Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wings]

I am hoping to go to Korea to start working at the end of August. I have applied for apublic school position, and with anohter recruiter I am looking for private school options in case the public school thing doesn't pan out.

I have a TESOL and 4 years experience teaching in different countries. I keep getting jobs offering 2.1 or 2.2. I thought I would be able to get 2.3 fairly easily with my experience, good references and certification.

I was very interested in working at the school where I was offered 2.1 as I have a friend working there. She has zero experience and no certification and is making 2.1. I tried to negotiate and got a flat out no.

On this board there are people waying that straight off the boat newbies shouldn't teach for less than 2.2.

What am I doing wrong?
Where are the good jobs?

[dreaming_saturn]

From what I can see jobs offering higher pay are more readily available if you're already in Korea.

This is only my opinion, is an extra 200,000 won a month really worth it in some cases? Are you coming to Korea only to make money? That's fine if you are. If not, look at the other perks of the job, I'd much rather work for 2.1, decent hours, nice environment, nice apartment, a bit of respect than work 2.4 for a rotten school anyway. It's about quality of life. Yeah, many people will tell you to hold out. If you know that the situation is good ( such as in your friend's school) I wouldn't dismiss it so quickly.

Good luck

[sconner]

Try posting your resume here. You'll have to sift through a lot of crap offers, but there will probably be some good ones in there. It worked for me.

[insam]

I don't even think about the monthly salary total. I only think about how much time is invoved (on site, prep, commute, vacation etc). It would be better to have 4 hours per day responsibility and make 2.1 than 8 hours per day and make 2.8. The more free time you have outside your contract obligations, the more time you have to make big money.

Part of it is simply about budget. They can hire a newbie and meet the goal of having a native speaker on staff. Newbies are sometimes preferred as they are more likely to take it in the arse and have no experience with which to compare their working conditions. Also, the going rate for teachers has diminished significantly in Korea over the years (newbie certified teachers hired at an international school where I worked were hired at $28,000 US last year. A couple of years ago it would have been more like $32,000). Good luck. If you have a period of several months or a year to apply for jobs it will produce better results. If you are looking for something in the coming weeks, then of course options will be limited. Also, it never hurts to be in Korea when applying.

[kimchi story]

[bobbybigfoot]

I would think you would at least qualify for a highter pay level with a public school.

2.3 at a minimum. Accepting less is just silly.

I'm a newbie and I got several offers at 2.2 million.

Make sure you have a decent photo. Decent resume. If so, it will come..

[tob55]

Regardless of all of the rumors floating around about what you can get for salary, most employers in public schools are starting out around 2.0 - 2.2 regardless of qualifications. The two main organizations are GEPIK and EPIK which is commonly known. The max in the public schools set by the Ministry of Education is 2.5 not counting the 100,000 KRW benefit for working in a rural school. NOW, those of you making more than that, good for you, you are lucky. However, the standards are set to limit the amount of income for foreign language instructors.

Here's how it shakes down:

Category 1 - 2.3 per month
* Teacher's certificate (University, not TEFL)
* At least two years teaching experience in accredited institutions
* Master's Degree & at least two years English teaching experience
* A minimum 100 hour course in TEFL/TESOL or CELTA & at least two years teaching in accredited institutions
* Bachelors Degree in Education with at leat two years of teaching experience

Category 2 - 2.1 per month
* Teacher's Degree in elementary or secondary school
* TESOL/TEFL or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours in length
* Master's degree with a minimum of two years study
*Bachelor's degree with at least one year of teaching experience in accredited institutions
* Bachelor's degree with a major in education

Category 3 - 2.0 per month
* Bachelor's degree in any field without other certificates or experience mentioned in categories 1 or 2


Remember, nothing is guaranteed so the schools can actually do whatever they want. The max is 2.5, and many schools never keep employees long enough to reach that golden number. This is my third contract year with my public school and I am only at 2.4 (I have a M.Ed., I have a TEFL certificate, I have over 20 years of teaching experience in the United States at elementary, secondary and university). Need I go on?? They are given the autonomy from the MOE to spend their English budget anyway they see fit, which sometimes means money the instructor should be getting goes to other programs they feel are more important than English. (I have personal proof of this for those who believe it can't be true)...Honestly, the school could really care less if you take the job or not, because they can find someone else to take it. I am not trying to be rude, but that is the fact.

If the school you are negotiating with is holding firm they have probably targeted some of the money for something else. Of course they will not be up front and tell you that they are spending it on something else, but that is usually the way it goes. If you really want to come here then accept this contract or try and find a different job that will pay what you feel you should be making. It is just not worth the energy to get worked up over something that is not likely to change for you or anyone coming into the school you are talking about...That is my advice on the situation...

[icicle]

For a public school job the maximum that you are likely to get with a new contract is 2.3 ... Other public schools tend to follow the level criteria which GEPIK and the other programs use.

If you fit the criteria for Level 1 then you will start at 2.3 (as your base salary). If not then 2.1 is your likely starting point.

My starting point - the salary I accepted when I started was 2.2 . I did almost meet the criteria for Level 1 - and I was offered a 2.2 starting salary ...

You also need to consider that in a public school this is for teaching 22 lessons a week (in middle school they are 45 minute lessons)... And there is the possibility of overtime if they ask you to teach more than the 22 lessons ... And you could easily teach some overtime without feeling stressed or overworked ... One of the big challenges in public schools sometimes is not having enough to do .... rather than too much.

Expecting more than 2.3 in a public school job is not realisitic.

Icicle

[princess]

Not all public schools are plum jobs. My Korean friend works ata public school, and even though there is only 3 hours a day of teaching for 2.4, there is lots of other busy work that keeps her and the foreign teachers there for 10 hours some days, and 400,000 of that 2.4 is for your housing. You'll end up with a dump if all you pay is 400,000 for rent. So, for a better place, there you are dipping into your remaining 2.0 for rent. hell, you may as well just pay rent in NYC then. I wouldn't come to the other side of the world to pay rent.

[The_Conservative]

[cbclark4]

Do you have to meet all of the criteria or just one line item in each category.

For instance a Four year degree with one year teaching experience will get me to Category 2 I think?

cbc

[ttompatz]

The thing to keep in mind when you are looking at public school salaries is the class loading.

The base salary is usually for 22 classes per week.

If you do extra or supplimental classes (usually in the afternoon programs) you will receive extra pay and that can bump the salary up by another 200-500k per month bringing the totals for a newbie into the 2.3 - 2.6 mil range for a class load of 26-28 classes.

If you want the extra classes, let your handler know and they will usually make the arrangements to get it set up for you.

You also get more holiday time than you will ever get at a hakwon.

[contrarian]

I am getting the equivalent of GEPIK level 1 although I don't have a teaching certificate - two degrees and 7 years experience did help.

I am too old for most University positions because of mandatory retirement. I managed to dodge that bullet for two years. I do miss the long vacation.

2.1 for some one coming from outside is about standard.

[tob55]

You can fulfill one of the guidelines listed to receive the category and pay, but that is not true in all situations. You are literally at the mercy of the hiring school and what they are willing to give...Again, the schools receive the privilege of making the final decision about what they will pay that is autonomous of the MOE guidelines...However, it never hurts to have a many qualifications as you can...

[wylies99]