Korean Job Discussion Forums

zizi · Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Location: Korea

I keep hearing that it's hard to get teachers right now because of the new visa regulations, but I don't see the salaries going up. I also heard that the new president wants to give E-2s to Philippinos and Indians and cap the salaries at 1.5. Anyone else heard anything? I want to go with a PS job next time and was hoping for more money Exclamation

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Ugh... these troll posts are getting old.

The jobs that will be available will be out and away from Seoul in places where there is little or no money. Koreans still want white faces to teach them English.

Read the print:

It says that this school does not employ East Asians to teach English. Now why would they say that? Because Koreans don't want their accent. Lots of illegal "phone English" schools popped-up, and employed East Asians who spoke English. People began to figure this out, and felt cheated.

On another note, as has been mention in many threads recently, philipinos working overseas have now been hit with a grossly unfair government tax of $5,000 if they work outside of the Phils and return home. This just came down in the last few weeks, and it more or less snuffed-out any chances of inroads the philipino workforce might have here.

As for salaries going up -- it's not going to be immediate. Give it another 6 months. Budgets are often set and not changed until the next budgeting period.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

Wage is not as simple as Supply and Demand.
Wages can increase, but they do very very slowly for a couple of reasons.

1. People get stuck in contracts (about a year in the case of ESL)
2. Lack of trust
3. Lack of information
4. price fixing of major players (government, major chains, ...)
5. limited profitability of a teacher. Teachers are not scalable.

Plus education in itself is a weird Industry.

Tokki1 · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject:

When the situation gets catastrophic (ie. 5% of the ESL teaching force holds legal visas, Education Ministry Officials are begging and screaming for whitey big nose ESL instructors in public schools, hakwons are offering company cars and penthouse suites to anyone who will get legal and work for them, recruiting agencies are bankrupt and ajumas are storming the Blue House demanding Englishee for their children) Korea will ease the visa laws and I imagine a salary rise will accompany this as an incentive. Razz

zizi · Joined: 01 Dec 2007 Location: Korea

Not a troll, look at my other posts. I'll finish up a crappy contract in a few months. I was thinking I should submit my resume for PS jobs now so I have time to get through the visa process in time. Maybe it's better to wait.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Interestingly enough back in Thailand Filipinos wages started to rise with the teacher shortages due to regulations.

I know the Indian that was put into my job at my old school is making 32,000B a month which is only 5,000 less than the time served teachers there.

The Filipina ESL teacher is now just under 30,000B a month.

Not big money compared to here but it is there considering Pinos were being employed at sub 20k two years or so ago.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

Tokki1 · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:30 pm Post subject:

Doubtful. Wishful thinking by the stubborn, archaic Korean gov't.

Suwoner10 · Joined: 10 Dec 2007

Thank God (fer those of you that stay) Koreans feel whites are the supreme race.

ontheway · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:30 am Post subject:

A few months back there was a large school chain that failed in Japan. Thousands of teachers were out of work. Some of them were picked up by other schools and programs, but apparently hundreds have come to Korea. This could be offsetting the effects of the new regs.

Recently we have had recruiters with teachers and no positions and teachers themselves contacting our school looking for jobs. Where is the teacher shortage?

Tokki1 · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:31 pm Post subject:

Just wait.

maingman · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Location: left Korea

I believe therre is a Korea Student Fair 2008 on 29 and 30 March. The visa section from the British Embassy will attend the fair to provide accurate information on the visa application.

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

And now I am very thankful for my pearly white skin, which will help keep me fed in this country for as long as I want. If the public schools start hiring big piles of Indians/Philippinos then that'll just mean more business for my hagwon from racist moms.