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kuno808
Joined: 17 Apr 2008
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 Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:26 am Post subject: Public schools in Kangnam? |
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hey all,
this is my first post and after reading all your posts, i thought i might write something to help me in my decision. i am planning to move to korea in november and i am wondering if there is a time fame to apply? i also read that teaching in a public school is probably the best for me as this is my first time. does anyone have any recommendations on school? i want to move to the kangnam area or somewhere in seoul. is it better to go through a recruiter? if anyone has any helpful hints and i some patience (i will probably ask more questions) i would very much appreciate it! thanks all! |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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Getting a public school job can be more difficult than getting public school jobs anywhere else. First, they pay more, starting at 2.6million, offer a guaranteed minimum of 4 or 6 weeks of vacation (I actually got 9 during the winter both times) and give you a good studio apartment, where the minimum rent is usually 600,000-700,000 a month.
I worked there for a year and a half and during that time knew a few people who had been here for few years get interviews but not get the job. Also, we had monthly workshops and they come check up on you more often and if your teaching isn't up to par, they get rid of you.
It is really well run and the lady at the head of it all is great. |
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kuno808
Joined: 17 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:17 am Post subject: |
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hey ajgeddes,
sounds like a great offer you have. doesn't your school pay for your rent though or did you take a higher pay but pay for own housing? where is your school located? did you find it on a job post or recommendation? |
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Binch Lover
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
Getting a public school job can be more difficult than getting public school jobs anywhere else. First, they pay more, starting at 2.6million, offer a guaranteed minimum of 4 or 6 weeks of vacation (I actually got 9 during the winter both times) and give you a good studio apartment, where the minimum rent is usually 600,000-700,000 a month.
I worked there for a year and a half and during that time knew a few people who had been here for few years get interviews but not get the job. Also, we had monthly workshops and they come check up on you more often and if your teaching isn't up to par, they get rid of you.
It is really well run and the lady at the head of it all is great. |
I don't know when you worked for Gangnam public schools, but as far as I know some of this info is not accurate now. My friend only makes 2.5 with 2 years' experience, but it is possible to make more with overtime. Also, they have to do the same camps that other public schools in Seoul do, i.e. 3 weeks in summer and winter. That only leaves 4 weeks OFFICIAL vacation time. You may get more here and there, but it's not guaranteed. Apartments do seem nice though and you're guaranteed to be in a central area.
You would have a better chance of landing a job through SMOE who deal with native speakers public schools in Seoul except for the Gangnam district. Pay is slightly lower and vacation is similar. If you decide to renew your contract with SMOE after one year, they will pay for your flight home and you get an extra 2 weeks' vacation. Gangnam doesn't offer this as far as I know. Possibly more bs to put up with at SMOE because it's a much bigger organization, so the lines of communication are much longer.
Anyway, I'm sure you could apply to both the Gangnam district and SMOE and see what happens. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| I applied to Gangnam last year. I had 1 year PS experience, plus TEFL. The lady in charge told me that all the positions were full. I asked her if I could be put on a wait list so that I can be interviewed for the next hiring wave. She told me not to bother because they had other teacher more qualified. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Binch Lover wrote: |
I don't know when you worked for Gangnam public schools, but as far as I know some of this info is not accurate now. My friend only makes 2.5 with 2 years' experience, but it is possible to make more with overtime. Also, they have to do the same camps that other public schools in Seoul do, i.e. 3 weeks in summer and winter. That only leaves 4 weeks OFFICIAL vacation time. You may get more here and there, but it's not guaranteed. Apartments do seem nice though and you're guaranteed to be in a central area.
You would have a better chance of landing a job through SMOE who deal with native speakers public schools in Seoul except for the Gangnam district. Pay is slightly lower and vacation is similar. If you decide to renew your contract with SMOE after one year, they will pay for your flight home and you get an extra 2 weeks' vacation. Gangnam doesn't offer this as far as I know. Possibly more bs to put up with at SMOE because it's a much bigger organization, so the lines of communication are much longer. |
I only finished working there 2 months ago. You are right about one thing, the minimum pay is 2.5, not 2.6. When I started I was given 2.6, so I always get that mixed up.
The camps that they do now only started this last winter, so things might have changed. We only had to work 7 days at the camp and then 5 days at our own school. I heard they were thinking of changing that, but as far as I know, they weren't going to make people do it for 3 weeks.
People are still guaranteed a minimum of 4 or 6 weeks vacation. There are two different jobs, one with 4 and one with 6. There was an ad for Gangnam on here last fall with all the details. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| kuno808 wrote: |
hey ajgeddes,
sounds like a great offer you have. doesn't your school pay for your rent though or did you take a higher pay but pay for own housing? where is your school located? did you find it on a job post or recommendation? |
All of my writing was in past tense, so I don't work there anymore. Anyways, I took their housing. So, I was making 2.6 and getting free housing which was 700,000 a month. My school was in Gangnam. |
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jellobean
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:17 am Post subject: |
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I've heard through friends (I have a few that work there -- or rather are leaving there) that they changed their contracts in March and made the annoying camps part of the contract. They appear to be forcing current teachers to sign the new contracts too if they want to renew this summer.
I'm not sure why the renewing teacher are willing to do this (sure, let me renew for worse conditions than I had last year -- WTF), but many people are.
Gangnam seems like a good deal on the surface, but from what I gather it all comes out in the wash (especially with the new camp requirement which prevents "good" principals from giving you all that extra vacation under the table).
The way I see it, 2.5 for 25 hrs/week is pretty much the same as 2.2 for 22 hrs per week. And unlike all the other ps contracts, gangnam doesn't give home leave for resigning. The 4 weeks vacation in their contract looked good before, but with most public schools giving 20 working days (SMOE and any "rural" GEPIK/EPIK schools) the lack of home leave is a negative. Also, their salaries top out at 2.7 while the other programs don't have this limit.
If you have 1 yr experience and can score this job, it might be good. Or if you really want to live in Gangnam. It's not a great place if you plan to stick around for a few years and improve your quals. If you have 2+ years of experience and are actually a good teacher, you can do better.
Also, they only hire for Mar 1 and Sept 1 starts... |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:11 am Post subject: |
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| Yep, talked to one of my buddies who still works there tonight and he said the camps are now mandatory for 3 weeks each vacation. That sucks. They have ruined the vacation. It doesn't top out at 2.7 though. One guy I know for sure was making more than that. You could always take one of the contracts with the 6 weeks vacation. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:28 am Post subject: |
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| lso, their salaries top out at 2.7 while the other programs don't have this limit. |
I don't know squat about Gangnam PS positions, but I can tell you that SMOE does have a cap at 2.7 or 2.8 million. |
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kuno808
Joined: 17 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:52 am Post subject: |
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| thanks for all your replies. i take it teaching in gangnam is hard for first time teachers. any of you have any recommendations for public school teaching? i would like to at least keep it in Seoul but not to far away from the action. my friend told me that the area around Yonsei University is up and coming. i would like rent to be paid for and i don't want a crap place to live. what do you guys think? |
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Binch Lover
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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Nearly all native speaker positions in Seoul public schools (other than the Gangnam district) fall under the SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education) umbrella. Visit http://etis.sen.go.kr/ for application details. Be aware that your application will be rejected if you apply through more than one recruiter.
Good luck. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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| kuno808 wrote: |
| thanks for all your replies. i take it teaching in gangnam is hard for first time teachers. any of you have any recommendations for public school teaching? i would like to at least keep it in Seoul but not to far away from the action. my friend told me that the area around Yonsei University is up and coming. i would like rent to be paid for and i don't want a crap place to live. what do you guys think? |
You should start out with GEPIK. Their starting salary is 200,000w more than SMOE. Try someplace with a lot of action, that is still reasonably close to Seoul like Ilsan, or Suwon. In your first year with GEPIK, get on online TEFL. Then apply to SMOE your second year and you should be making 2.2mil won per month. |
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Sody
Joined: 14 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| I applied to Gangnam last year. I had 1 year PS experience, plus TEFL. The lady in charge told me that all the positions were full. I asked her if I could be put on a wait list so that I can be interviewed for the next hiring wave. She told me not to bother because they had other teacher more qualified. |
I wouldn't let this get you down at all. I have a friend who works for Gangnam and believe me, he's nothing special as a teacher. He will be the first person to admit this. I have seen him teach at his school and in many ways he has more headaches than teachers for GEPIK and EPIK. Consider yourself lucky you didn't get the job.
SMOE is definitely the best job you can get for a public school teacher in Seoul and the surrounding areas. Twenty one business days off is only one day less vacation than a Gangnam school if you consider the weekends in the span of one month. Plus you don't have to do those English center jobs which are the worst.
Many of the Gangnam teachers get extra time off during the winter and summer break. That was the reason why the job was so good until now. But I guess with the changes, it's not worth it anymore. |
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kuno808
Joined: 17 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 8:33 am Post subject: |
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hey all,
thanks for taking the time to help me with this. i guess Kangnam is not as great as i thought it to be. just thought so since it is pretty expensive place. any recommendations on places in seoul? i know that is a very broad question. i figured these forums are here to advise others and i would like to make a smooth transaction from US to korea. Seoul is pretty vast but i would like to stay around the area since i have some relatives here. this is something new to me but i welcome something different and rewarding. is SMOE the best recruiting company in Seoul? can i still apply even though i may not be moving here till late summer? i think i read that public school starts at March 1st and Sept 1st. is it possible to get a job even after the term starts? does anyone know the area around Yonsei Uni? is it pretty decent? sorry for all the questions but i would appreciate any input. thanks again! |
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