Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sarahbeara_413]

Hi Everyone-
I'm a first time teacher planning to go to Busan in October and was recently offered a job at a private school that seems pretty ok. I do have a few questions to throw out there before I sign a contract.
1- does anyone have any feedback on Yangjeong area of Busan? I did a search and came up with a few, somewhat outdated results.
2-After being informed that I had an offer from that school my recruiter told me that I would also be teaching at another school on Tuesdays and Thursdays which is about a 20 minute bus ride away. Is this normal?
3- I haven't actually spoken to anyone at the school, one of the American teachers from the school called me and conducted the "interview." Should I be skeptical of that?

Any feedback would be helpful.
Thanks in advance!

[Zaria32]

Teaching at two schools is a violation of your visa UNLESS Immigration approves it IN ADVANCE OF THE FIRST DAY YOU TEACH at school number 2, and it is listed on the back of your Alien Registration Card (your ARC.) This is true even if the two schools are part of the same
franchise. You won't even get an ARC for 2 or 3 weeks, which means that if everything is completely on the up and up, you CANNOT teach at two schools until after you get your ARC, after Immigration approves it, and after Immigration, not anyone else, puts the information on the back of your ARC.

Working at two schools makes it much easier (and it's easy to begin with) for a school to cheat you...ie each school thinks the
other should pay half of your medical, each school thinks the other should pay pension etc. Also, one of the schools can "turn you in" at
any time, and nothing will happen to them but you'll be in a world of
hurt.

And by the way, no school has a special agreement, or a dispensation, or whatever, for this to be OK. Recruiters often say this is the case...it is NEVER the case. Immigration cannot approve it in advance, or any other nonsense the school and recuiter tells you.

Run, don't walk, away.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[tob55]

Sounds like a hagwon franchise with a couple of branches or two closely tied owners that are having a hard time finding people to fill their need. At any rate, you should clarify everything before getting into a bad situation, and having everyone here say they told you so. If the recruiter is unwilling to provide clear explanations and information then you probably need to rethink working with that recruiter. If you are coming in October and have not signed any formal agreement with a school then you are under no obligation to take anything the recruiter shoves your way. IMHO, if it looks shady here in Korea, it probably is, and something you should steer clear of as was mentioned.

[Tobias]

Walk away from the deal. There are too many openings to settle for second-best. This deal sounds more like third-best, as it's a private outfit meaning you'll end up being screwed over on something sooner or later.