Interworking in Taiwan
The island that runs on silicon chips and bubble tea
Taiwan is one of those places that takes about 48 hours to fully land. Then it hits you: the food is extraordinary, the people are disarmingly warm, the mountains are 20 minutes from the city centre, and somehow the whole country functions like a well-maintained bicycle; efficient, elegant, and more fun than it looks on paper.
Taipei is the base for most Interworking placements. It’s a proper capital city with world-class infrastructure, a genuinely international professional scene, and a cost of living that shouldn’t require a spreadsheet to survive on a graduate salary.
Accommodation ᐧ Language ᐧ Money ᐧ Climate ᐧ Safety
Accommodation
We partner with rooms.taipei who have various co-living spaces designed for students and recent graduates. Their team will advise you before arrival and either book a space or show you your options in-person after you’ve arrived in Taiwan.
Language
Mandarin is the working language, with traditional characters used for writing.
English is widely used in international businesses and widely spoken in business districts, but learning 50-100 words of Mandarin before you arrive is one of the better investments you can make, both professionally and socially. Apps like HelloChinese or a few weeks of evening classes at home will get you further than you’d expect.
Money
Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). Taipei is significantly cheaper than most large UK cities. A good meal out costs £3–6, the metro rarely costs more than £1, and rent for a shared apartment in a central location is roughly £400–600/month. Eating local and cycling keeps your costs very low.
Climate & Safety
Climate: Hot and humid from May to September (think 35°C with accompanying sweat). Typhoon season runs June to October, which is dramatic but manageable. Winters are mild and genuinely pleasant. Pack light clothes and one decent rain jacket.
Safety: Taiwan is extremely safe. It consistently ranks among the safest environments globally, with very low crime rates and political stability, you’ll quickly stop thinking about it. Taiwan also boasts a world-leading public healthcare system that you’ll have access to as an intern.
Introductions to Taiwan
Food!
Digital Democracy, Tech & Surfboards
The island of fast and slow
Taiwan was one of the first places in the world to ban plastic straws. Pretty amazing given its addiction to bubble tea! But sustainability in Taiwan starts with keeping things in balance at a personal level.
Working hard and progressing your career.
Taiwan’s work culture is influenced by Confucian principles and capitalist ambition; valuing harmony, collective identity, and the importance of relationships. In practice, that means hierarchy matters, consensus is built carefully before decisions are announced, and your ability to read the room will develop faster here than almost anywhere else. The concept of ‘face’ (preserving your own and others’ dignity) shapes the professional landscape in ways that textbooks don’t quite capture. You’ll learn more about cross-cultural communication in six months here than in a year of lectures.
Meeting friends and connecting socially, sometimes late into the night.
Da’an District is the heart of Taipei; leafy streets, National Taiwan University, boutique cafes, a mix of young professionals and students. Xinyi is the business and nightlife hub, polished and fast-paced. Most Interworking participants end up in Da’an or the neighbouring Zhongzheng district: central, walkable, and well connected on the MRT. Night markets are the social fabric of Taiwanese life. Each one has its own personality, shaped by its neighbourhood. Don’t just do Shilin. Wander into Gongguan (student-heavy, great vegan options), or let someone local take you to their neighbourhood market.
Slowing down by spending time in nature.
Taiwan is small enough that a weekend changes everything. Head east to Hualien and the Taroko Gorge, genuinely one of the great natural wonders of East Asia. Sun Moon Lake in the central mountains has been called one of the best cycling routes on earth, with spectacular panoramas and indigenous culture throughout. Wulai, just outside Taipei, is many expats’ favourite day trip; riverside thermal hot springs, hiking, river tracing, and indigenous food. The east coast surf towns come alive in summer. Kaohsiung in the south is worth a long weekend.
For students graduating from university in 2026, your options are probably expensive, boring or not-CV-worthy. More student debt than ever, more entry level jobs being replaced by AI. What if there was a way to build relevant experience, get paid, gain a professional accreditation and see the world.
Companies in Asia are scaling fast and the barriers to international markets are lower than ever. A graduate from the UK can help with the practical and strategic elements of their international growth.
Backpacking is fun. A gap year is something for 18 year olds. A working holiday is a mid-life crisis. Accredited work experience after uni? We call that Interworking.
Our first milestone is to kickstart the careers of 1,000 graduates by 2030.