Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Chaparrastique]

Is an MA even worth getting anymore?

[World Traveler]

Check out this one for Suwon Science College:

Qualifications : Master's degree holders in any field and F visa holders who have more than two years teaching experience in college level.

Must have an MA and an F visa and two years teaching experience at the college level in order to be considered?

How much is the compensation?

The Salary : 2.5 million won per month (The yearly salary is 30 million won)

Housing and Food : NOT provided(No Key money)

Vacation : 4 weeks during each semester.

No housing, no severance, short vacation time and 2.5 a month? Things are definitely on the decline for sure.

[PRagic]

I'll cut and paste my comment from another thread:

I say this in all seriousness: if I were out of university with a couple of years of ESL teaching under my belt and looking for some serious upside potential, whether in Korea or elsewhere, I'd haul arse back to some place offering a certification program in teaching 3D printing.

The K government is in the process of chucking millions and millions of dollars into 3D education in schools and universities are already developing programs. If history is any lesson, this means that hagwons will be popping up like daisies in springtime as well.

Get in now and keep current. You heard it here first.

[Paddycakes]

On the one hand, I feel really sorry for people who have invested huge amounts of time and money to earn a PhD or Masters only to see jobs that pay less that what a bus driver can expect to make.

But then I think: You were an idiot for doing a PhD or Masters in field that has little to no economic value, often from universities that no one has ever heard of.

You made your own bed.

[happyinhenan]

Investing in a masters or a PhD to work solely in Korea is probably a bit of a daft idea, thankfully, they are accepted everywhere - a bit like an American Express card.

What is silly is keeping basic, unrelated qualifications and then when the Koreans start kicking your arses out, you have nowhere else to go.

[Died By Bear]

[Chaparrastique]

Lets see what the Chinese unis are offering.

[World Traveler]

Ouch. That's terrible. Where's the best place for qualified applicants to go now? The Middle East? Even there I heard things are deteriorating/getting worse in the TEFL field.

IF you can get in, I'd say a Japanese uni is the best deal. (Cool country to live in, too.) But I heard the uni jobs there are super competitive. (I'm not sure to what extent.) Anyone have more info on that? (I've seen some offers for decent pay there.)

[earthquakez]

[caribmon]

My friend just got a job in a mine outside of Yellowknife 12 days in 12 off, living in a camp, and they pay only $20 CAD per hour, before tax.

My brother put an ad on Kijiji for machine shop helper at $18 CAD / hr and he got 2,000 resumes in 1 day

So yes, $10/hr to teach at a university with free housing and free lunch is an excellent salary.

[metalhead]

[PRagic]

This type of statement is worrisome:

'For non tenured positions (associate professor for example), the Phd and MA are desirable but people with a BA plus certification and/or another degree that can be considered 'equivalent qualifications' coupled with significant teaching experience at college/university level can be in contention. '

Tenure may be grated at any rank, but in the N. American system it is most frequently granted at the RANK of Associate Professor. In many Asian systems, tenure if earned, is granted with promotion to the RANK of Full Professor. All considered, one must be on an acknowledged tenure track, usually beginning from the lowest RANK of Assistant Professor. It is highly unlikely, although there may be extenuating circumstances and differences for the odd discipline, that anyone without a PhD would be given a tenure track position at a 4 year university, let alone enter at the position off Associate Professor. As a caveat, 2 year community colleges in the US do provide tenure to non-phase holding faculty.

If you're first job after finishing your PhD isn't on the tenure track (e.g. a post doc or a visiting position), the years spent in that position won't count toward tenure if and when you do move into a tenure track position.

As a final caveat, several different university systems in Europe use different job titles and have different criteria for tenure and promotion.

[earthquakez]

[World Traveler]

In Korea, having a BA plus four years of uni teaching experience, an MA plus two years teaching at a uni, or PhD (no teaching experience required) is the magic formula for getting in. Having an F visa and/or the double x chromosome is also highly advantageous (as is being good looking, sadly). Should that be the criteria from which applicants are deemed fit to teach in a uni? Of course not. But that's the reality. And as you said, an explanation for "why there are so many doozies of native English speakers working at university level in Korea".

[PRagic]

My point was simply that the rank of Associate Professor is in no way related to a non-tenure track position. In certain situations, it may be possible to be appointed as a VISITING Associate Professor, but most visitorships, more commonly referred to as adjunct positions in the west, are at the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor.

In reality, the positions you described are Full Time Instructor positions, as to even truly be qualified to hold the rank and position of Visiting Assistant Professor, one normally needs to have a Doctoral degree. Yes, and before a million people chime in, I know that some K and J schools hand that title out like candy at a parade, but that doesn't mean a hill of beans in the real academic world. The usual caveats apply for some majors and for 2 year colleges in the US.

If you lop off that 'visiting' tag, it's a whole new ball game as the positions are then tenure track, and, aside from the caveats mentioned above, you need a terminal degree and publications to even get an interview at a R1 university.