Korean Job Discussion Forums

baedaebok · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

What's up with Ewha Women's University job ad (dated March 17, 2008)?

Is there anybody working there who could open my eyes?

What's the monthly salary (not mentioned)?
In the ad, they want copy of alien registration card. Is that mean they only want people living in Korea to apply?
Why isn't housing included? Is this becoming more common? Is it just Seoul or is it all over Korea?

It's a rather uninformative ad.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

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

They also (likely) hope you're married, and won't be scamming on the chickadees.

DrunkenMaster · Joined: 04 Feb 2008

It's arguably one of the top two jobs in Seoul. Although there's no housing, there's no renewal limit.

This looks like it's the faculty list:
http://epo.ewha.ac.kr/

The starting salary is probably about 3 million/month, give or take a couple hundred for experience and qualifications. That's about three hundred thousand won per month over what you'd cap out at working at most other universities. It would be a challenge to find a better job in Seoul for someone who wants to make a career here. If you could find a better job, chances are it's the other really good job in Seoul, or it has a maximum renewal limit, which would make it a crap job for someone who wants to make their career at one school.

When no salary is posted, it's usually a good sign. It **usually** means that there's a system in place where every candidate's salary is evaluated before a salary is offered. Based on your qualifications and experience, you get a certain salary.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Yes, but I think 2 out of 3 of their most recent hires moved on to greener pastures after just one contract. Reasons? THAT would be good to know!

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

They also require 2 years of teaching EFL at a college level.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Well, yeah, but as DrunkenMaster said, it is arguably one of the best two university gigs in Seoul (we haven't worked out the downsides yet, though). Expect it to be HIGHLY competitive. MA a must, CELTA/DELTA held by most applicants, and at least 3-5 years of university teaching experience.

Yonsei (NOT the institute!) is still probably the best or one of the best. Likewise, they are super picky, and they should be.

If you want a big name school hiring people with an MA, but little to no experience, apply to SNU. Their program has gone to hell in a handbag, and most of the well qualified and experienced teachers don't even bother applying.

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

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Right. That's what they say. Those are the minimum requirements. I only meant that they take people with the best qualifications. So if there is an applicant with 2 years of experience and the MA, and there is an applicant with 7 years of experience, an MA, a CELTA, a DELTA, and who has other related bonuses (conference presentations, publications, additional certifications...), they'll go with them.

One of the guys on staff their is finishing up his Ph.D. in applied linguistics. Others have loads of expience, MAs, and a bunch of other programs and certificates denoting continuing professional development. While someone with the base requirements might have a shot, the odds are probably against them. Guess it would depent on the field of applicants any given semester they hire.

baedaebok · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Currently, I'm working in the Gulf region and am considering relocating to Korea. It's too crazy for me here anymore! So, I plan to be in Korea in July or August. Their ads asks for a copy of Alien Registration Card. Does Ewha prefer people already in-country? Would they exclude people from out of country? I'm hot but not that hot. Would it be worth going to all that hassle of getting official transcripts, etc.?

Where's he doing his PhD (the Ewha staff member)? Online/distance or in-person classes? I'm playing with the idea.

I do own an officetel down in Anyang so it would be quite a hike to Ewha every day.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

I'd apply and let them know that you will definitely be in Seoul and that you can interview. That might just be their way of saying that they prefer people who are in country and/or have experience in Korea.

Don't know where the guy is doing his Ph.D.

Just my humble input, but I'd say rent the Anyang place and get a place in Seoul near the school to live!

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

Maybe I missed it, but I wonder what pay around there really is? Someone said 3.0 or a bit more with no housing. 3.0 isn't THAT much better than what people are making at some other uni jobs, and the "no housing" part may as well take off another 300,000 to 600,000 per month, depending on how you figure it. Suddenly the job doesn't look that wonderful.

That's the problem for teachers in Korea -- there is very little to shoot for once you reach a certain glass ceiling in the 3.0 to a tad higher range. People like me see themselves getting paid around 2.5 plus decent housing that would run me over 600,000 to get myself (and I get most utilities for free here) and it's hard to find a job like this Ewha job all that exciting. Currently, I'm just not seeing the benefit in spending 15 million on an MA, save for having a few slightly better jobs open to me later. Heck, even if Korea stopped allowing non-MAs the opportunity to work at unis, it's not like public school jobs are much different in pay (and two PT public school gigs at once would trounce my current uni salary).

This isn't a swipe at the Ewha position. Rather, it's a realistic interpretation of the sad state of renumeration for highly-qualified EFL teachers in Korea. The payoff of getting those higher qualifications reaches a point of diminishing returns very quickly if you plan to stay here.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

That's a great post, bassexpander. Personally, I think the writing was already on the wall for university ESL teaching positions about 10 years ago. Wages were going up for only the highest qualified applicants at only a handful of the better and bigger universities. People who had been at Japanese universities even earlier on saw the same thing happen.

Then the bottom started dropping out. Real wages decreased, contact hours increased, and schools started decreasing vacation time and tagging on 'camps', 'cafes', and whatever else they could think of to keep the native speaking staff hopping for their wages. Several universities gutted their programs, restructured salary packages, and instituted term limits.

The Ewha job is still considered 'good' because the salary (probably around 3.3) is competitive. No, it's not really that much, especially for the caliber of people they are recruiting. Still, most of the people with the background and experience they want have been in Korea a while and don't want university housing, so that is not a factor. The perks are decent students, smaller classes, a 4-course load, and a good crew of people to work with. Guess you could tag on a great campus, a cool neighborhood, and easy of commute.

You could probably say the same for Yonsei. They hire the best, they don't boot them after a few years, and they work with the foreign staff rather than simply using them.

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

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

Dave's is your best bet, other than word-of-mouth , which is how most uni jobs advertise in Korea. Friends suggest friends.

You can try worknplay.co.kr, but Dave's is #1.

I will also add that vacation is a big reason why people like uni jobs here, however even that is fading at many places as mandatory camps and classes are added through the year.