Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PeterDragon]

I've been working at a public school in a designated rural area since last July.

First, the good:

I'm the first native speaker they've ever managed to get. The pay is great, the hours are low ---only 15 teaching hours a week at my primary school, with 5 extra teaching hours at the elementary school across the street--- the elementary hours pay an additional 20,000 an hour.

My co-workers treat me like an equal, something I've NEVER encountered from Koreans in any other setting. They invite me out to social functions, drop by my house to hang out, and the vice principal even set me up with one of the other teachers, whom I dated briefly and broke up with amicably. They also don't mind bending the rules to have some fun. We're all given more days off than the labor board says we should have, and we blew last year's budget surplus on a one-week school sponsored camping trip on a Southern Japanese tourist island.

On a regular basis the principal drops by my desk to thank me for all my hard work, as I've been taking advantage of the low teaching hours to create 100 + pages of supplemental material.

Now, the bad:

I've been all-but-offered a job in Latin America, in an amazing city where I have some distant relatives and a few friends, with a salary that would make me upper middle class by Central American standards. They said if I don't sign on with them later this year, they'd strongly encourage me to re-apply in 09. But they want to know my decision for this year soon.

Now.... Ideally I'd like to stay at this dream of a job for one more year before I vacate to a much more fun job. A $20K nest egg is better than a $10K one, and while I would greatly prefer the Americas over cold, Confucian Korea, I am having an AMAZING work experience and making a fair amount of friends I don't want to say goodbye to just yet.

So I told my co-teacher that I want to stay one more year, and asked her if she could relay that message to the principal and see what his intentions are. She insisted that his decision would not be made until May, that there's no way to know for sure what his decision will be until then, and that there's no point in talking to him--- I probably have the job, but I have no choice but to wait and see. I nudged her again today, asked if there's any way I could at least know which way the principal is leaning--- she got flustered and insisted again that the matter is closed until May.

Should I explain to her and the principal that I have a pending job elsewhere I want to take if my current job isn't up for renewal, and need to make an informed decision ASAP? Or would that be seen as disrespectful and pushy? For that matter, how likely is it that there's some possibility they won't/can't rehire me that they're not telling me about?

Advice from anyone who's ever renewed a public school contract or feels they have insight into Korean office politics is very welcome here. Thanks for reading the above blather.

[mikeyboy122]

you say "all but been offered" when speaking of the other job. When that changes to "offered" give em' notice. Been to Brazil, Venezuela, and Chile. All blow Korea away.

[xtchr]

Your Principal honestly won't have a clue about it either way yet. He probably doesn't know what's planned for Saturday, let alone in a few months time. July is light years away, here on Planet Korea.
It isn't the slightest bit helpful for anyone else who wants to make definite plans one way or the other, but try to just let it slide for a bit, and then ask you co-tchr again in May.

[PeterDragon]

[skconqueror]

[IncognitoHFX]

Why give up on a good thing? I'd say stay where you are, and re-sign ad infinitum. If you go to this Central American school you'd be taking a risk--it could even be absolute crap, how can you be sure?

Stick with what you know. Your hakgyo sounds great and I envy you.

[mikeyboy122]

Also P.D. consider the safety factor. I'm not saying you're a wimp but they kill em' for nothin down there. Here, well they can give me dirty looks until I need a shower but it's Highly unlikely you'll be shot for being to close to someones pot field. Koreans can talk about me all they want. I could not care less. However, if one puts his hands on me in an arrogant gesture, that's when the 6'2" 210 midwestern boy comes out. And he don't play. He'll drop you like a ho with aids. Sorry about the third person. Back to topic, stay in touch with other school. You mentioned friends and family down there, I believe. Perhaps they could do a little scouting for you to give you a better idea of what you'd be stepping into. Either way, good luck my brother from another mother...........

[crazy tigger]

I am totally biassed as I love South America and would love a decent paying job there.

[poet13]

You have a great gig in a place you don't want to settle. You have a possible and unknown gig in latin'central america. Everybody is assuming south America, but you have stated Central. Not that it matters...they both rock.
Other posters made good points. One was about security. That's something to think about.

I am biased toward Asia. It sounds like you have the best of the best there. Very very few in Korea have that. Putting away an extra 10k now gives you piles more money in 30 or 40 years.
I would keep the gig you've got for another year.

[ernie]

your new school wants you to quit your old job before they make you a real offer? that's a sketchy deal, IMO...

i'd tell them: 'you make me an offer, and i'll think about quitting my current job'

[bassexpander]

Any offer you accept should include a contract ready to be signed.

Promises by the boss are not easily trusted here.

[cbclark4]

You should put it in writing to the co-teacher so she can understand.

Simply knowing that you have security for another year will help you to
make the decision in favor of staying. Without that security you will have
to make a different decision. I am sure the Principle will want to have
that information.

If she doesn't forward the inform the principle she will look very bad
when you hand the letter to him as you leave for that great new job.

I have found that written a request gets much more attention than the
verbal, especially when addressed to the principle or the EPIK director at
the POE. My coteacher will even start negotiating (rewording) the request
on the spot so I keep the file open as I hand her the print out.

[Juregen]

This is quit straightforward.

Make it clear to them that you are at a crossroad and need certainty. Tell them you are prepared to let the other job wait for another year, if and only if they can guarantee (100% written black on white, and signed by all those who need to sign it) that you can stay where you are.

Tell them that you do this because you really really like it here, but that an opportunity like that only comes once in a lifetime, and you do not want to be spending one year without a job.

Just be straight and honest and keep telling them you like it where you are.

[PeterDragon]

This morning, my co-teacher let me know that they will be rehiring me next year here in Korea, so I reckon I'm here, and relatively happy til '09.

Yes, this is a damn good job, IncognitoFHX, but in the very long term my heart is set on South America. If the first job I get there turns out to be a downer, I'll get a different one. Getting my foot in the door down there, NOT getting a perfect job is my goal. I started out at a crappy job here, bought my way out of and then went to my current great school; I can do that on another continent too.

Anyways, the school on the other side of the world did say I should reapply in '09 if I don't go with them this year, so that door ain't necessarily closed. Failing that, another year here will give me enough money to move to a Latin American country of my choice and just go job hunting for a year or two if I so please.