Korean Job Discussion Forums

[shawner88]

I have pretty much the best hagwon job you can get (3-4 40 min classes a day, and teach each class only one time in a week, no planning, no stress...) After 2 years of crappy ones, it's a welcome break. It's a shame that some people come here and get awful jobs. Instead of trying to quit and stick it out until things clear up with a better job, etc...they feel frustrated and a lack of hope and return to their home country with the taste of ashes in their mouths about Korea. The job really does make the experience. If you're struggling, hang in there. You can end up enjoying Korea if you get the right job. And don't let anything like release letters (I quit 3 jobs and never once had a release letter or a problem getting a new visa) get in the way. You can get around that and end up like me, a happy person, content and feeling good about life.

[ryleeys]

Show me the way! I am ready to serve you my liege!

[SuperHero]

Forget hogwans.. my first one was shit with an evil director. Move up to the university scene - I've got only a BA, masters and I've got a university position making 2.4 million for 12 hours a week.

[Mankind]

Screw Uni's, go the corporate route. I can make that /\ a week.
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But the OP is right. The jobs makes the stay.

HAND

[rapier]

Sounds like you guys have it sorted, well done. I'll get there- I think part of it is realising that you can get away with a lot over here... want a day off? take it- they won't fire you. Hate your job? Quit- theres plenty better.
Worried about workplace abuses? call the labor board.
Mankind, pray tell me more about the corporate route, i f you will. I love my kids and kinder, but I guess your way pays a lot better, and is a bit more free than the controlling hagwon atmosphere.

[Mankind]

[SuperHero]

[Son Deureo!]

[Deconstructor]

When I was in Korea a few years back, I lived in a town called Kang-jin, on the southern most tip of the peninsula. There were about 5000 people there. I worked for the nicest people whose philosophy behind opening up a hogwon was to contribute to the next generation. Have ya heard that one before in Korea?!?! As I said, I considered myself extremely lucky because I simply closed my eyes and jumped. I later found out that I had been dealing with one of the most notorious recruiters in all of Korea called Mike Lee, who simply put me on the bus, took my money and forgot about me faster than he could blink.

Many Westerners whom I met there had a lot of difficulties. This is why I say that the reason I had the greatest time in Korea was because of luck ,luck, luck.

[Miles]

Hi shawner88, I was surprised to read what you wrote about a letter of release not being a problem. This seems contrary to how the situation is usually seen by many and it was certainly a problem for me when I quit my job in September.

So for future reference I'd be very grateful to learn about any effective ways around this. How did you manage to sidestep this obstacle three times with such ease? I think many teachers would benefit from knowing any possible solutions that worked for you.

[katydid]

Of course, what's a good job with lots of free time if you have no one to share the free time with? I think the relationships that are developed over here also have some kind of significance.

[shawner88]

Miles, I just quit plain and simple. I went to Japan and at the Korean embassy I applied for the official c-3 tourist visa. (I'm American, not sure if this works for Canadians because you get 6 months landing visas?) The c-3 completely wipes out the E-2, however some people debate this. It may be up to the discretion of the immigration officer, but when you apply for a new E-2 later, you should have no problem. I did this 3 times without a hitch. If there is, chances are your new hiring boss will pay a bribe on your behalf probably without you even knowing about...either way, if you get rejected you can work for 3 month stretches on the tourist visa until the original E-2 has expired, of course I would never do such a thing ...it's not hard to find a job where they don't care.

[bjonothan]

That's what I did for the first 2 years. It is no problem finding a school that will hire you without a visa. The problem that I found is that they will try and screw you more. In the end though I was making anywhere between 2.5 million and about 5 million. These days Immigration are really cracking down so it isn't a good idea to do that unless you are in a safe enough situation to do it.

[shawner88]

I agree. I'm out in the country side. The teacher before me was going and coming with tourist visas for over 2 years without a hitch.

[philinkorea]

Yeah, the job is the thing. was chatting to my mate about that on Friday. If you get a good job here in an area you like then you can potentially have an ace time, if not it can be very very hard. Ive just started my second year now. I lived in byeongjeom for a year, near Suwon. I came here at age 22, very naive about Korea, jobs etc, ran out of money then got this job. Was the only foreign teacher at the school and hardly anyone around. They did pay me on time so it wasnt a nightmare situation and i had some good times closer to the start but the last 4 months were horrible. I was just holding out. I never got into the area and spent all my time in Seoul and just seemed in the week I had so much time alone to think. Really did my head in. I got back to england at xmas and it felt like i was in recovery for the next few months. now im back and in Jonggak at a school everyone likes and things are sound so far. obviously some hassles but i think i can be in for a great time. Now moew the busyness does my head in but i can escape it and i like it that way round.