Korean Job Discussion Forums

[little L]

Hi, I'm a first year applicant to be a teacher in Korea and in need of major assistance! I'm being thrown all these positions and have no basis on how to decide... Here are a few. Please let me know your thoughts! I would really appreciate it

School Overview:
School Name: Kid's College Headquarters
School Website: http://www.21kidscollege.com/

Location and Start:
City: Seoul
Location Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangnam-gu
Start Date or Dates: Ilsan: Sept 25 Gangseo: Nov 20 Ilsan: November

Basic Introduction:
Kid's College was founded in 1991, and has a main branch located in Gangnam in Seoul. Since 1986, has opened about 20 branches in Seoul and the surrounding areas.

School locations include:
Gangnam, Kangseo, Mokdong, Boramae, Ilsan, Bucheon, Incheon, Yongin, Other cities in Korea.
Contract Overview:
Salary: (min) 1.9 million (max) 2.4 million
Overtime: KRW 15,000 Won per hour
Airfare: round trip airfare
Bonus: 1 month salary
Housing: free fully furnished single/shared

Vacations: 10-14 days of vacation
Medical Coverage: 50/50

Description of Duties and Opportunity
Schedule: 9:30 to 6:30 pm; Monday to Friday
Teaching Hours: 120 hours per month
Type of Students: kindergarten-elementary; age 4 to 12
Number of Teachers:
Number of Foreign Teachers:


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I also got an offer to CDI in Gangdong. I have already read a few negative postings about them though....

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A possibility in Sincheon. The recruiter is finding out more details, but how is the quality of life there? I am coming from NYC so I definitely want to be in Seoul, in an area that would be equivalent to Greenwich Village...

I appreciate any feedback. Thank you!!

[The_Conservative]

First of all the overtime is low and is designed to cheat you out of pay. Some quick math. Even taking the lowest salary end 1.9 million. Divide that by 120 hours (your working hours per month) and that is (approximately) 15833 per hour. So a regular hour pays you (roughly) 15833 won per hour and a overtime hour pays you 15000? BIG red flag here.

If you were to take the 2.4 million your regular hourly pay would jump to 20,000 per class, but the overtime stays at 15000. So regardless of salary you would be doing OT classes for LESS than regular pay.


As for the 120 hours stated they also say that working hours are between 9:30-6:30. That may not or may include lunch. But again by my math that is 180 hours spent at work per month (assuming 20 work days to a month) as opposed to the 120 they said.

I'd keep looking. If they intend to cheat and lie to you before you even start, what will they do to you AFTER you are locked in?

[little L]

[The_Conservative]

[reactionary]

15,000? i even feel like my 25,000 is too low.

i did 3/hours a day overtime for a month for youngdo(20,000 in that case). it makes you tired and it wasn't worth it.

CDI gets a bad rap, but you'll get paid for the work it seems like. i still want to work for them at times...but i like the relative ease of my life these days.

[little L]

i'm DEFINITELY looking for quality of like 100% over the money. Not that I don't want to get paid well, especially since I'm getting paid pretty decently at my current job, but still... It's a year. I want to be happy and have fun!

[reactionary]

you wont have fun if you are going to be working tons of hours, which i think you will. at 15,000 / hr, it's in their interest to make you work as many hours as possible! that's a bargain, as another poster has said. Want short hours and don't care about pay? get one of those after school jobs. pays alright but seems to like to screw people out of severance and such.

[little L]

more jobs...

1. Location: Gaebong stn (line 1)
2. Type of students: elementary
3. Working days per week: Mon-Fri 25 teaching hours/week maximum
4. Class schedule: M-F 3:00-8:00
5. Salary: KRW 2.0 million per month
6. Housing: Single furnished housing or 350,000 housing allowance preffered
7. Overtime payment: 25000 / hr
8. Class size: maximum 10
9. Starting date: Sept 25
10. Paid vacation: 2 WEEKS
11. Full Benefits ( airfare, housing, medical insurance, year-end bonus)

Where is Gaebong? Is it pretty far from downtown Seoul?? I'm trying to be close to chungdam, deachi, bangbae, hongdae or songpa per the advice of my family and friends.


and another...... This one is located in Sincheon. That's good, right?

Overtime: W20 000/hour
Bonus: W2.2million won (or equivalent to one month�s salary)
Hours per week: 30 hours per weeks (10-6pm split)
Accommodation: studio/apartment/shared apt/housing allowance, A/C
Airfare: roundtrip or one way provided/reimbursed
Distance (school to house):5 min. walking or subway/bus
Teaching Level: kindergarten to elementary/middle/high/adults
Vacation: 3 weeks + national holidays
Number of Native English Speakers at institute presently: 10
Pension: 50% provided or not provided
Medical Insurance: 50% provided
Income Tax: 3-5 %
Requirements:
1. 4 year Bachelor University Degree,
2. E2 visa country: Canada, USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

[Voyeur]

what did CDI offer you?

[little L]

"an hourly rate of 27,000 KRW or conversely a monthly salary of 2,200,000 KRW depending on the location and the school�s offer."

[Voyeur]

Hmm...I probably would not go to CDI at 27k . hour unless:

a) your main concern is to save cash at all costs (only at CDI can you often work longer hours to get more -= but your $/unit of effort and time won't be great)

b) you want to stay for 2-3 years in which case the first year can set you up for 2-3 years where you will rock and roll and make up for the crappy first year.

You want to be getting 30k/hour to make a 1-year stint at CDI worth it IMO.

[The_Conservative]

[MarionG]

Overtime: W20 000/hour
Bonus: W2.2million won (or equivalent to one month�s salary)
Hours per week: 30 hours per weeks (10-6pm split)
Accommodation: studio/apartment/shared apt/housing allowance, A/C
Airfare: roundtrip or one way provided/reimbursed
Distance (school to house):5 min. walking or subway/bus
Teaching Level: kindergarten to elementary/middle/high/adults
Vacation: 3 weeks + national holidays
Number of Native English Speakers at institute presently: 10
Pension: 50% provided or not provided
Medical Insurance: 50% provided
Income Tax: 3-5 %
Requirements:
1. 4 year Bachelor University Degree,
2. E2 visa country: Canada, USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

This ad really doesn't say anything...is the apartment a studio? Shared? Or do they just give you a small allowance and make you find your own?
Do you have a 5 minute walk, or a 2 hour subway bus ride?
Who the heck do you teach, anyway, middle? elementary? adults? highschool?
They pay pension or they don't? Huh? The law says they have to.
Airfare, round trip or one way?

This is just a generec ad. Everything will probably turn out to be on the worst end of their range, i.e you'll be turned loose to try and find your own accomodation, or you'll share with strangers an hour from the school, and they won't pay half of medical or pensions.

PASS!

[classique]

Ads are meaningless. First step is to look up the school in the forum (and the location in Wiki), then ask to see a sample contract. If all looks swell (fat chance!), ask to speak with a foreign teacher at the school. If the teacher says that everything is wonderful, move on... Never accept the first offer that comes your way, and use the contract posting thread for assistance before signing.