Workplace reviews and discussion: 堤維西交通工業股份有限公司

Company Name *: TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd.

Job Title *: AM Development Engineer

Industry Category *: Automobile and Auto Parts Manufacturing

Work Location *: Tainan Annan Science and Technology Industrial Park

Monthly Salary *: 27,600

Relevant Work Experience *: 0

Highest Education *: Private University of Science and Technology

Department: Department of Mechanical Engineering

Interview Date:

January 2018

Other Information:

Annual salary: 13 months

Working hours: 07:50–17:00

Year-end bonus: 1 month

Bonuses: Year-end bonus only

Job responsibilities:

1. Lighting product development and certification 2. Establishing quality documents and specifications 3. Developing solutions for secondary processing issues involving parts

Responsible for work related to automotive lighting development, from borrowing lamps from original-equipment automobile manufacturers and reverse-engineering them at the company, to having downstream mold injection manufacturers produce them and supervising and coordinating the manufacturers until full production is achieved and specifications are met. AM refers to aftermarket lamps.

Review:

Working hours are 07:50–12:00 and 13:00–17:00. There are bonus gift vouchers for the three major holidays, plus a year-end bonus. The owner determines the year-end bonus based on profits, usually 1–1.5 months. Labor and health insurance and group insurance are provided. Starting salary is based entirely on educational background; the starting salary for a private university of science and technology graduate is 27,600. However, although I had two years of external work experience but no relevant experience, my supervisor helped negotiate it up to 30,000. After a 3–6 month probationary period, the first salary adjustment is 3–7%, but it is usually 3%. Salary is adjusted only once every 3–5 years, and each adjustment is fixed at 3%. The salary includes 2,400 for meals. Lunch is subsidized by 30 yuan; if overtime continues past 7:30 p.m., dinner is subsidized by 40 yuan. Overtime starts at 5:30 p.m.; the first two hours are paid at 1.33 times and the next two hours at 1.66 times. Daily overtime is limited to four hours, and additional overtime is not paid. Saturdays and Sundays are off, and Saturdays are mandatory days off (because overtime pay is not provided, so employees are given the day off). Monthly overtime is capped at 48 hours in accordance with the Labor Standards Act. There is no training; you work directly alongside senior colleagues from the moment you join. Because of the excessive workload and staff shortages, the pressure is very high and requires self-adjustment. During the interview, there is an English multiple-choice test, reading and translation between Chinese and English, and questions related to the professional knowledge required for the position. For example, an AM Development Engineer may be tested on engineering graphics and orthographic projection. A psychological test is also administered. The interview includes many questions about on-the-spot reactions, how you would prioritize problems, and how you would complete tasks within a short time. A product takes only 4–6 months to go from processing to mass production, so you need strong on-the-spot judgment and communication skills to coordinate with on-site mold technicians. You must be highly stress-resistant and thick-skinned enough to ask questions without embarrassment, learning by asking more questions. The team leader decides whether to retain you based on your performance and attitude during the probationary period. You must know how to drive a manual-transmission vehicle. If the company’s truck is unavailable, you may need to drive your own car or scooter; expenses are reimbursed at 3 yuan per kilometer for cars and 1.5 yuan per kilometer for scooters. Hiring decisions are communicated within one week. If you are interested in joining but do not receive notification, call the Human Resources Department after one week to inquire. The interview may ask about your family circumstances and address to assess whether you are in urgent financial need, as well as for a one-minute self-introduction, among other things. Many complex questions are asked to assess the interviewee’s ability to react under pressure. Mold-processing plants range from Jiali and Shanhua in the north to Qieding in the south, and you travel to downstream processing plants every day. Occasionally, you may travel to Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, or Lukang.

The salary increase is far too small. After 20 years, a supervisor said it might only increase from 28K to 32K.