Pros
I previously worked at some universities in China before joining Taurus, so I have to say that compared to my previous experience there are several things I appreciate about Taurus. First, management is more professional and western-orientated than local institutions. The cofounders are both US educated—Brian at Yale & Stanford, Stanley at Wharton—so they have a better sense of the nuances, values and expectations of an American employee. There is minimal bureaucracy in this company, and both cofounders are accessible all days of the week in person, via gchat, or over the phone. My emails were responded within 1 to 2 days, and whenever I had an issue, suggestion, or a request for a day off, I felt they were easy to approach and helpful. Second, the package, when compared to working at a high school or a university, is definitely competitive by a factor of two to four. The cost of living in China is so low that a salary here compared to a similar salary in the US is not at parity. I felt I could live extravagantly (but not save much), or live modestly and save quite a bunch. Third, the working schedule—which I blame US colleges more so than the industry—is actually pretty generous. But first, to preface: I hate every US college that has a deadline on January 1st; it is such an arbitrary date and causes many high school students, parents, and college counselors (read: us) to have to work around the holidays, because many important deadlines coincide with important holidays: 1. Halloween and Early Decision Deadline on Nov 1st 2. Thanksgiving and University of California’s deadline on Nov 30th 3. Christmas & New Year’s and Regular Decision deadline on Dec 31st In this industry, you have to accept that you won’t have a week long vacation in November or December. Management understands this and gives those important days (Christmas, New Year’s) off. Moreover, after the application season is finished, advisors are allowed to take significant time off (paid vacation), of which Brian and Stanley are mostly flexible with the dates that you request. So, while you are expected to work hard in the fall, you will be compensated quite nicely via your vacation days in the spring.
Cons
So I’ve given a glowing review so far, but there are facets to this company/industry/region that you should be aware of before joining: First, as a start up, I had to learn that people aren’t there to be at my beck and whim to tell me what to do and how I should do it: goals are laid out and you are expected to figure out how to achieve them. Senior advisors and management do their best to walk you through the major things, but as a whole you have to learn as you go and to be comfortable with this. In recent years, management has made huge strides on improving the training program, but as with any orientation you’ve been a part of, you can only retain so much knowledge in such a short time frame. Start-ups are fluid entities by nature, where it benefits to ask for clarification and to take the initiative on projects. If you are not an open-minded, flexible person who can accept that there can be a lack of structure in the job, then you should not just reconsider Taurus, but reconsider joining any start up (or coming to China in general). Second, drawing professional barriers. As a new arrival to China, fresh out of college, you will fall into a phase akin to “senior year continued”: you’re just out of school, in a foreign land on your own, most of your mates are elsewhere, and the only people you know are the people you work with. Your coworkers are awesome, and it is tempting to hang out with them all the time, but you need to draw some barriers for yourself so that you don’t exhaust your relationship with them: come to work, have fun but be respectful, and hang out with your coworkers a few times a week, but don’t let it become your only source of social interaction. China is an unfamiliar and strange place, but also full of exciting and fun people. Go out and get to know them, and you will love your workplace all the more.
