Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cynical Optimist]

I'm sure someone has started this thread before, but after an hour of searching for it, I've given up. Maybe starting it again will get some of the newer folks in on it.

So why did you come to Korea? Anyone have a reason more interesting or dramatic than simply for the money and travel?

As for myself, I came for what I suspect are the usual reasons. Always wanted to travel and live abroad, but couldn't afford to do it. Korea offered the opportunity because of the money. I had quit my steady job, thinking that my freelance gigs in TV & film were picking up -- then I got "let go" from a reality TV gig that was supposed to pay the bills for the next month. No new gigs were showing up. I considered getting another dull office job, inventory management or something, but that was like looking down the barrel of another wasted year at an unfulfilling job.

Then I realized that for the first time in a long time I was free from the shackles of either being in school, having a FT job, or having a girlfriend -- so it was a perfect time to get out of the country, before it might become too late. Maybe a month and a half after I came across the idea of teaching in Asia, I was here.

So what are your reasons? How about the deeper psych of why you felt comfortable with, or drawn to, such a major change? For sure, it's not the right choice for most people. So what was it about you that made it seem like a good idea? I guess I had the desire to just get away from people and the same ol' life I'd known. Take a break from friends and family. Become part of a completely different social scene -- not that what I had was bad, but just that it was feeling bland. Also, I know I'm pretty good at adapting to different situations. An easy-going Californian, I suppose.

Also, how long did you think about the idea of coming here before you actually got on a plane?

[Bibbitybop]

Time thinking about teaching abroad: 1 year while I was in school.
Time thinking about Korea specifically: 6 months after I had made the decision to come here.
Why I came: Decent money, teaching opportunity to continue my teaching profession, new culture (had Korean friends in the US, have many contacts here), the ability to have a good amount of vacation and be close to Asian travel destinations, and most importantly, I didn't want to be a corporate *beep* or run of the mill worker in the US waiting to get old and build material wealth in a rat race

[Flash Ipanema]

I'm not there yet, but I should be starting next month.

Why I'm doing this: I've always done the responsible thing, what I "should" do: go to school, work, pay my bills. My problem is I went to college without a reason other than "college comes after high school." I didn't know what to major in, I didn't know what kind of job I wanted, didn't know what to do after college. I've stayed at the same job for four years because I didn't know what other job to apply for. My friends have moved on, I don't make new friends at my job, and I'm just in a rut. Other than my sparkling personality , I feel boring.

So one day (I think in September) I'm looking through jobs on craigslist and read about teaching english overseas. I stopped and thought, that actually sounds like something I would like to do. I started doing my research and found Dave's, and the more I read the more excited I got and the more determined I was to go through with it. I wanted to wait until after the holidays though, and decided to aim for March for reasons concerning my current job. Otherwise I might have left earlier.

Despite having a fairly solid spanish background, I don't (currently) have any interest in Central or South America. I've always been interested in Asian culture and quickly found that in Korea I can save the most money. Money is of course a factor, plus I've always wanted to experience other cultures, not just visit for a week. And since I'm single with no kids, this is the time to do it.

I figure that no matter what happens, I'll have an incredible experience, and hopefully this will help me figure out what I want to do with my life.

[Qinella]

A friend recommended it. I wanted to escape my boring office/bank job and do something less dull. Studied the options, and Korea was best as far as money and an interesting language to learn. That's about it.

[Woland]

I'm a longterm expat, out of the US ten years now. The first two of those were in Korea, followed by time in Turkey and Armenia. I came back here this time because my job in Armenia had fallen apart in a dispute over health insurance. At the same time, I saw an ad for a university teacher ed job here in a program I knew, run here and in the US by people I knew, trusted, and liked. I jumped at it, and have been quite pleased with how things have turned out the second time around here.

[RACETRAITOR]

My uncle was an English teacher in 1996 and I came to visit him. From that, I decided I would someday come back after I had a university degree.

[twg]

I came because of



and



I no longer have the second, but the first will keep me here for a while yet.

Good CD, by the way...

[Maz]

I played with the idea of teaching abroad for probably 5 years before finally committing to the decision.

I decided on teaching as a career field when I was about half way through my degree, and I've always felt that travel was really
necessary. I can't see how else to gain any real understanding of how different societies work, and of where different ideas and beliefs and cultures come from....
It seemed like a simple equation: teaching + travel = TEFL...... So, when I graduated I went n got myself Tesol certified..... Then I kind of wimped out n ended up putting off getting a real job for a year or so. I didn't feel confident that I was strong enough to actually do it...

I eventually bit the bullet because - like the OP - I was at a stage in my life where there was nothing tying me down. I actually felt really crap about this. Life felt empty. I realised that I had to turn that around and take advantage of my situation.

Why Korea? ...East Asia appealed to me for various reasons, and I chose Korea as a starting point cos it was easy to get a job, and the best money!

[bluelake]

At the time I first considered it (twenty-four years ago), I was young, single, and adventurous. I met the person who founded the Korean high school I eventually taught at. I spent the next year preparing to go and, during that time, I asked to correspond with a faculty member who I could learn more about the school, city, and country from; she became my guide, interpreter, and best friend--so I married her!

Although we moved back to the States for a few years, we returned to Korea in '89 with our son and have lived there ever since.

[vexed]

I'm not actually in Korea yet, but I'll be there by next weekend. The reasons why I'm coming are various.

I want to travel and explore the world.
I want to experience a completely different culture and language.
I want to do something different with my life.
I want to meet new people.
I want to earn money to fund more travel.

I hope that after a year in Korea I'll still want all those things, and more.

[Cerebroden]

my wife got stationed here and I wasn't really trying to spend my marriage away from her so I came with. Then we decided to stay longer cuz we are making green.

Oh, and because she doesn't really want to go to Iraq.

[Gregarious Monk]

Got tired of my current career. (10 years of IT)
Want to travel.
Want to work in a completely different culture.
Have friends who've been living and working in Busan for 6 years.
Want to try teaching.
Money and low tax-rate are a plus.

I'll be there in two weeks.

(edit: I've been considering it for about three years now.)

[Ya-ta Boy]

I was in the first throes of my mid-life crisis when I met someone on the way to Spain to teach English. I'd always wanted to travel and that idea struck me as the perfect way to continue my teaching career, travel and get paid all at the same time. Perfect solution.

I toyed with the idea for several years and then ran across a school that offered a one-month certificate program. Took it and while there saw ads posted on the bulletin board for jobs around the world. I copied down several that looked interesting and sent out applications. Korea answered first.

I quit my high school job at semester and have been here for almost all of the last 12 years. It's been a great adventure. I've had two great jobs and met quite a few interesting people. You can't have an adventure unless you also have some obstacles to overcome and I've had my share of those, too. I am moving to a new job in about 10 days and the KH just began publishing my weekly column two weeks ago, so it feels like good times are here again.

How do I explain why I have wanderlust and other people don't. I can't. I'm just one of those people who wants to see what's on the other side of the hill. I don't think it's necessarily greener there, but I want to check it out for myself.

[dog_disco]

...Married to a Korean woman, so it has been a chance to meet her family for the first time + experience her culture for a year. Also able to gain work experience to get into teachers college back home. Last, am able to both pay off my student loan + pay for teachers college within one year. I'm only surprised it took me as long as it did to finally make my way over here.

[fibergirl]

I just graduated college in May and had no idea what I wanted to do with my degree. Any job I would have found in America in the fashion industry would not have paid as well as teaching here. I felt lazy because I had not experienced very much out side of the American midwest. It was too easy. I needed the adventure. Most of my good friends were taking up positions abroad or were thinking about it. I contemplated the Peace Corps but was not ready to spend 2+ years somewhere. I thought that one year abroad would help me figure out where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. But it isn't working out that way. I still have no idea and I keep adding options to my list of things I would like to do. I picked Korea for the superficial money reason and the fact that it is a jumping off point to travel all of Asia.

I suppose the idea of teaching in Korea was planted about two years ago when a girl that had done it came to speak at my school. Then one year ago a good friend moved to Japan to teach. I seriously started looking into it in March and flew on August 30th. I would have left sooner but I had a fashion show I commited to and then my grandfather got sick so I really left the soonest I could once I had the degree in my hand.