Korean Job Discussion Forums

sketchforsummer · Joined: 11 May 2007

Hi everyone,
Firstly, thanks to everyone who's contributed to the boards...I've learned a lot from reading all these posts!
My question is fairly specific : I'm trying to decide what my best (i.e., best paying) course of action would be. I have a B.A., a TEFL certificate, 7 months teaching French high schoolers and 6 months teaching business English in Prague. I really can't tell whether EPIK/GEPIK is a good deal for me or if I should be looking at recruiters or direct hire into a public school. I do not want to be in Seoul and I would like to arrive in early August. The EPIK deadline is fast approaching and I have to decide quickly. Any and all advice will be gratefully received. Thank you!!

bosintang · Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 7:03 pm Post subject:

There's no need to rush. There are plenty of jobs. I say shop around and don't limit yourself to one recruiter or one program. EPIK and GEPIK might have a deadline but they are not going to fill all of their positions and will still be trying to fill their positions 3 months from now. To give you an idea, I started applying for public school jobs the last week in August and had offers immediately.

What's best for you depends on you, but since you want to be outside of Seoul, you'll pretty well have your choice of just about any location you want. Again, shop around a bit.

Sody · Joined: 14 May 2006

I strongly recommend what bosin said, no need to rush. Take your time, take your time!! Again and again I have told countless teachers on this forum this very same thing and most of them still rush over to Korea. Supply of jobs will ALWAYS be greater than demand and so there will always be plenty of jobs to choose from. At least until Korea becomes a better country which is slowly happening but won't actually happen for a long time still.

GEPIK and EPIK have so many problems that you really would be unwise to get just any job at any public school. Investigate the schools and offers very meticulously before you decide. BoL.

Sody

desertdaisy · Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Location: south africa

HI

I see that GEPIK and EPIK has problems such as....?

Please let me know as i am starting at a school in ANsan soon and it falls under GEPIK as it is a public school

I have already sent off my documentation.

Please let me know?

Thank you Confused

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

I think there are issues with GEPIK's contract, as there seems to be two versions floating around. Check out the security deposit, which is 300,000 a month for 3 months. You should get this back at the end of your contract though.
Another issue is with vacation. SMOE's new contract gives teachers about 20 working days (does not include Saturday or Sunday), whereas GEPIK offers 14, though you get 19 if you work in a rural area. You could try to negotiate an increase in vacation time and see if they are willing to match SMOE.
I think there was another issue about the summer and winter camps. One contract stated that the teacher had to work about 20 hours of camps total during each vacation period. Other contracts stated the teacher must work 20 hours a week.
Also look at the overtime which may be banked as paid vacation. One contract offers 2 hours of paid vacation for each overtime hour, but the other contract offers 1 hour of paid vacation for 1 hour of overtime.

Read the contract over carefully. Even though a recruiter may say the school can't change the contract, that's not completely true. If possible, try to contact the school directly and speak with the KET in charge of hiring native speakers. Good luck