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thetraveler
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
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 Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:05 am Post subject: Where to teach?? |
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| A friend of mine and I have been looking into teaching in South Korea (we have most of our paperwork ready, just need to choose the school and get the visas) and we would like some advice on where to teach. I have been talking to a recruiter at YBM and although everything sounds okay, I think we can do better. She isn't offering free or furnished housing, which I think is pretty important. We are very laid back and open to most everything. We would like to live in Seoul, but could be talked into other places. We just want a good work environment without any hidden problems or contract lies. We have heard some horror stories! Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! |
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garykasparov
Joined: 27 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:59 am Post subject: Re: Where to teach?? |
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| thetraveler wrote: |
| A friend of mine and I have been looking into teaching in South Korea (we have most of our paperwork ready, just need to choose the school and get the visas) and we would like some advice on where to teach. I have been talking to a recruiter at YBM and although everything sounds okay, I think we can do better. She isn't offering free or furnished housing, which I think is pretty important. We are very laid back and open to most everything. We would like to live in Seoul, but could be talked into other places. We just want a good work environment without any hidden problems or contract lies. We have heard some horror stories! Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! |
I get the feeling your flying over to Korea without doing all the proper research. Do you understand what a well written contract looks like? Do you understand what questions to ask the teachers, not the employer, before signing the contract? Immigration has enacted new visa policies over the last several months. Are you aware of the new policies (especially what it takes to find another job if you're fired or seek release from your contract)? |
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thetraveler
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes, I have been doing a lot of research. The recruiter I was working with is the same person and at the same school a friend of mine worked at about 5 years ago. So, that is why I've been in touch with YBM. I am aware of all the new policies and the visa process. I've read over many of the contracts that people have sent in to this website and what things to be aware of (as well as have sent my contract to others, who have worked in Korea, to check over for me). I am ready to go except that I would like to find a different legit contract (that includes free furnished housing) with all the other benefits such as a good working environment, salary, etc. There are so many job opportunities it's hard to choose and know which ones are best. Any suggestions? |
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Ms.G
Joined: 03 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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Hey traveler,
Sounds like we are in very similar situations! It looks like you've done your research and are even working with people you've heard good things about, it's tough to do any more when you're so far away. Just keep getting in touch with new schools, work with more than one recruiter etc to get the best offer you possibly can. I was also disappointed with the first few contracts I got and kept contacting more job postings on Dave's until I found one I was comfortable with (coincidentally, YBM... it seemed like a decent big corporation that wouldn't try to screw you.... by most reports). Your offer though depends how much they're willing to pay you without housing. Obviously if it's anywhere in the 2 million range, don't go for it.
Have you checked out Busan? I was debating about Seoul v. Busan and Busan seemed like a lot more fun. Worth a glance through postings here to see if it might be the place for you.
Good luck! |
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thetraveler
Joined: 24 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the advice Ms. G! I've been told that Seoul is where I should go, but I will check out Busan. Is that where you decided to go? Are you already there? |
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Ms.G
Joined: 03 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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I'm getting to Busan around May 20th.... and anticipating a much more fun summer with the beaches there! Also warmer winter temperatures... you can see where my priorities lie 
However, since I have neither been to Seoul nor Busan, perhaps don't count my advice too much here... what did your friend that was in Korea say about location? I ended up with Busan partly because a friend of mine who had taught in Pohang recommended Busan.
Anyway, if you do choose Busan, I'll be there soon if you want to go out for a drink! |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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1. For your first year at least, only work in Seoul.
2. For your sanity and self-respect, don't teach kids here unless you are a certified teacher in your home country and can get a proper job here.
3. Stick to the bigger chains in Seoul. You'll get paid and you'll get a place to live (or assistance finding one).
4. Don't be swayed by places that are 'only 45 minutes from Seoul'. You're in a different country there.
Good luck. |
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Dome Vans
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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Nuts to that!
What is the obssession with working in Seoul? It's dirty, overcrowded and noisy. Most of the complaints on here are from Seoul livers. Why do you think that is? Get a job out in the sticks. Go for an EPIK/GEPIK job out in the countryside and get good benefits. If you really must work in Seoul go for a ETIS/SMOE job.
Avoid Hagwons at all costs. The likelyhood of getting a bad contract with a Hagwon is huge. Avoid them at all costs. Just check out the contract page here to see what you should be looking for. Of all the ones that Garykasparov, TUM, Centralcali and the others look at very few, if any, actually get a thumbs up. Be very careful about the contract.
Play it safe, take a PS job for the first year at least. Get your foot in the door, see if you like teaching here and if so try and land a good hagwon job, which actually asks for a face-to-face interview. These are the jobs you should be looking for. But nigh on impossible to get when applying from outside the country. |
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elliemk
Joined: 01 Jul 2007
Location: Sparkling Korea!
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| I disagree. Hakwons are not all bad. There are many good ones. You just have to find the right one. I know. Someone told me, "You know you have a bad job, but don't know how bad until you get a good one." It took me three bad ones to find a good one, and I have found it. They treat me with respect. They are warm and friendly. They pay on time. They abide by the law and pay National Health Insurance and Pension. The director buys food and pizza for all the teachers regularly! It's a great job. And I know of others like this. Let me know if you want a better job. I can put you in touch with a recruiter who is the most honest, ethical recruiter I have ever know. And I have known many! |
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Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
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| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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| elliemk wrote: |
| I disagree. Hakwons are not all bad. There are many good ones. You just have to find the right one. I know. Someone told me, "You know you have a bad job, but don't know how bad until you get a good one." It took me three bad ones to find a good one, and I have found it. They treat me with respect. They are warm and friendly. They pay on time. They abide by the law and pay National Health Insurance and Pension. The director buys food and pizza for all the teachers regularly! It's a great job. And I know of others like this. Let me know if you want a better job. I can put you in touch with a recruiter who is the most honest, ethical recruiter I have ever know. And I have known many! |
There's a lot of good hagwons out there (mine's pretty good, I've been here over three years) but most of the good ones don't hire newbies with no experience sight unseen.
YBM's mostly an OK place, pretty professional but the split shift schedules are beastly... |
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anorakcity
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 3:20 am Post subject: |
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| Dome Vans wrote: |
| Of all the ones that Garykasparov, TUM, Centralcali and the others look at very few, if any, actually get a thumbs up. Be very careful about the contract. |
so basically everybody ignores their advice and gets by okay |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| anorakcity wrote: |
| Dome Vans wrote: |
| Of all the ones that Garykasparov, TUM, Centralcali and the others look at very few, if any, actually get a thumbs up. Be very careful about the contract. |
so basically everybody ignores their advice and gets by okay |
Erm........
If you use your eyes and have a look at the contracts up in the contract posting thread you'll see what I mean.
If using the same eyes you look at some of the threads here about:
'my boss isn't paying pension'
'I'm burn out from teaching too much'
'I'm not allowed holiday when I want it'
'I don't have medical insurance'
'Why aren't I be paid for sick days?'
'Why's my boss walking all over me?'
'Why am I working Sundays?
Having these in the contract is important. If you look at the contracts that don't have these in then people are warned to either get them put in or to walk away from the contract. Signing slave contracts with basic rights absent is at the employees risk.
That said the people who are warned off contracts will look for others, knowing what to look for.
That said some people sign these contracts and have no problems, OR they have big problems because of these contract but don't feel like venting here, or they do a runner. You just don't know.
Signing a vaguely written contract is not good, any terms that might cause a problem would normally favour the employer such as extra duties and holidays.
The contract posting thread is very useful for people just starting out and as such helps people to avoid the shitty contracts first time round but also educates people to what they should have in a contract before they fly half way round the world to work. Choosing a good or well amended contract really can limit the damage done. People do ok with slave contracts I suppose but they shouldn't really have to work that hard, but each to their own. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| anorakcity wrote: |
| Dome Vans wrote: |
| Of all the ones that Garykasparov, TUM, Centralcali and the others look at very few, if any, actually get a thumbs up. Be very careful about the contract. |
so basically everybody ignores their advice and gets by okay |
Given all the complaints on here, it doesn't seem that way. |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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A lot depends on you. Someone mentioned that for your 1st year you shouldn't work anywhere other than Seoul. I don't really agree with that, but there is a chance you'll be sent out to some really small town with no other FTs to socialise with, so again, it's down to you and how independant you are.
As for Hagwons, I've never worked in one, but if the experience of my American GF is anything to go by and judging by all the horror stories I've read on here these past 12-months, I wouldn't go near one. You'll probably get a load of Hagwon FTs telling you how great they are, but if not getting screwed/messed about financially is important to you, then for piece of mind, look into Public Schools. You'll also get loads more time off as well. The only downside is class sizes, but as you generally hit the ground running once you arrive, you'll have overcome any nervousness within a couple of weeks anyway. |
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Dome Vans
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| BS.Dos. wrote: |
A lot depends on you. Someone mentioned that for your 1st year you shouldn't work anywhere other than Seoul. I don't really agree with that, but there is a chance you'll be sent out to some really small town with no other FTs to socialise with, so again, it's down to you and how independant you are.
As for Hagwons, I've never worked in one, but if the experience of my American GF is anything to go by and judging by all the horror stories I've read on here these past 12-months, I wouldn't go near one. You'll probably get a load of Hagwon FTs telling you how great they are, but if not getting screwed/messed about financially is important to you, then for piece of mind, look into Public Schools. You'll also get loads more time off as well. The only downside is class sizes, but as you generally hit the ground running once you arrive, you'll have overcome any nervousness within a couple of weeks anyway. |
Good words, B.S.
Like you I chose the countryside option with an excellent contract. It's not perfect but my salary is paid on time, I get all the benefits and all my extra classes are paid on time as well. PS is a lot of fun and having big class sizes isn't so bad, if you slowly work your way into the affections of your co-workers then you're on easy street. Having a balance of being a good teacher who knows what they're doing and having a friendly outgoing personality really helps in PS.
Originally I wanted to live in Daegu. For two months I was offered awful Hagwon contracts in Daegu, I starting posting them on page 40 in the contract posting thread, I learnt a lot from what people wrote. In the end I left that whole Hagwon idea. After reading much of the crap here about Hagwons and the owners I now have no interest in working there at all. That's not to say that good Hagwon's don't exist but I think recruiters can get away with offering new teachers the worst contracts because they have nothing to go off, also the idea that 'you need to hurry, because they need a decision' actually works with teachers who go for this tactic.
The contract posting thread is very useful, and can limit the damage done for a first contract. It certainly helped me. At the moment I couldn't be happier with my decision and my schools that I got. But as B.S. says it's really up to individual and what they want.
TUM wrote:
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| Given all the complaints on here, it doesn't seem that way. |
Exactly, my post is summed up in 11 words, one comma and one full stop here. |
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