Korean Job Discussion Forums

wings · Joined: 09 Nov 2006

Sorry, I'm sure this school has been mentioned before, but the search function isn't working. I have been sent some inital information for an interveiw with ECC in northern Seoul (no confirmation yet as to which campus exactly)

Any general information on this chain?

poet13 · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 7:16 am Post subject:

GENERAL information.
I worked for an ECC in my city, well south of Seoul. The franchise owner did me in ways that would take 10 prophets 10 years to dream up. That doesn't mean that all are the same, but for sure there is logistic communication among the group.
Post your contract in the contract sticky and absolutely listen to what the respondees have to say.
PS- don't worry about the clause that says you will not discuss your contract.

Donkey Beer · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

The deal breaker i had with them was wanting me to eat lunch with the kids for no extra pay.

wings · Joined: 09 Nov 2006

that would definatly be a deal breaker for me. There is NO way I am eating lunch with little kiddies.

Was this in your contract? or was it something that they brought up after you arrived?

Tokki1 · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 8:03 am Post subject:

Stay away.

wings · Joined: 09 Nov 2006

Tokki1 · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 8:42 am Post subject:

They will work you like a slave, and they won't appreciate your efforts. They will rip you off.

I've never heard anything good about that chain, or Wonderland or LCI.

Lao Wai · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Location: East Coast Canada

Hey,

I worked for one in Busan (company owned, not a franchise).

The pros:

I got paid on time. I got my bonus.
Structured curriculum.

The cons:

Less flexibility with lessons.
Working with Korean co-teachers. The kids respected them, not the foreign teachers. I worked at another hogwan with no Korean teachers. This problem didn't exist.

The pay was a lot lower than any other hogwan around. The apartment was not very good. The bathroom really sucked.

I worked Saturdays. NEVER AGAIN. When I got back to Canada, my parents though I was dying because I looked so haggard (excessive drinking may have had something to do with this.)

Overall, it was 'okay' to start with. It wasn't terrible, but there was sort of a culture of fear at our school. Everybody kept on a tight leash.

Donkey Beer · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

poet13 · Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 7:41 pm Post subject:

I would consider having to spend lunch time as contact time, and ask for overtime.
Either that, or eat with them. Eat with your hands. Stuff as much food into your mouth as you possibly can and start talking. Without being too obvious, make sure food comes out. Make it fun. Teach then atrocious table manners. Have a food fight. Teach them that if they don't like something, to push it off their tray onto the table. Use your imagination. I give it one week max, and you get to spend your lunch any way you want. Laughing

willneverteachagain · Joined: 17 Dec 2006

they expect u to do it because your OT is "free lunch" and it's usually the class u are the teacher off so lunch is right after that class and u have to stay with them and actually dish it out