Senior Designer:
BOSS: What are your areas of expertise?
Writer: Graphic design, designing and formatting EDMs, uploading images, and so on.
BOSS: Do you know how to use InDesign?
Writer: Not very well, but I’m willing to learn.
Writer: May I ask how many people are in the design department?
BOSS: 12 people.
Writer: Would it be okay if I’m not very familiar with this software?
BOSS: It’s okay if you don’t know it. A lot of the designs there are done very quickly, so you’ll hardly ever use this software—and you’re not as fast as they are anyway.
BOSS: I don’t want you to wear down your design skills, so basically, you won’t have much contact with this area.
Writer: Is there overtime pay?
BOSS: Yes, but March through May is our overtime season. Basically, you probably won’t have to handle the work that much; they work overtime on weekends, and take compensatory leave in July and August.
BOSS: What salary are you expecting?
Writer: NT$32,000 during the probationary period, then a salary based on the company’s evaluation after becoming a regular employee.
BOSS: What is the earliest date you could start?
Writer: One week from now.
Senior Designer
The writer’s observations after working for one week following being hired (the writer resigned afterward)
My main duties involved assisting Biiu (Planning) with projects, but I was a senior designer managed by the Design Department.
The design team was divided into: 1. Yearbook Team 2. Planning Department Support
Since this involved work for the Planning Department, the duties included projects such as Farmers’ Association Friends (a monthly magazine) and projects for public-sector agencies, among others.
Basically, this position requires extensive use of software such as InDesign and Photoshop. Since I was very inexperienced with ID, I often worked overtime until 8 or 9 p.m. I spent my time producing Farmers’ Association Friends, the monthly magazine, while building up my skills and technical abilities. During this period, the Design Manager and Planning Manager would also personally step in to provide patient guidance. Unfortunately, every job has its procedures and deadlines. Newcomers should be mentally prepared to work overtime.
However, during the new-employee training period, the Design Manager said that because it was training, I would not receive overtime pay for those days. The company would only pay me for eight hours each day; any time beyond that would not be counted.
No overtime pay / no overtime pay / no overtime pay
I won’t say much more. The people are very nice, colleagues get along well, and there are many places to eat nearby.
I sat between Administration and Planning for convenient training, and I often saw employees from various departments working overtime until 8 or 9 p.m. It was very energetic.
However, be careful about occupational hazards. During my employment, I saw two young employees from the Design Department experience health problems: one had a recurrence of an abdominal tumor, while the other kept coughing due to gastroesophageal reflux. They went together to register at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital. Because of my resignation, the Planning Manager stayed up until dawn and fell down the stairs the next day. Basically, I’m very concerned about their health.
Newcomers may need to pay attention to whether the occupational risks and benefits fall within what they can handle before considering joining. Those who stay may leave after completing their training, and the turnover rate is quite high.
Basically, the company is very stable and unlikely to go under, which is reassuring.