing shortage. In fact, several people had also left that client, and it seemed they couldn’t find anyone to take over. They started making a huge fuss, and afterward I was required to continue handling work that was no longer supposed to be part of my assignment. In other words, I ended up juggling two projects at once.

My takeaway from this is that I’m not an inexperienced rookie—I’ve been in the workforce for a long time, and I understand that a complete handover is impossible and that the process will inevitably be dragged out and cost time. I completely understand that. However, the company spoke with such confidence, acting as if I wouldn’t need to deal with it anymore. Employees aren’t things you can handle however you please, okay? There was no need to make such absolute promises at the beginning. Constantly going back on them later only makes you look foolish and ridiculous.

● Very poor adaptability

During my time there, I noticed various problems. Whether involving people or projects, I found issues that would seriously harm the project’s future development. Being the meddlesome type, I reported them, and everyone even gathered to discuss them, but there was no noticeable improvement—not even the slightest! After this happened N times, I was truly disheartened and gave up. I closed the door on communication and focused on doing my own work, no longer saying anything. Then I was criticized for wearing headphones and not chatting as soon as I joined the company, supposedly making the office atmosphere gloomy and oppressive... I’m honestly speechless. If that’s the case, then just tell me directly what I should do. When I talk too much, nothing happens; when I talk less, that’s not acceptable either...

● The company’s systems feel very disorganized

Although this is a new company, it has been established for some time. It felt like everything was chaotic before every payday. The funniest part was that they even miscalculated salaries. Luckily, I calculated mine myself and discovered the discrepancy. In that case, it’s reasonable to suspect that many engineers simply receive their payslips and accept them without checking, not knowing whether the amounts are correct. Could that mean there are payments they should have received but did not?

Also, two months after I resigned, I received a notice from the National Health Insurance Administration demanding payment of health insurance premiums. That was when I discovered that, during my employment, my child’s premiums had never been added to my account, even though I had submitted my child’s information on the day I signed the contract. In the end, I had to call the company myself and ask them to provide the missing information to the National Health Insurance Administration. I only worked there for a few months, yet I encountered two fairly serious administrative errors. It’s hard for me to believe that I was merely an isolated case.

Finally, I want to emphasize once again that my original attitude was simply: if I leave, I leave. At most, we would never have anything to do with each other again, and I would have dealt with matters such as the health insurance premiums myself. However, the ridiculous behavior of saying “let’s part on good terms” in public while repeatedly stabbing former employees in the back behind the scenes is what prompted me to write this account of my experience (you could also call it a horror story). That said, objectively speaking, the salary level is fairly good in southern Taiwan. If none of the above bothers you, you could give it a try!