Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nizpaz]

I'm thinking of applying for the BC for Feb next year. Done the public school set up for several contracts.

Does anyone work there or know of people who work there and can offer an opinion on such things as shift patterns, class sizes, office politics. And is it VERY institutionised as only the British public sector can be? (You know what I mean ) Is it slave/master as opposed to a relatively easy routine of public school. Do people get through the 2 year contracts?

I know about pay, holidays, and other benefits from their adverts but I'm interested in the actual working experience. Am I right in thinking it's great for professional development, but THEIR way?

If anyone would rather keep their opinion private, then please feel free to PM me.

Hoping someone can help. Thanks

[elliot79]

do you need a PGCE to work for them?

[edwardcatflap]

[le-paul]

i had a postion (as a teaching assistant) in switzerland with the BC around 6 years ago (things may have changed).
At that time, students who wanted a year out from a degree program were encouraged to apply.
I had finished my degree and applied with 3 months teaching experience in seoul and a crappy 2 day tefl cert. They gave me the job straight away.

The job entailed taking half of a class and teaching them, the same way I do now.- but more usually in conversation.
My preparation was the same as it is now - just trying to keep students engaged. I was never asked to submit lesson plans though this may be different now.
I worked 18 hours a week and was paid around 3 mil a month with no other benefits.

My colleagues were assisted in finding accomodation before they entered the country though.
They also offered good support and training/orientation to new teachers (and paid me 200,000 to go to Geneva for a day to do training day and offer advice to new teachers as I had already lived in switzerland for 3 months prior).

My freinds at the time worked in france, germany, switzerland. Experiences/expectation of the school differed from school to school (as you would expect) as did the pay.

[nizpaz]

Thanks for the replies.

A further question, is the BC seen by Koreans as just an expensive hogwon or as an embassy thing? I'm wondering about such things as credit cards and phone accounts which have proven easier to aquire working for public school than friends who work in hogwons.

Any other pointers out there?

[edwardcatflap]

When I worked there I never heard of anyone who wanted a credit card or phone contract that didn't get one. Why do you want to know anyway if you've already acquired them?

[le-paul]

[nizpaz]

[edwardcatflap]

Apart from the two things you mentioned I can't think of any other examples where the Korean attitude to your workplace would give you any benefits as a result of working at the BC. Most of the advantages when I worked there stemmed from the fact that you aren't working for Koreans. If you work there you'll find a lot of your students are learning English to get the same kind of advantages by getting a job with a foreign company

[le-paul]

[Caffeinated]

From ads I've seen on subways, the BC in Seoul seems pretty aggressive about marketing themselves as a place to study English.

[Tamada]

Stating the obvious but.....you MUST have a British passport to work there.

[edwardcatflap]

[youtuber]

I am guessing that now would not be the ideal time to apply with 500,000 civil servants in Britain getting the axe recently.

[Caffeinated]

[quote="edwardcatflap"]