Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Eedoryeong]

This is a thread question for F Visa holders/spouses of Koreans

I've decided that come Christmas I'm going to leave and come back to Korea and approach schools directly to set up contracts allowing me to work part-time. I've got experience teaching back home and references, and it may turn out a better arrangement for the schools to pay less and allow more than one employer, especially if I can have a good school reference here by the end of this contract.

1) Can you really do this without a recruiter? If so, how complicated is it and do schools generally understand they've saved money by going around a recruiter?

2) is it easier because I'm F visa or harder because I don't fall into the pre-packaged E2 visa formula for me to go about making part-time arrangements with schools having difficulty finding teachers? It seems to me it would be better for the country in a few ways.

3) Could somebody please help me try and forecast some unforeseen issues that may pop up? This seems vastly different from studying up on an E2 contract or studying up on a hakwon. I know some already do this and it seems a great arrangement.

I think the chickenlover thread was really useful as it appeared to show that a principal can be short-sighted and actually screw himself unknowingly by entering into a verbal agreement that his teachers will force him to back out of later on. Hence, asking it be written may actually protect everyone, particularly in a part-time arrangement.

Somebody mentioned in that thread "good luck getting Korean principals/directors to agree to contract changes" but I've also heard this done by E2ers (case in point, writing in sick days into a sick day-less contract.)

Helpful replies only, please.

[jbpatlanta]

I am a F visa holder and currently all of my jobs but one were found without a recruiter. If you are here and can spend some time pounding the pavement you can usually find plenty of places that will hire you part time.

I have encountered two kinds of places. One place that is happy to hire a part time teacher. This maybe because of several different reasons. The other place will not hire a part time teacher because they want someone who only works for them. This also can be for several different reasons. There are enough places that will hire part time teachers. In fact you will probably find more places to work than you can accept.

If you can afford to I recommend coming over here and finding a place to live first. Then you can start walking around your neighborhood and surrounding areas looking for jobs. I would only use recruiter as a last resort. If you want specific advice PM me.

[tzechuk]

None of the privates I do now is through a recruiter, so it is definitely do-able.

[ttompatz]

IF you have the resources to land on the ground here and the ability to pound the pavement looking for your job it is definitely do-able and you can get a better deal. This is even more true if you have a bi-lingual resume/cover letter and/or can speak Korean.

IF you do NOT have the resources to support yourself while you are looking (as short a time as that may be) then a recruiter is the answer for a "pre-packaged deal".

.

[shaunew]

I did this last year before starting my own company. I walk to public schools and howgons and offered my teaching. Recruiters make 45,000 won per hour at public schools and pay the teacher 30,000 won an hour for part time work. Undercut the recruiter and say 35,000 to 40,000 and they would be retard not to go with you. A sneaky way to do it is. Get a few recruiters and go to different schools with them then go back and sign with the school without the recruiter.

[Eedoryeong]

Well my wife is able to help me look around, and we've got a few recommendations by word-of-mouth. So there are opportunities to consider as far as employers who will share a teacher with other employers.

What I'm wondering is... none of you have mentioned going to the gyo yook cheongs (the offices of education) for individual regions/areas. Is this a no-no? Is this a dumb move? I think that since not every school participates in the GEPIK/EPIK program, not every school therefore knows there's funding available for an English teacher. Isn't it possible that I'd chat with a principal and he/she'd say 'yeah but how will we fund your position? We're not in the GEPIK/EPIK program." In which case I'd have to either tell them to sign up or move on I guess...? But why didn't those of you who did go to public schools not go to the offices of education? Is it because their hourly rates are set according to the recruiter that bought up their piecework or something like that?

I'm perfectly willing to break out and establish a new frame of reference for a contract. I guess I'd like to know more about what I'm working with from the employers' side, does the money for my position come from the school (possibly very limited) or from a higher program through the school, and am I looking for otherwise-non-participating-schools only, or can I walk into a school that's got say three recruiters out head-hunting?

Oh and I am thinking of starting my own company eventually. But setting it up seems like a totally different study.

[ttompatz]

[Return Jones]

Not to hijack, but the schools here are bursting at the seams with cash. They just allocate it toward superficial window-dressing activities and items. I could give countless examples, but I digress....

[Geoff1111]

[jbpatlanta]

[jbpatlanta]