Korean Job Discussion Forums

[desertdaisy]

Hi all

I was just wondering ..how do you really know if you can trust a recruiter or a Hagwon.Some of them has the greatest offers etc.It is just so confusing because from these threads basically i have discovered that a contract as such is not as liquid as it is supposed to be **meaning** that they can still kick your butt as they want to and if you not prepared to wait to go to labour court or whatever other steps may be taken , they still do take you for a ride.

So, in effect it seems as if the contract doesnt mean much...
I am becoming Hopeless ,distressed and depress

Then on the other side of the coin , why are foreigners then returning to Korea if it is that bad.


Anyways , if there is any adviice please let me know

Thank you


QUOTE:It's extremely easy for the government to prove the truth when there is nothing to hide. And it's extremely difficult for the common man to help show us the truth. Like coal to a diamond, the truth only becomes more pure as time squeezes it, whereas lies merely crumble apart. Do not put faith in a lie, or you may crumble with it.

[The Hammer]

[sbeara]

gee, I'm sure that really helped desertdaisy's depression

I definitely understand what you're going through, desertdaisy. I've been doing research and reading the forums for a couple of months, and its pretty much been kind of deflating. I was so excited about going to Korea to do something different (for me) but then I read about all the crooks and and general shady-ness of hagwons, which has made me paranoid and stressed about finding a good job. Don't get me wrong, I realize that a lot of it is probably rooted in truth and I have gotten some really useful advice as well, but it's all a bit daunting for a newbie.

That being said...can anyone post or PM the names of reliable, quality schools you've worked at and would personally recommend applying to? I'm specifically looking for schools in Seoul or Bundang (I have family there).

Thanks a lot!

[spliff]

[kimchi story]

The first time i came I went with a recruiter who was also a teacher at the school. It worked out well - but there isn't a magic formula out there. This time I went with a public school and so the recruiter is basically a non-factor. Come to think of, I never ended up meeting her in person as she had a colleague from another agency picking up people at the same time and asked her to grab me - we were all headed to the same orientation so it made for a cozy reintroduction to Korea.

Why do people come back? Wellllll, many don't. Many don't make it a year. You might find a good school and decide to stick it out for a coupla years. You might find yourself bouncing from lame school to lamer school and getting messed over the whole time. You're making a leap of faith coming to Korea, and nothing can add an element of certainty to that.

The acid test is this: do people in your home country frequently screw you over? If so, stay there - the people here will get a lot more over on you. Or, do you generally have positive relationships with colleagues and bosses? If so, it prolly has something to do with your character and that will work for you here as well as it does at home.

And as for trusting recruiters, really trusting them, I'll go with Hammer's take on the matter.

[some waygug-in]

This is just my opinion on the matter, so take it or leave it..

I wouldn't trust either...ever.

The odds of getting screwed over as a newbie are very high.

But there are some things you can do to increase your chances of finding

a better situation. (notice, I didn't say good)

One of the biggest lessons I had to learn in Korea was to lower my expectations, both as a teacher and as an employee. Don't expect first world labor standards.....but at the same time , do the best you can to protect yourself.


Contact former teachers. This is probably your best resource for finding out what a school is like. Ask a lot of questions like:

Did you get paid regularly, on time and in full?

Did you feel you were treated fairly by your school/director?

If not, why not?

How were the accomodations? Good, bad ...acceptable?

Were there any surprises that the school tried to pull over on you?

Did the school have resources/books/picture cards/tapes etc?

What books did they use and are the teachers allowed to bring in their own materials?

Other questions need to be asked about teaching hours, overtime, sick days etc.


I don't recommend using a recruiter, but sometimes you might have to.

I've only had one positive experience with a recruiter in my 4+ years here. Keep in mind that a recruiter is only there to make a commision.
They don't really care if you are happy or not.

Anyway, that's all I can come up with at the moment.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

[wylies99]

[The Hammer]

[wylies99]

Troll?

I fall for this BS every time.

[willneverteachagain]

dude dont drag NS into this

[kimchi story]

[willneverteachagain]

yeah well this is my funny day

[bellum99]

I never met one yet who I would turn my back to.

[TOMODACHI-KID]

"desertdaisy,"

don't be depressed! You already know the facts about Hogwons. Now all you need to do is "roll the dice." In my situation, I dealt with the Hogwon Director to get my teaching job. It was really ideal and beautiful and all that mushy stuff for the first six months. Then suddenly, the Director changed my contract. These actions that they committ are facts. Nothing new or surprising. You can, however, get lucky with a good school, but know that there is a compromise; that is, crap may come up suddenly on behalf of whom you are working for.

As to your question about people coming to Korea to teach in spite of all the heartaches, well, the teaching is easy, quick salary is there, experiencing a different culture, etcetera...

Maybe these aspects temporarily outweigh the impending turmoil...

Good luck in your decision!

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TRUST ONLY TWO THINGS WHEN YOU ARE THERE: THE SOJU IN YOUR HAND AND YOURSELF!