Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Derrek]

I've been burned by one brand-new school and one older school under new management (which recently lost several hundred students). The first one signed a contract with me, then I went on vacation to the USA and came back to no job.

My best luck was with the established school. New schools scare me now!

[Squaffy]

Eamo - go for it - I helped set up a new business school chain in Seoul and Busan. I'm flying back out to SoKo in 2 weeks to check up on the progress. It's led to joining a franchise where we are opening up a new school in Athens, Greece.

Open those doors and see what happens.

Best of luck.

[PaperTiger]

After just completing a year at a school that had not previously offered an English program nor worked with foreigners, I would advise you to avoid it or take it only if you know you're the kind of person who fits in well with Korean staff. People who have never worked with foreigners or had them as employees can be very difficult to deal with on many levels. Plus, if the school is one that has an entrenched staff that now has to accept the reality of having a foreigner who is paid more than them join their staff, share their office, and perhaps not even be female (in the case of my school) it might be really rough going for some folks.

Their solution to this problem in the new year was just to kick both male teachers to the curb and try to get female teachers...ha ha ha, they actually think that female foreigners are cheaper or easier to get along with? I think they're in for a big surprise. Male or female, very few of us think or communicate the way Koreans do, and that always seems to be the biggest source of conflict.

[nautilus]

Being the first foreigner your schools had is both good and bad.

Good

1) they aren't cynical about foreigners yet.
2) They have a positive attitude.

bad
1) nobody is used to working with a fioreigner
2) Nobody understands a foreigners ways or wants.
3) Too many miscommunications cause bad feeling: English is minimal.

[Dome Vans]

Jes I looked at when this thread started and I hope it's still relevant. I've been offered at job at a brand new school within the Talking Club franchise and it sounds good. I have a CELTA qual so planning i don't really have a problem with. It's just kinda the lack of info available, that i really want before I commit to the year out there. It seems to be 50/50 on this thread for and against, thing is even if Talking Club is a good franchise does that neccessarily mean that their new ones are also going to be any good?