| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:05 am Post subject: Having trouble finding work |
 |
|
Hey, all. I've been sending applications and emails to every recruiting agency and school advertising here on Dave's and elsewhere for a teaching job in Seoul, and so far I've got garbage. I've been offered three contracts, all three of which were absolute trash - rife with bad numbers (5% tax and housing deposits? Incredibly vague language that could screw me, etc? Don't think so). Pay was all very substandard given the hours and after some minor revisions during negotiating, all of them simply never got back to me. All of the recruiters have been sending me things from franchises, etc that, upon googling, look like nightmares, or are outside of Seoul.
What am I doing wrong? I have an MA, some teaching experience, and want a simple job, block scheduling, no kindy, in Seoul, at least 2.1/month. That seems, from everything I've read, pretty standard.
That said, you knew I'd be soliciting for something, didn't you? Anyone have any leads or openings they know about I can submit my resume to? I'm almost willing to bribe someone at this point. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
You aren't doing anything wrong. In fact, it sounds like you are doing it right. Way to go. You are preventing being screwed, as best you can.
The fact is that most hagwon gigs are substandard. You've gotta sort out the wheat from the chaff. Keep looking, and eventually something will come along. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I just got an offer from Wonderland. After reading nothing but terrible stories and seeing it blacklisted everywhere, I had to pass on that one, too. I want out of here by late February, and I'm not feeling very encouraged. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Captain Courageous wrote: |
| I just got an offer from Wonderland. After reading nothing but terrible stories and seeing it blacklisted everywhere, I had to pass on that one, too. I want out of here by late February, and I'm not feeling very encouraged. |
Get a public school job. 9-5 block, 2.2 base + extra class allowance puts you around 2.7 + housing and benefits. Don't like little kids? Teach high school. March 2 start. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| How would I go about doing that, outside of browsing for "PUBLIC SCHOOLS YAY YAY YAY" ads? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Captain Courageous wrote: |
| How would I go about doing that, outside of browsing for "PUBLIC SCHOOLS YAY YAY YAY" ads? |
Send your resume to one of the recruiters who specialize in public schools. Worknplay, engkorea.net are 2 that come to mind.
Insist that you are only interested in a public school.
You will probably end up in one of the suburbs of Seoul rather than Seoul city itself.
Alternatively you can apply directly to the government programs.
SMOE - http://etis.sen.go.kr/ Seoul metropolitan office of education
GEPIK - http://gepik.ken.go.kr/ Gyeonggi province (surrounding Seoul)
EPIK - http://epik.knue.ac.kr/ everythere else in Korea.
This close to the start of the new term/semester, it is probably better to use a recruiter to get into a public school that go directly.
If you go directly you will probably be part of the summer intake for the Sept start (they are slow). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Don't want the 'burbs, want the city itself  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Captain Courageous wrote: |
| Don't want the 'burbs, want the city itself |
Then either:
a) apply to SMOE directly.
B) use a recruiter and be specific about public school IN SEOUL.
c) jump on an airplane and land one directly.
Good luck.
PS - it is sometimes faster and more convenient to be in the burbs.
Travel time to Itaewan or Jongno or Hongdae from Bundang (the burbs) is faster by bus than taking the subway from Gangdong (in the city). Being in the city itself is no assurance of convenience. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Referencing my post about Wonderland, I found this comical:
I sent a resume and other info to a website called "eslteacherrecruiter.com." A woman named "Sarah Fauset" answered. She claimed she had many positions open, and would like to see if I would be interested, sending a "what to expect" attachment concerning contract terms, etc. It was for Wonderland. Looking through the previous emails I received, it became obvious the website, which never mentioned wonderland, is essentially a front designed to make it look like a recruiter is recommending Wonderland, which, it seems, is universally reviled by everyone.
I responded that I would under no circumstance sign a contract with them, as their reputation is terrible. Her response was comical:
| Quote: |
Hi Ryan,
How are you? Thanks for your email. Wonderland is the biggest school in Korea. They have 89 schools and unfortunately all the other schools go and post bad information and reviews about the schools online...it is really petty.........I'm sorry that you had to read it but it is a misconception and I understand your concerns. We hire thousands of teachers a year. We are the most successful school in Korea. I can put you in touch with our current teachers so they can tell you about working at wonderland. Many of our teachers resign. Let me know!
Thanks |
So, which one of you dastardly naysayers were hired by other schools to lie about Wonderland on every ESL website on the internet? Fess up! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerebroden
Joined: 27 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:16 pm Post subject: |
|
|
haha, I've got an e-mail in my trash box almost exactly like that one.
I'm pretty much in the same boat as you.
Cap'n you grad from FSU?
Go 'Noles! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I kind of wanted to get into public school but my last hagwon went bankrupt in Nov/Dec. which is quite far from the March start date, so I signed up for another hagwon. The thing is I would leave in January of the following year to go home for a bit of R&R, but I don't want to stay home for more than a month. What would my options be? One major headache I have to deal with is the notarizing of my diploma because I don't live anywhere near the city I graduate in, so that is one disadvantage of leaving. I suppose the school could pay for the ticket and then I could do a visa run? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Cerebroden:
Sure am. Got a BA in Anthropology and MA in History there, got a year into the PhD and decided it isn't where I wanted to go.
You go to FSU, too? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Cerebroden
Joined: 27 Dec 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Most def. graduated with a B.S. in International Affairs in '05 Just long enough to be there (for what I thought were the horrible years)
Hopefully Jimbo will turn it all around this year.
And good on you to try and get out, Tally is a black hole. I know so many people that end up stuck there. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Captain Courageous
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Location: Bundang and loving it
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, I definitely felt my soul being sucked from my body every time I entered the city. What a pit.
You ever have Dr. Garretson for any Middle East History courses? He was my major professor. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Cerebroden wrote: |
| Tally is a black hole. |
Racist! 
Hey Captain, don't listen to the advice about going out to the burbs if what you want to be in is the city. If you like to go out at night, it sucks to have these as your only choices:
- be back at the bus station or subway by midnight
- find a hotel for the night, or stay in a sauna
- stay up until the public transportation starts again
- pay $50 for a cab ride home
But of course, if you are being choosy about where you want to live, yeah it's gonna take longer to find a position. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
