Workplace reviews and discussion: 王大夫一條根有限公司

1. The assistant manager and department head were very polite; they were rare examples of courteous interviewers.

2. Since it is a family-owned business, the company as a whole has a strong “family” feel.

3. The commute is fairly manageable. The office is in a prime area of Taipei, at the intersection of Ren’ai Road and Fuxing South Road, across from the Howard Plaza Hotel, roughly midway between Zhongxiao Fuxing Station on the MRT Bannan Line and Technology Building Station on the Wenhu Line.

4. Interview process: The assistant manager first asked me to introduce myself, then asked about my previous work experience, reasons for leaving my former job, and how well I understood their company and the position’s requirements based on my résumé. Next, the department head asked more technical questions. Overall, the interview was conducted in a fairly orderly manner. In particular, they asked how I would handle an urgent case that suddenly came up near the end of the workday and emphasized that they do not encourage a culture of working overtime.

The work environment was permeated by a strong smell resembling Chinese herbal medicine. The interior design was extremely “traditional.” Although the company is located in a building with an elevator, the restroom is inside the company, giving the impression that an ordinary apartment in a condominium building had been converted for commercial use. For someone who prefers working in a comfortable, luxurious, and spacious office building, this could be a serious drawback.