Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crashlanding]

English teachers in Korea and Japan are beginning to feel the impact of diverging economic trends in the two Asian countries.

http://expatnewswire.com/news/2014/12/10/tefl-job-market-reversal-as-japan-demand-rises-korea-flounders/

[basic69isokay]

Japan's currency is down big time though.
More like china up, korea down.

[metalhead]

China is the best deal in East Asia now, then Vietnam for savings/travel opportunities and what-have-you. Unless you love K-Pop and the Korean language language and the kind diligent Korean culture there isn't much point in going to Korea, save the everlasting welcoming smiles from Koreans.

[Weigookin74]

Are salaries rising in Japan? That would be the true indication of success. If not, hop over to China. Much cheaper cost of living and much better quality of life.

[Coltronator]

Korea has the big advantage of Modern Amenities/Luxuries over Vietnam and SE Asia in general.

Korea has the big advantage over most of China of those same amenities and the fact that you don't have to chew your air to breathe.

Korea is pretty much what ever the person makes of it for them self. There are options but not too many and not much will be handed to you. Pay vs. prices are good but there is a lot of opportunity to over spend if you aren't careful. Access to most everything you could want but not everything and it is up to you if you can live with out those few things. People in Korea are people.

[nicwr2002]

I knew a lot of friends who got jobs at the resurrected NOVA eikaiwa. The pay is the same as it has always been for those chain school jobs at 250,000 yen or 240,000 a month. Of course, no housing or airfare so that is a big downer.

[isitts]

[Brooks]

What garbage. A female in Tokyo is doing well. Just due to her gender and/or connections.

I did the best in 2008, then things really went to hell.
I used to get two bonuses a year.

This spring I had to get unemployment insurance.
Skip Japan, just go to China. Korea has got to be better.
I work 3 jobs now, and make 230,000 a month.

Japan is expensive. No more deflation, now we get inflation.
The yen has fallen by a third in the last two years.
If it continues, teachers will bail but don't assume that wages would go up.

For teaching, the best work is in Nagoya or around Tokyo.
The rest of the country is really struggling.

[Weigookin74]

[Neil]

The key word in that article is freelance. There is a lot of money in the big cities for privates but the salaried jobs are freezing pay despite inflation, poor yen value and tax rises which is rubbish, only newbs should take them.

The visa rules are more liberal in Japan which means you can make a decent living freelancing but Korea is a lot easier to start off in.

Agree that demand has risen. Japan has lost manufacturing to China/Korea so will probably switch to a more service based economy and demographics mean the domestic economy will shrink leading firms to export more, both these changes will require greater English profiency in the workplace. Olympics coming up too and tourism is one of their few industries thats booming.

They also are finally getting their kids to learn it, from next year English begins at the 3rd grade of elementary which is a big change, only a few years ago most elementarys wouldnt teach it at all.

[wonkavite62]

Crashlanding, this news is very interesting, IF IT IS TRUE! I have taught in China, Japan, and Korea. I like the idea that there could be enough of a TEFL boom in Japan for me to go and live there. Living in Japan was truly memorable, but paying full rent and key money, was a major issue, especially as I was paying special ***
foreigner rent which was nearly double the Japanese rate.
I have been in Korea twice. The first time I was in a small city, but one with a very active social life. The second time, I was in a public school, and the staff were usually quite nice to me. But I really needed to visit Seoul periodically for social life and so on. A man who had been teaching in Korea for 10 years told me Korea had been far kinder to him than Japan had. This man has a degree in Japanese and knows more kanji than I do! But the job conditions were easier in public schools in Korea.
I feel that the Park Geun Hye administration is simply not interested in foreign languages. Nothing is set in stone, of course, but one gets the impression that it's not just the economy stupid. This government was looking for reasons to cut back.
If there is a TEFL boom starting in Japan, that would be amusing, because lots of young Americans still want to go to Japan, and therefore some will go there instead of to Korea, won't they?