Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rick]

I'm a former teacher who worked at BCM Geos, and they are starting to post advertisements for hiring for upcoming positions. They have positions in both Bundang and Suji. If you are interested in teaching adults, I highly recommend that you look elsewhere. Both ELS or Pagoda are better. At BCM Geos, you only get paid for 50 minutes per class, so if you have a 120 hour contract, this amounts to a ton of teaching just to get your regular pay. 7 classes is still under 120 hours based on this calculation, and if you teach 8 classes you only receive around 160,000 won of overtime for the 8th class. BCM has a reputation for being a sweatshop in Korea, and for good reason! As far as I know, the only good BCM in the Seoul area is the main one in Gangnam. At the main branch, if you teach for 50 minutes, you get paid for one hour.
Furthermore, this institute has very few university students, which means that your classes are only in the morning and the late evening. This means that every month you will be starting at 6:30 AM and finishing at 9:00 PM. No bonus is given for this kind of schedule. The institute is extremely stingy. They refuse to buy CD players instead of tape players for the classrooms, they almost never have parties or social outings for the teachers (and when they do the food is extremely cheap) and they are even reluctant to pay extra for a private class at the institute. Furthemore, if you have a private class at the institute and the student cancels one day or doesn't come to class that day, you are not paid for that lesson even though they have already received the money from the student and this kind of reasoning does not apply to other classes! And finally, the school has no sick leave whatsoever. If you miss any time because of illness, you have to make up the classes.
Furthermore, the management is very dishonest and often tells you what you want to hear rather than the truth.
This school is not in the same league as the infamous EWHA ALS or some of the Wonderland schools. You won't be ripped off outright, but you will receive less compensation for the amount of work that you do compared to other schools. Don't take this job unless you are desperate. With the shortage of teachers here now because of the difficult political situation, you should have no trouble finding better conditions.

[Lost Seoul]

Here are some posts about the BCM hagwons
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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=132710132741
to hell with BCM
Posted By: anon22222
Date: Thursday, 18 July 2002, at 10:54 a.m.
I am planning a run soon. My school, BCM in Incheon is the WORST.
I have to work on holidays, even constitution/law day. my boss says i must or "no pay."
I was contracted to teach 6 classes per day but when i arrived he said its really 7, sorry or NO PAY.
late pay or many deductions.
I am the only foreigner here so i am alone.
help.
when I leave i hope no one takes my position.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710134082
Re: Min Byung Chul in Pupyoung/Bupyung
Posted By: Ben [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, 24 July 2002, at 10:35 p.m.
In Response To: Min Byung Chul in Pupyoung/Bupyung (paula)
Stay away from BCM. Split shifts, LONG hours, low pay, contract problems. Some teachers have been lucky at BCM but MOST are not happy. No one can use you unless you let them!
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710134459
BCM's Bullshit
Posted By: rickysem [email protected]
Date: Friday, 26 July 2002, at 10:14 p.m.
I've worked at BCM (MIN BYUNG CHUL)Language Institute in Kwang An Dong, Busan for 6 months then I was canned/fired for not being white. The school would say that I was too mean, but you try dealing with middle school kids that say "f you"
The old director sold BCM to Nampo Dong, Busan BCM. The new director then turned around and canned me. There were two other foreign teachers both from Austrailia one newly hired and the other had 2 months and was ready to leave. The new director said to M that "he does not have to pay her the Bonus on her contract because the old director went bankrupt." The old director never filed for bankruptcy and the sale was a take over sale. Which would mean taking over the employee's contract. Again I was canned cause I was not a white face native speaker. Mr.Seo the new director is a short midget that has a very thick two face.
M and I called and emailed Lenny Erickson at BCM headquarters in Seoul about the situation but he just blew us off with formality emails that summed up to nothing... He's been here 10 years and married a Korean girl which is fine but sending an email back saying that he is working on it turned out to be bullshit, because Lenny and BCM and Mr.Seo were all in cohoots... It was actually BCM Headquarters that pushed Mr.Seo to take over the troubled BCM in Kwang An Dong. I did not know this until M and I had a sit down with Mr.Seo and he inadvertantly spilled the beans... Mr.Seo was holding \3,000,000 of the final payment to the old BCM directors for any outstanding debts and in turned only payed M \1,000,000 out of the \2.5 she should receive for bonus and airfare... He payed after, M broke down and cried and she said "you better pay me my money you xxxxing son of a bitch" which of course he could not understand.
Lenny Erickson is interested in only his capital gains with BCM. It would be no surprise should someone tell me that he is Korean, like MR. Seo that only likes to lie, cheat and steal...
In the mean time, after firing me and giving me a release letter... Mr.Seo offered me to work again for \20,000 / hr to do a 7am free talking class.. totally illegal... Said this to Lenny and of course I would think that BCM would like to protect the images of thier name but again... allows Mr.Seo to operate at his will why? Lie, cheat and steal... is their way of making money... I still have to pursue my money cause I ws only given 4 days notice that I would not have a job... and contract and labor law says 30 days notice must be given... Stay away from BCM anyways.. they have a rep for being the cheapest paying teachers anyways,, working on weekends and split shifts... you will be able to get much better elsewhere...
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710134689
Re: BCM's Bullshit
Posted By: i second the motion
Date: Sunday, 28 July 2002, at 6:35 a.m.
In Response To: BCM's Bullshit (rickysem)
My first year in Korea, I worked at Sanggye BCM. To make a very long story short, my apartment had absolutely no furniture ( a bed thats all!), classrooms were 35C in the summer and great split shifts of 6:30am - 10pm. Yes, the school and recruiter did tell me that there could be split shifts but it would be tried to be avoided. Yeah right! Our director also enjoyed to speak about the teachers behind their backs to other teachers. Not really that big a deal but certainly not a great teaching environment. This is actually the same director that complained about coming to the airport at 6:30am to meet me as it was so early and could I just "wait around" the airport for her to get there around 9am.
After 9 - 10 months of this crap I simply packed up and left. When I decided to return to Korea, I found out that the director at BCM had contacted my new school and told them that I was a bad teacher and I was an alcoholic. I maybe a bad teacher (not that she would know as she never saw me teach) but I certainly dont have a drinking prolblem as I believe I was drunk about 5 times juring my stay.
I decided to contact the one and only Lenny Erickson to have a discussion about the whole situation. You see when I left, I left some furniture and personal things in my apartment for my roomate to use till I came back. Lenny basically told me that I was full of it and that I actually owed the school close to 3 million won and until they got that money I wouldn't see my stuff.
Hey Lenny does BCM still hire teachers illegally? You guys decide to start furnishing your apartments yet (like your contracts says) and do you guys still kick your teachers out of their apartments the same day their contract ends? Lenny, you are absolutely useless!!!
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710134931
Re: BCM's Bullshit
Posted By: johnny utah
Date: Monday, 29 July 2002, at 7:13 a.m.
In Response To: Re: BCM's Bullshit (i second the motion)
kicked out on the last day of his contract? hell, i got kicked out 2 days before mine ended. it was kundae bcm, but same owner as nowon
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710136204
Truth about Lenny
Posted By: Former BCM Employee
Date: Friday, 2 August 2002, at 11:29 p.m.
In Response To: Re: contract clauses (truth about Lenny)
As an employee of BCM, about two years ago I had cause to deal with Lenny Erickson regarding bad conditions at the hakwon. Lenny proved himself to a serious bul$hitter in the sense that, on the phone, he pretended he was going to help and then turned around and left me to fend for myself. Nothing was ever corrected, but I did manage to finish my contract.
Lenny is useless - don't even bother with him.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?read=132710142759
BCM
Posted By: timeless
Date: Monday, 16 September 2002, at 10:45 p.m.
In Response To: MBC-MinByoungChul English Institute???? Anyone? (Savannah)
It is BCM and it is not always great. They often make you start at 6:30 in the morning and finish at 9:30 at night with a break in the middle. Be sure you can do work before you sign.

[abundantmind]

I'm considering working for BCM on a part time basis at a major corporation that must be one of their clients.

I found this info on LinkedIn...

https://kr.linkedin.com/pub/chris-min/34/25/14a

[Aine1979]

This post is over 12 years old and things could have changed greatly in this time.

[candy bar]

[Bongotruck]

I did some outsourcing work for BCM many years ago. They were good to me, but the agent handling my class changed 3 times in 6 months. I was paid on time and all.

That';s the extent of my experience with them.