Korean Job Discussion Forums

[htrain]

I'm finishing my master's in 7 weeks and so I've begun the search for a better job. I've seen some college jobs that are like 8-5 M-F and 2.0mil won. Why on earth would anyone want one of these? My hakwon schedule is much better and my pay is a lot better too. Is it the prestige of saying you work at a college instead of a lowly hakwon?

I know uni jobs are the best, but whenever I ask people about them they act like I'm asking what their girlfriends look like naked... or what their mothers' bra sizes are.

I'm trying to do the math and unless I land a full-on uni job with the 5 months vacation, staying at my hakwon still seems like the best option.

Anyone work one of those crap college jobs? Is there something I'm missing?

[Milwaukiedave]

It really depends on what you personally are looking for. I've worked at both hagwons and a public school and am going to start at a university soon.

Many times there are extra classes that can be had and you can get some overtime which would raise your overall salary.

At a hagwon or public school you are often required to be there for a set amount of time whether you are teaching or not. I realize there are exceptions, but they are few and far between.

The other thing about a hagwon is that since it is a business, you are at the whim of the owner. Even if you are doing everything right, there is still a good chance you will be told you are not doing a good job. Parent's are fickle about their kids education and jerk their kids out of one hagwon and put them in another. Who's blamed, the native teacher. If your lucky and you work for a good hagwon owner, this won't happen, but again it depends on who you are working for.

To say hagwons are better is really not giving much creditablity to the stories you hear on Dave's from people (including my own) who have gone that route and gotten screwed. Last year I worked at a public school and I can tell you in terms of how I was treated, it was so much different.

But don't listen to me...you have your mind made up already.

[HapKi]

It sounds like what you call a "college job" is actually a hagwon run out of a university, or even just using the prestige name. Better be sure you know what you're talking about before commenting fully. Also, what do you mean by "full-on uni job"?

[mj roach]

m/t, sports week, festival week, exam weeks, semester vacations, etc.

[jinks]

I've done the route from Hagwon, to rugged university job, to current sweet uni job with all the pay and vacation. The rugged uni job wasn't that bad; 23 hours, two months paid vacation (but with one camp a year, no extra pay) and about 2.2 mil. Some people wouldn't touch it, but I did my time and moved onto a sweet job with all the perks and, as yet, no masters' degree. And anyway, some of the so-called 'crap jobs' like my rugged uni one aren't really so difficult, especially if you are coming from a 30 hour week 10 day vacation gig. I agree with the OP, that hagwon jobs are worth holding onto IF you have a good one and IF you are making lots of money.
OP: FWIW, my newest colleague took time off from teaching hagwons, got her masters and walked into our uni without doing time in a mediocre university job. PM me and I will give you details of my school who will be hiring extra teachers next spring.