Korean Job Discussion Forums

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:58 pm Post subject:

I live in America again, after living for a year in Korea and 6 months in Australia. It was hard to adjust to and I was very depressed being here for the first few months. I've been back 8 months and I see my friends and family daily and I have a great job and boyfriend and I have never been happier in my entire life. No regrets at all. It's really hard to give up the ex-pat lifestyle though. That was the hardest part. I do miss it.

No_hite_pls · Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:30 pm Post subject:

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 9:02 am Post subject:

jfromtheway · Joined: 20 Nov 2010

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:35 pm Post subject:

northway · Joined: 05 Jul 2010

isitts · Joined: 25 Dec 2008 Location: Korea

Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Location: Not Korea

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

luckylady · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Location: u.s. of occupied territories

please someone explain it to me:

allegedly foreigners come to Korea (to teach) because they couldn't get a real job back home

but also allegedly their jobs in Korea (teaching) aren't real jobs either.

???

seems a lot of people are caught in an unreal situation.

catman · Joined: 18 Jul 2004

At least the lifers here on the board are enjoying their time in Korea.

I've met plenty of miserable dejected westerners who hate Korea but admit that they can't find a decent job back home. One guy said he was in Korea for over 4 years. Didn't know any Korean and refused to learn.

cheezsteakwit · Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Location: There & back again.

philthor · Joined: 22 Apr 2012 Location: America

Biggest reason for my upcoming return to Korea is money, but a close second is the excitement of travel.

I lived in Korea for nearly a decade, had a mostly a good time (initially it was like riding a major roller coaster but eventually became more like a kiddie coaster). However, I felt working in the ESL industry would not allow for much vertical movement in my employment.

So I moved back--but with a Korean wife. It was tough at first for her, but she's now come to love the place and is slightly apprehensive about returning to Korea (we kind of live in the country a bit). We've been back in the states for over a decade.

After returning, I managed to become a certified teacher, and while pursuing my certification, I always thought that a return overseas (specifically, Korea) was possible but only if it would be with an international school or the DoDEA.

In some ways, though, moving to America was a step back. I had to start all over, and I've never been able to match the savings levels I had achieved in Korea. Paying a mortgage can be a real female dog on income, and my county has frozen our salaries for the past five years while insurance costs have continued to go up (I pay nearly $7,000 to have my wife and myself insured--okay, enough of that sob story).

Overall, my return to the states has solved my earlier fear about job mobility. Because I am now certified, I have greater employment choice with also a greater chance of a more lucrative income than if I had stuck with ESL in Korea (this is not a criticism of those who are gainfully and happily employed in ESL in Korea nor a blanket statement regarding income potential).

Many of my friends still work overseas (some in the ship building industry with most in international schools). Sure there are things they miss about living in their home countries, but it seems to me once a person has that international "jones" in his or her system, a life back in one's home country just won't cut it.

I'll be a bit circular here: Money and Travel are pulling me back.

wishfullthinkng · Joined: 05 Mar 2010