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Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Not Korea
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 Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject: Any ex-YBM folk here? |
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I liked working for YBM but was glad when I finished my contract. Anyone feel the same?  |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Is it YBM sisa? My brother works for one somewhere in Seoul. He really likes it. Teaches adult conversation. |
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Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Not Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| Yup. The adult conversation hagwons. |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 10:31 am Post subject: |
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| What's so bad about it? My brother recommended I work here. That he makes friends with his students, and that teaching kids would be a nightmare anyway. That from his experience, he got a lot of brats who wouldn't listen to him. I think teaching kids would be cute though. |
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Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Not Korea
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 10:42 am Post subject: |
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Who said anything was bad?
| gyopogirlfromtexas wrote: |
| What's so bad about it? My brother recommended I work here. That he makes friends with his students, and that teaching kids would be a nightmare anyway. That from his experience, he got a lot of brats who wouldn't listen to him. I think teaching kids would be cute though. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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Worked for six months at a kindergarten YBM school.
Was I glad to leave? Let's just say whenever I read Ttompaz's signature about trolls being banished to a 'crappy kindy', I think of my school; fresh out of university with no teaching experience or knowledge, I was expected to teach twenty kindergarteners all by myself on my first day. No training, and the only advice I got was "speak clearly and loudly"
You wonder why I only lasted six months? I was a terrible teacher. I've learned a lot since then, and now I'm good. |
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gyopogirlfromtexas
Joined: 21 Apr 2007
Location: Austin,Texas
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida wrote: |
Who said anything was bad?
| gyopogirlfromtexas wrote: |
| What's so bad about it? My brother recommended I work here. That he makes friends with his students, and that teaching kids would be a nightmare anyway. That from his experience, he got a lot of brats who wouldn't listen to him. I think teaching kids would be cute though. |
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Oh, I thought maybe you didn't like it because you said you were glad to be out of there. I guess you meant it in a different way. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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YBM has a clause in their contracts that stipulate airfare will be taxed in the hands of the recipient, with the cost of the flight being added to your first months' income. Basically you will end up paying $100 or $200 in additional taxes.
When I inquired about this, the HR guy contacted me and was very abrasive on the phone, offended really that I would point this out. He agreed that YBM is the only school that does this, because they are the only school that follows the law.
I asked if apartment costs were taxable too and he said no. I am not sure why a plane ticket can be deemed a "taxable benefit" but not an apartment, but I didn't press the issue.
He advised me to do more research on YBM and to contact him if and when I "believe" in the school's integrity.
I ended up taking another contract. |
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KYC
Joined: 11 May 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Anyone else have experience with the adult conversational classes? |
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insam
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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| KYC wrote: |
| Anyone else have experience with the adult conversational classes? |
I loved it but mostly taught 1:1. Besides the benefits mentioned above (making connections etc), there is no necessary work of any kind outside the actual teaching hours. I think for adults a stronger command of English is certainly helpful (an average or typical undergraduate education may or may not be enough) because some students are quite advanced and may be applying to graduate schools or interviewing for responsible positions etc. Also you never have to deal with parents' unrealistic expectations and their potential influence upon school administrators. Adults often pay their own way or have the fees subsidized by their companies (They want to be there; children typically aren't there by choice). If lots of your students quit you can get catch some heat, but if they sign up again all is well. All of this is to be taken in the context of Kangnam, where students with international experience (not just housewives etc) were the norm. |
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Nexus11
Joined: 29 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
He advised me to do more research on YBM and to contact him if and when I "believe" in the school's integrity.
I ended up taking another contract. |
Was this Danny Kim? I got a similar response asking for clarification from him. I asked if some of his many promises could be included in the contract and his answer was "If you do not trust YBM. Feel free to apply with another organization that you trust."
When I asked about the 600,000 won housing deposit, he told me "Every apartment will require a housing deposit. Even apartments in your home country (Canada)." Thanks for the lesson on MY country. I must be the luckiest guy in Canada then. Five apartments rented, zero housing deposits paid.
After that gem, I started looking elsewhere. |
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Chillin' Villain
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: Goo Row
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| I worked there for about six months, but not as a teacher. I worked up in the offices at Chongno. First and only office job in my life; I was so bored I started dreaming up imaginary friends. I truly do not like ending contracts early, and only have done so that one time. Had I not, I would surely be in a padded room by now. |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| Chillin' Villain wrote: |
| I worked there for about six months, but not as a teacher. I worked up in the offices at Chongno. First and only office job in my life; I was so bored I started dreaming up imaginary friends. I truly do not like ending contracts early, and only have done so that one time. Had I not, I would surely be in a padded room by now. |
What did you do there? How'd you get the job?
(people in non-teaching jobs interest me because I imagine how different things must be for them). |
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Gemfinder
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| Nexus11 wrote: |
| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
He advised me to do more research on YBM and to contact him if and when I "believe" in the school's integrity.
I ended up taking another contract. |
Was this Danny Kim? I got a similar response asking for clarification from him. I asked if some of his many promises could be included in the contract and his answer was "If you do not trust YBM. Feel free to apply with another organization that you trust."
When I asked about the 600,000 won housing deposit, he told me "Every apartment will require a housing deposit. Even apartments in your home country (Canada)." Thanks for the lesson on MY country. I must be the luckiest guy in Canada then. Five apartments rented, zero housing deposits paid.
After that gem, I started looking elsewhere. |
Yes, you sound like the luckiest guy in Canada since a security deposit is normal. I'm from the States and I've had to pay a one everywhere I've lived including student housing. It's standard. The security deposit isn't unreasonable and they deduct a third of it from the first three months salary, so they don't take a chunk from your first month's pay or demand it all before you've moved in.
I do belive that security deposits here are mainly for foreigners, since we have a collective reputation for pulling midnight runs and leaving the last month's bills unpaid or the apartment in bad condition.
If you turned down a contract because you were expected to pay a standard housing deposit (which you would get back), then it was because you didn't want to pay a housing deposit, not because the employer was a shady character. That was a personal decision. If they were shady they'd call it a housing fee or try to find a way to pocket it after your contract is up. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 5:30 am Post subject: |
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Worked for YBM when I first arrived back in the day.
It was a good first job. I enjoyed my year there but would not take that workload now. |
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