Korean Job Discussion Forums

[newinseoul]

Hi,

I'm thinking of going back to Seoul for the second time. I am currently reviewing the contract sent by SMOE. I see that the vacation listed on there is 21 days paid vacation. Does that mean four weeks of vacation? I just want to confirm this with someone who knows for sure.

Let me know if anyone is arriving in Seoul for the training on March 1st. It would be good to speak to someone else going into the same situation.

Peace

[Captain Courageous]

I have a phone interview in a couple days, and am currently preparing for it. I'll PM you if I'm offered a contract (although I'm not holding my breath).

[Satin]

Look at your contract carefully. My contract with a different province says, "20 work days." Key words are Work DAYS.

If it just says 21 days, they more than likely mean three weeks.

[SeoulShakin]

I am signing on. My contract also says 21 paid vacation days, and I was told by my recruiter that it is like 4 weeks. I interviewed in person, and the woman told me it is a new thing they are doing by offering more vacation. Since I was told the same thing by the people who interviewed me in person (the interviewer and one of the supers in the Seoul area), I can only assume the information to be true.

Maybe I'll see you during training.

[starlight128]

Do you know where you're going to be housed? Also, do you know if teachers have a say in where they're going to be placed etc?

[redlightorchestra]

try to rewrite the ambiguosly worded contract to read at least two vacations of 5 consecutive working days.

a vacation of, a day here and a day there, isn't really much of a vacation.

[SeoulShakin]

From what I've heard from friends of mine who are already working for the SMOE, the first week you are there is for training. So likely we won't be in our own apartment for that week, and then at training we will be told about our housing, and go there after. I don't think you REALLY get a choice of the area, but I suppose you could contact the SMOE and let them know what your preferences are. I suppose it couldn't really hurt. I don't really have a HUGE preference as to where in Seoul I am. I was around Jamsil last year, so it could be nice to try a different area. I can tell you not to expect SPECIFIC information about your housing until you are there, since most Korean people are all about doing things at the last minute.

[newinseoul]

Captain: How did the interview go? Keep us posted.

Good to see that others are signing on for March as well. I see that my contract does say 21 working days of vacation, although the clause is that employer can change when vacation is taken if there is winter or summer camp at that time.

I was told that you should know what school you are going to in the middle of February. Does anyone know where the training will be and when the exact start date is?

Cheers

[xCustomx]

This is the biggest problem I have with SMOE, and the main reason why I turned down their job offer last summer. I've been debating whether or not I want to try again this year.....

[Positive Realist]

I've signed with SMOE for March 1rst. Heard the training starts on the 2nd and we'll be teaching on the the 12th (does anyone know the actual length of orientation?). Location and housing are determined by mid Feb. but we don't get to see either until the end of orientation?

Is anyone flying out of Toronto?

[ddeubel]

[Ben Glickman]

As far as I know, training will take place again at a corporate training center in Yongin, in suburban Seoul. The normal m.o. for the S.M.O.E. is that teachers are picked up at the airport, and depending on when they arrive are taken to their housing first, or are taken to a meeting place where they are taken by bus to the training center. Training will take place from the 5th to the 9th. That weekend, teachers will be brought back into Seoul, introduced to their co-teacher and will move into their housing, and will start work on the 12th.

PS - DD is right - this semester, for the first time, the S.M.O.E. has accepted a few candidates that have applied through multiple recruiters. That being said, they still do not look highly upon teachers using the 'shotgun approach', or teachers that have broken contracts in the past.

[Ben Glickman]

The S.M.O.E. is now hiring 13 less teachers for March than they originally projected - the final total of teachers hired for March will be slightly over 50. They will finish interviewing the final candidates on Monday - and barring any late drop outs the S.M.O.E. is done hiring until August.

[Unposter]

Ben,

Did you used to teach at Anyang Technical College?

[Ben Glickman]

I did indeed - I spent two years teaching at Anyang Technical College (now known as Anyang Science University).