Korean Job Discussion Forums

[endo]

I've been working in Seoul for three years straight at one of the more popular hagwons.

It's a pretty good job. I'm in charge of managing the teachers so I teach less classes everyday.

I make 2.5 million with 10 days paid vacation. Although I can get an extra 5 days paid vacation but it'll take some effort.


With all that said I'm still considering making the switch to a public school. But the one thing that's holding is the fear of loosing money.

I have a tesol certificate and three years experience. However, if I apply for a public school job in Seoul will I automatically be put at the bottom of the pay scale?

Is it possible for me to make more than 2.5 million per month? with overtime and all?


I'll be applying for positions at the end of February and I will be in Seoul to do so.


Thanks in advance for anybody who can provide me with some advice.

[garykasparov]

You have three years, certificate, teach in the classroom and manage the teachers. IMHO, you're worth more than 2,500,000 Korean Won per month. Ask for it including the extra paid vacation days.

[adventureman]

From SMOE's ETS website, verbatim:

[Milwaukiedave]

The thing about pubic school is there isn't really any room for negotiate. As you can see from the copy/paste Adventureman did, it's pretty much a set thing that you fall in to one of those categories and that's what you get.

That being said, I worked at a public school for a year and enjoyed it. Not everyone has had a good experience with a public school, so I consider myself lucky.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Geez, those salaries really are crap. Smelly crap. And what's this English degree requirement. Bunch of morons.

Public school. Yay.

[ttompatz]

PLUS - 21 WORKING DAYS of paid vacation
and a class load of 22 classes per week with supplimental pay for everything above 22.

Put in an extra 6 afternoon classes per week (class load of 28 classes x 40 min) and bump your pay by 500k per month.

Now you're on at 2.8 mil + 21 working days (4 calendar weeks) of paid vacation.

You will lose the autonomy that you enjoy in a hakwon however. For people in your position it is a trade-off.

Pay, holidays and benefits outweighed by loss of autonomy and having to deal with the bureaucracy.

.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Yeah, the OT is where it's at if you want to earn that extra cash. In my case I teach an extra class twice a week = 100k per week, so for the month I get 2.7m won for 22 hours per week (18 regular classes +4 hours of after school classes). Not to mention that classes get canceled all the time due to tests and other school activities, which equals more time to prep your lessons or to plan for your camps. Case in point, next week I teach three days and the week after for three days since it's midterm testing time. With luck I'll have my afterschool class planned for the rest of the year!

[oldfatfarang]

This is very simple. Do you want money (then teach at a Hagwon). Do you want a rest (then teach public school).

I teach public school. I've never taught more than 72 hours a month - last month I taught 50 hours (check out how many mindless posts I've made on Daves).

If my school wants me back (debateable) then I'll be asking for (and getting) non-attendance clauses for all these days I spend here doing absolutely nothing (but posting on Daves).

Good luck. Sometimes - money is just not worth the stress.

[Snowkr]

If it's the money you're after and you like your job... stick to the hogwan.

I have a masters in TESOL and I'm at 2.4 a month in my public school. SMOE offered me 2.5 but couldn't garuntee a high school position which I was adamant about.
I didn't come for the money only. I miss my hogwan because I feel like it was more structured and I much prefer the smaller classes. That said, I would most likely never go back because I don't want to teach younger than high school.

I do hear that the Daegu public schools have higher starting salaries plus an additional 300,000 per month. Perhaps you should check them out and see how they compare!
Good luck...

[thatwhitegirl]

I'm at 2.6 at a public school....rural area, but it's not that bad. We even have a HomePLus in walking distance. It's our first year in Korea, and we probably got really lucky. But we didn't go through Epik...great recruter who worked a deal directly with the school. 18 hours a week this semester (high school boys), and if I don't have class until 11, or finish early,I'll sometimes come in late/leave early, and just say I like to go grocery shopping when the stores are empty (if anybody ever asks, that is. No one seems to care.).

Can't say anything about other public schools, but I think you could find a well paid position, especially with your experience. Just takes some looking. I spend a couple months doing research and analyzing contracts and job offers....paid off in the end, I guess.

[sojourner1]

[lowpo]

[yingwenlaoshi]

It all has to do with how many hours you're at work. Not hours teaching. Sure you should get paid for a certain number of hours, but within a specified schedule. Plus you have to take into consideration the number of students you teach.

I'm under contract for 7 hours a day wich includes 6 teaching hours. My contract has me starting at 2, but I don't start until 2:30, so I come in at 2:30 some days because I teach OT. I teach 6 hours OT a week. MWF 2:30 to 9:30 and TTh 2:30 to 9. My base salary is 2.7 and I make about 600,000/month OT at 25,000. That's 3.3 million/month. Then I go home. No more than 7.5 hours in one day. And that's just at the hagwon.

Take your pick.

[garykasparov]

OP,

I normally say hakwons are *beep* but I think you should hammer down at your hakwon. As I stated earlier, you're worth more than 2,500,000 Korean Won per month. You've been working there for three years if I read correctly. In my humble opinion, you're worth 2,800,000 Korean Won per month as suggested in ttompatz reply. You're bringing in more students, the head foreign teacher and worked at your hakwon for three years. I believe you're getting robbed on your paid annual leave. Ask for more paid annual leave.

Article 59 (Annual Paid Leave)

(1) An employer shall grant 10 days� leaves with pay to workers who have offered work without an absence throughout a year and 8 days� leaves with pay to those who have registered more than 90 percent of attendance during one year.

(1) An employer shall grant 15 days� paid leave to worker who has registered more than 80 percent of attendance during one year. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>

(2) An employer shall offer a worker who is employed more than two consecutive years one day�s paid leave for each year of consecutive employment years, in forth in paragraph (1). However, if the total number of leaves exceeds twenty days, normal wages may be paid for the number of days in excess of twenty days, in place of paid leaves.

(2) An employer shall grant one day�s paid leave per month to a worker the number of whose consecutive service years is less than one year, if the worker has offered work without an absence throughout a month. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>

(3) An employer shall grant the leave with pay in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) when requested by a worker, and shall pay normal wages or average wages for the leave period as provided for in the rules of employment or other provisions; however, the period concerned may be altered, if it would be a serious impediment to the operation of the business to grant a leave(s) with pay at a time when a worker requests.

(3) In case an employer grants a worker paid leave for the first one year of his/her service, the number of leave days shall be 15 including the leave prescribed in Paragraph (2), and if the worker has already used the leave prescribed in Paragraph (2), the number of used leave days shall be deducted from the 15 days of leave. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>

(4) The period of temporary interruption of work resulting from an occupational injury or disease, or the period of temporary interruption of work before and after childbirth for female workers in accordance with Article 72, shall be regarded as equivalent to the performance of work without interruption in application of the provisions of paragraph (1).

(4) After the first year of service, an employer shall grant one day�s paid leave for each two years of consecutive service in addition to the leave prescribed in Paragraph (1) to a worker who has worked consecutively for 3 years or more. In this case, the total number of leave days including the additional leave shall not exceed 25. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>

(5) The paid leave referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be forfeited unless it is consumed within one year. However, this shall not apply if a worker has been prevented from using annual paid leaves due to the causes attributable to an employer.

(5) An employer shall grant paid leave pursuant to Paragraphs (1) through (4) upon request of a worker, and shall pay ordinary wages or average wages during the period of leave in accordance with employment rules or other regulations : Provided that the period concerned may be altered, in case it might cause a serious impediment to the operation of the business to grant paid leave at a time when the worker requests. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>

(6) In applying Paragraphs (1) through (3), the period during which a worker cannot work due to occupational injuries or diseases, or the period of child birth leave pursuant to Article 72 shall be regarded as a period of attendance. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>

(7) The leave referred to in Paragraphs (1) through (4) shall be forfeited if not used within one year : Provided that this shall not apply in case where the worker concerned has been prevented from using the leave due to any cause attributable to the employer. <Amended by Act No. 6974, Sep. 15, 2003>