Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Weigookin74]

[Chaparrastique]

[trueblue]

[Nester Noodlemon]

[earthquakez]

I've given advice here on the caf re not working in Korea and I stand by it. However, I take back what I said about Japan being a decent alternative. I recommend China on personal knowledge.

The job postings around for Japan are honestly just about on par with the dross in Korea and at least in Korea you nearly always get your rent paid for you.

However, the atrocious Korean 'one rooms' which are not only cramped but incredibly stressful re noise and are unhealthy because of lack of ventilation and toilets in close proximity to your sleeping and eating areas, are fairly usual and in some cases you're better off paying your own rent.

There's a trend for Japanese employers to do a Korean employer and demand excessive qualifications for lower pay. I've seen ads where schools want an MA and these are not universities but private English institutes.

Their deluded owners/managers seem to think that they can demand postgraduate degrees and pay less than the 250,000 yen per month which is standard for a BA holder or even a working holiday visa holder. That's about 2,500 US bucks or a bit less each month.

The ones I've seen demanding MAs and certification in teaching whether it's a diploma or TEFL or whatever are condescendingly offering 230,000 to 240,00 yen per month. How gracious of them. No airfare (common too these days in Korea), no free housing and 20,000 to 10,000 yen less per month in salary for being more qualified. What an absolute joke!

There are also lowball figures such as 200,000 to 220,000 yen being offered for people with the standard university degrees, even with extra certificates, and a few examples of appalling working hours such as 6 day working weeks including on Saturday and Sunday. But you're 'lucky' - you get 1 weekday off.

Remember that you have to pay the pension yourself 9 times out of 10 and that will be under the kokumin kenko hoken/nenkin scheme which also means 9 times out of 10 you will pay your own health insurance too. Shakai hoken where the employer pays half is rare in English teaching gigs.

The pension payment alone is around 14,000 yen (about 140 US bucks or a bit less) per month, 2nd year your health insurance will rise from the first year new visa level of around 2,500 yen per month (about 25 US bucks or less) to about 20,000 yen per month (about 200 US bucks) or more.

On kokumin nenkin you can't get a pension refund of more than 18 months back. So if you stay on longer you lose the rest of that money. I knew people who lived in Japan for 8 yrs and had to pay the pension. They got less than 2 yrs of that as a refund.

So my apologies for encouraging anybody here to go to Japan. Don't assist the exploitative Japanese English schools to screw yourself over. Go to China while the market is still open.

[ippy]

You forgot to mention the other things

Salaries in Japan are around 210,000-250,000 per month.

BUT

As you mention, since very few people are directly employed by schools, and are beholden to dispatch agencies and a very harsh bidding process for contracts then:

1. Pension and health insurance are around 30,000 yen.
2. Housing isnt free. If youre lucky the school youre working for will have subsidised teacher housing theyll allow your agency to use. If they do, this will cost you around 12,000-15,000yen/month. If they dont, then even a basic leopalace (one of the best options if only because theres little upfront costs) will set you back around 40-60,000yen.
3. The one you really missed: Many contracts now are TERM BY TERM. Though they are for the full year, you will find your salary could be reduced heavily in the summer holidays, winter holidays and the two weeks in March/April.
4. These contracts also do not come with vacation days or sick days. My last contract in fact had a punitive clause that resulted in losing your 'contract completion bonus' of 10,000 yen AS WELL AS the pay for the day you took off (another 10,000 yen).

My savings on a 230,000/month contract in Saitama with leopalace housing, very basic health insurance and no pension was about 20-40,000 yen/month. This of course would be eaten into by any trip home or more usually, those reduced salary months.

My savings in Nagano with subsidised teacher housing, but mandated government health insurance and pension was similar to be honest.

My savings in a world where i had to pay not only the full pension/health, but also my own housing, would have been almost zero.

Throw in that the company i worked for also had to bid very low to take certain contracts in key cities like Matsumoto (and pass the cuts to the teacher) and, as they said to me: "ipps, seriously, if you want to work there, youre pretty much paying us for the opportunity".

That all being said, its still a lovely country to live in. quality of life is second to none. I always miss it, but financially it eats me alive. Mileage may vary, or rather ESID, but it's definitely one of those places that ive kinda resigned myself to walking away from as a viable option these days. Im starting, if im entirely honest, to get a similar feeling from Korea.

[World Traveler]

[Chaparrastique]

[World Traveler]

Are you sure, man? This looks like a lot more work than just that.

Responsibilities: designated regular hours of teaching English courses per week (18 weekly hours). Other obligations include observing weekly office hours, attending faculty meetings, and participating in various department activities and events.

That's a lot to do. Plus uni contracts forbid taking outside work (even with the F visa).

This uni is requiring much, but not compensating well (which seems to be the general trend).

Requirements
Required level of English:
Native speaker
Teaching experience:
2 years
Certification required:
CELTA/TESOL, Master's degree

[Chaparrastique]

[Roman Holiday]

[World Traveler]

A few days ago you wrote this:

[Paddycakes]

[World Traveler]

True.

Electrical Engineering:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-3-best-masters-degree-for-jobs-electrical-engineering/
Mid-career median pay: $121,000

Economics:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-10-best-masters-degree-for-jobs-economics/
Mid-career median pay: $115,000

Physics:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-6-best-masters-degree-for-jobs-physics/
Mid-career median pay: $114,000

Computer Science:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-2-best-masters-degree-for-jobs-computer-science/
Mid-career median pay: $109,000

English:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-2-worst-masters-degree-for-jobs-english/
Mid-career median pay: $62,900

Education:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45ifij/no-4-worst-masters-degree-for-jobs-education/
Mid-career median pay: $60,100

[Hatcher]

I spent considerable time in both places and can say that financially China is now better assuming you dont have an F visa. For night life and socializing, Korea is better.

The Chinese are more reasonable and logical but who isnt when compared to the Koreans.