Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Carldaddy]

Lets take the complication out of the matter and agree to do one simple thing:

Share information.

Work hours. Pay. Housing allowances. Job satisfaction.

Once we start sharing the wealth of information we already have and discouraging others from undercutting the system we will have all the leverage we need to negotiate with employers.

" We have seen the enemy and it are us" (who said it?)

And then we can call ourselves "The Really Smart People Association"

[Bulsajo]

Great idea. Why don't you get the ball rolling and go first.

[Lost Seoul]

I think many may be reluctant to post their earnings on the internet.

[Bulsajo]

Go figure, it appears Carldaddy may be one of those reluctant folks.

[hellofaniceguy]

Hell, it's common knowledge in korea about salaries! No secrets; koreans are nosey and want to know everything. My grip is why experienced teachers agree to work for 1.9 when a newbie, no experience teacher gets the same wage! Go figure! Why accept the same salary?!?
If won't get better in korea until we all stop signing bad contracts. School owners KNOW that someone will sign a bad contract! Sharing info is good; school owners do it all the time which is why salaried are low, etc... Don't agree to share housing! Never. No six day work week. Hours? Can't get around split shifts, etc... But we CAN get around on how many classes to teach. Don't ever agree to teach by the hours! 120 hours a month can equal 7 or 8 classes a day! Only agree to teach 4-6 50 minute classes a day. Period. If the school won't agree, walk. We all start doing that and things will start to look up. Never agree to work at a school if the owner does not speak English! You'll get burnt big time trusting a korean co-worker to interpert for you! They, koreans don't interpert verbatim.

[Carldaddy]

I think hellofaniceguy has the right point. Now I'm sorry to those who think I'm reluctant because I've been away from the board for a week on other business. But anyway... Here's a start:

My first Uni job: (my status at the time: newbie)

Uni: Top 5 rated (for students anyway)

Year: 2002

Hours per week: 22

Semester: 15 weeks (plus two, 2-week camps in summer and winter)

Pay: 1.8 per month

Housing: Shared (roomate "bleeped")

Staff attitude: Odd

Director: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

Job satisfaction (10 pt. scale with 10 tops): 5

Location: out of Seoul

Reason for leaving: Roomate. I left after 6 months

___________________________________________________________

My next job:

Uni: Not on the charts for ratings

Year: 2003

Hours per week: 16 + OT if desired

Semester: 15 weeks (4 months vacation or paid camps if desired)

Pay: 2m per month (with a little OT this is good)

Housing: Single, new, clean, 15 pyong

Staff attitude: Gracious

Director: Present and accounted for. Doesn't understand foreigners, but buys us many dinners and is happy as a lark if there are no problems.

Job satisfaction (10 pt. scale with 10 tops): 8

Location: out of Seoul

_________________________________________________________

So that's my contribution. It's not scientific but I think the Smiley scale is a simple workable one. Cheers!

[whatthefunk]

Ill play.

Hagwan job

Hours per week - I have to be in the hagwan for 30 hours but I only teach for 23 hours.

Vacation - yeah right...

Pay - 1.9.....1.8 after taxes

Housing - Good. Nice APT to myself.

Staff attitude - Extra odd with a splash of olive oil and a hint of basil.

Director - No English. Never says a word to me. Talks to me through my coworkers who feel horrible because they have to break all sorts of bad news to me. Yells constantly. Never tells anyone anything. Overcomplicates everything. Lazy. Always blames someone else for her mistakes. Never appologizes for the mistakes that she obviously makes. Thinks that money will make everything better. Bitter. Icy. No business sense at all. Doesn't care for the education of the kids in any way. 30 middle school kids in one class...sure! That would be great as long as they all pay. Spies on me. Asks the other teachers to listen in on my phone calls with the new teacher. B*tch. Can't always pay me on time but can buy computers like they grow on trees. Makes her children study for about 43 hours a day. Her 13 year old daughter sleeps 3 hours a night.

Job Satisfaction - Right now...-1,000,000 Over all...3.221198765

Location - The pleasant industrial park of Pohang.

Reason for leaving - Contract over, need to leave Korea to maintain sanity and a sense of reality. I hate my director.

[Carldaddy]

Just damn funny Whathefunk!

Sorry, don't want to have fun at your expense but thanks for playing! A free George Forman grill is waiting at Company Fullfillment Associates (Good flippin' luck!)

Anyways. You've done the right thing. Tell your friends.

To keep this straight, please use the format I have set up. Yes, it's simple, but decipherable. And the "Smiley Scale"(tm) gives it the wit and style we loose in statistics alone.

Keep your sanity dear or sir!

And come back to Korea when the jets cool and you can get what you're worth! This is a VERY fun country! Be the ball!

[Mr. Pink]

[Bulsajo]

Funny, I was thinking just the opposite- Carldaddy HAS put his money where his mouth is; I'd play along too except that my info is 2 years out of date.