Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bread]

[Poemer]

Avalon was my first gig in Korea three years ago. I started at 2.3 mil. I had a little leverage. If someone were to take anything less than 2.2 from them now, it would be a mistake in my opinion. Depending on the campus/situation it might be a mistake at any salary.

[hkfortytwo]

[Teelo]

I was recently offered a position there, but I didn't like how it said "we can fire you if you talk about whats in this contract with anyone" in the contract.

Oh look they can fire me already.

Edit: Since I got a PM about this, I will note that I did not take the position there because of this.

[Poemer]

Ha, the reason they added that clause to the contract while I was working there was because they were running into trouble with varying work conditions and pay between people and campuses. You have have to claw tooth and nail to get your due from Avalon, they always low-ball on salaries and nickel and dime you to death once you get there. For example, I was making 2.3 and another co-worker was making 1.8 for the same job. They obviously want to keep that stuff quiet. . .

[Teelo]

This is their answer when I emailed them about it a while ago:

[Smee]

I was in Avalon my first year, and looking back a lot of the bitching I did was for stuff that's endemic throughout the English education business here. Last minute stuff, no real interest in foreigners' classes, lack of respect. But, there were some pros, and I wish I had a little more perspective back then. However reading about some of the crap in the contract now reminds me of some of the crap I dealt with then. Having to work some weekends and national holidays, practically no vacation, surprise intensive periods, tension and coldness between foreigners and Koreans. To this day, though, I still remember many of my students, and it's remarkable to think how advanced even the "low tier" students were compared to the students I've taught in the public schools.

I will say, though, that it was very difficult to watch students being driven to the breaking point like that, though. I had a 3 to 11 shift, and students had already been to another hagwon or two before me. They had 3 classes a day at Avalon (grammar, listening, whitey), and had a vocab/listening test every day with the Korean teacher which required them to memorize and regurgitate 50 words each time. If they failed they were hit by the Korean teachers and were given a detention until 12:30 am. I can't respect a teacher who beats a student with better English than her.

Avalon worked on a cycle of self-sustaining advertising, at least when it was restricted to wealthy Bundang. It had a lot of returnee students who thus had high levels of English already, since Bundang is a very affluent neighborhood. They came to Avalon for a semester or a year and scored well on standardized exams and went to good schools, likely not because of Avalon. Thus Avalon could advertise that it sent students to the top scores and the high levels, and attract more students. Some students would continue to place well because they had lived abroad and had been studying English since age 3, thus giving the impression that more had gone to FLHSs because of Avalon.

[ubermenzch]

I worked in the suji branch. i don't know, i want to find something good to say, but now that i'm working in a public school, i realize even more how awful it was. yes, we got paid on time, but i showed up on time everyday, so i always get miffed when people use that as a positive. but i guess at other hagwons thats something that doesnt happen. the only thing that makes working there worth it, is your co-workers. and its always a roll of the dice. you can end up working with the coolest people you've ever met, or find yourself in the cubicle next to guy who cant hack it and ends up killing himself (as i did, although management never told us what had happened until it was forced upon them a week later). a thoroughly horrid place to work.

[Poemer]

Wow, everyone I knew who worked at the Suji campus SAID they wanted to kill themselves. Someone finally up and did it eh? It's all because they closed the Wa Bar!!!

[eslteacherlooking]

how does avalon compensate teachers for the return flight who stay in korea after their contract but do not continue working for avalon?

[asams]

here's my experience with Avalon.

they're all about image, which is why Korean parents love it so much. The classrooms and buildings are a lot nicer than many other hagwons.

But the Avalon I worked at was very uptight it seemed. Sure, we went out drinking some nights, but when we were at work you were almost afraid to laugh. My coworker now also worked at an Avalon and he said the foreign teachers had to line up outside the elevator on the first day of school and bow to the parents. His boss told him one reason they were firing him was because he wore tennis shoes into work one day.

I know you can find better places, for the same pay, and better accomodation. I did.

[bobbybigfoot]

[dhl262]

usually 2.0 to 2.2 million won

[Dude Ranch]

what is a good chain hagwon to work at in Seoul then???

[gaffe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zJdbpzfJMs