Korean Job Discussion Forums

[shawner88]

My plan was to come here for 6 months and then go home and be a teacher. It's over 3 years later, I'm still in Korea. Now my plan is do whatever I want to do, don't look back. Saving money for more travel and adventures...

[Tiger Beer]

Changes everytime.

1996-1997 year it was because I jumped at the opportunity to be living in another country and getting paid for it. Seemed like the most exciting thing in the world to me at the time.

2000-2001 teaching contract. I came back because I kept meeting Koreans all over the place while living in New York. In addition, I had coincidentally a couple Korean roommates.. and the big kicker was one of my really old friends who also moved to New York was a Korean-American (and I never really picked up on the significance of that until after Korea). But hung out with him the most of anyone while living in NY. Oh, and one of my co-workers also taught in Korea in my NY workplace so we began talking about it everyday and he became my other great buddy while living there. In addition, a couple friends of mine married Korean women in Korea and brought them back to the USA. Just seemed like with that many connections all over the place, I had to go back.

2003-2004 teaching contract. This time around I kept losing jobs and apartments and financial problems wandering around San Francisco. It was just too stressful and in addition to trying to get into grad schools. I thought I'd take 6-months of job security in Korea and then start a grad program. Just worked out then I'm here for the full year instead and work out whats next as it comes up next instead.

[crazylemongirl]

arrived in feb 03. planned on doing a year or so here to try and figure out what to do with my life and save some cash.

If all goes to plan when I finish my contract in early feb, I'm coming back in march 2004 to try and figure out what to do with my life and save some cash.

clg

[Cthulhu]

My plans were close to Tiger's and Shawn's. Six month bit of fun in '96 turned into a decent income and travel opportunities off and on until 2003. I'm out of it now but it served its purpose well.

[Emma Clare]

I planned for summercamp, plus a year. Now it looks as though I might be leaving earlier than I thought due to my darling employers not having any new students for me next January.

[Paji eh Wong]

Learn some stuff, abscond with some of the GDP, have the most fun.

[bucheon bum]

work and teach for one year to pay off debts and live abroad, afterwards who knows?

Fell in love so stayed one extra year but ambition kept knocking around in m head, so I needed to move on and away from Korea. Now I'm writing cover letters and filing beaucoup applications for internships in DC next fall before I embark on my Middle Eastern travels in a few days.

[waterbaby]

Come for 6 months ~ a year to escape IT burnout. That was Aug 2001...

Edit: And now? Stick around a bit longer & get some formal teaching quals.

[phaedrus]

My original plan was to stay five years and pay off my debts and then return to grad school in Canada.

Now it is to stay six years, I'm in my third. I got married and will have a kid. I'm still going to go to grad school and get my masters after six years as a vacation. Come back here to Korea for three more years after that, and then return to do a PhD and stay in Canada

[Chonbuk]

My plan was to be a lifer here. Well a decade at the least.
Also to become fluent in Korean, buy a little space outside of Jeon Ju and set up for the rest of my life.
This has all changed now. I'm leaving in 10 weeks for Australia to do my Master's in Education, and one of these days will marry my Japanese sweetie.

I can't really believe that I'm leaving, this is the third time, but the first 2 times I knew I was coming back- This time I'm pretty sure I will never live here again, but will always come and visit.

boo hoooo hooo-

I'm trying really hard not to think about leaving too much


Cheers,

Chonbuk

[Zyzyfer]

[justagirl]

Planned on 6 months, then return to get my MA.

By the time I go home, I'll have been here for almost 4 years!

(still gonna go home and get my MA, though!)

justagirl

[rapier]

Mar 2002; Arrive to do ayear of teaching to see what esl was like and to get exp. to work in other exciting countries. 10 months later my school closes, I'd drunk most of my money...
Apr2003: after a 4 months in SE Asia I sign another 5 month contract here: its so easy and convenient! Just save a bit of cash and move onto a new destination. Spend more on debts and other stuff..
Sept 2003: after a failed mission to Taiwan I sign up for another year.. ho, hum.. Maybe I'll just use korea as a convenient money- earning base to travel the world from...

[Wishmaster]

My plan was to stay in Korea for some time but now fate has dealt me a cruel blow(as in the school closing soon). Not exactly sure what I will do...either stay here in Korea or go to Hawaii or Fiji and stay for some time. I guess either option is cool with me which is why I ain't too stressed out about it. If I stay in Korea...fine and dandy. However, if I'm "forced" to surf and snorkel in either Hawaii or Fiji for the next three months, I'm not exactly going to shed any tears about leaving(especially in the midst of this cold hell...remember, winter officially starts in the latter part of December). No stress...balls to the wall.

[some waygug-in]

My plan was to come for a year, then head back to Mexico and live. Then I realized that the money is just sssooooooooo much better here.
But the life was sssssssssssoooo much more interesting there.

So now it's the end of year 2, and I just bought my ticket back to Mexico.

After I blow all the cash, I'm sure I will be back.


Merry Christmas
Dudes and Dudettes.