Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

A foreign teacher who works at another branch and has different circumstances knows I am leaving. He is not sure if that means bad new or I am just taking off and I'm done. Frankly, I am getting a letter of release, and I am leaving, and I am being super nice around work, doing what I have to do and going out the door when it's the last day of the term. A guy I've seen off-and-on in my building who ended up at the other branch is maybe going to go to my branch. He talked to me about it a couple of months, and I talked to him on the phone, and then e-mailed him about the job.

I did mention some of the negative aspects of the job and some of the positive ones. More negative ones are on the scene since I last talked to him, at least from my perspective. I, frankly, didn't want to receive the e-mail from the guy or for him to be informed I was leaving. I, then, called a friend at another branch asking for advice, and he said he was asked about his particular branch, because the guy was maybe going to move to this other branch, and my friend didn't want to get into it, and said his circumstances were different.

I am contemplating simply not responding to the e-mail and having my lack of response to be interpreted as he wishes. I am waiting for my letter of release. I am under no obligation to respond. I asked one of my co-workers who is staying to maybe talk to him instead since she is staying, and he is taking over her slot, and she will be going to the team I am leaving. Anyway, he knows our boss isn't too great, so he is taking his own risk.

Your thoughts....My friends including someone who works with me says it's not my problem and if I don't reply it says something.


She didn't want to deal with it and said he will find out when he comes over just like she did.

[bassexpander]

I'd say,

Hey, glad to hear from you again and write you this LETTER. I hope things are going well. I'll be leaving on XXXX and I'd appreciate it, if my name comes up with my boss, that you'd tell him I gave you a very good reference about the school. That is very important to me at this time. Extremely important. Because OF this, I would like to tell you many positive, happy things about this school, so my boss will reciprocate in kind and RELEASE me happily. I surely don't want to upset my boss, or complicate things for myself during this transition.

With that said, please come to our school and sign immediately, because this hagwon is a far better job than even a university job with 5 months of vacation and twice the salary. Yes, nothing could ever come close. That's how great this school is. Look no further, and please let my boss know that I said positive things to you. His happiness is the most important thing to me at this point.

Good luck.




Or... you could tell a kind of story:




When I was a child, I tried eating liver at a restaurant. The owner of the restaurant let people eat for free if they liked the liver he cooked. The first time I tried it, I didn't know what it was. A neighbor happened to come in to try a plate of the liver, but before he ordered, he asked me what it tasted like. I said it seemed to taste OK to me. The neighbor wasn't all that hungry yet, and decided to come back to try the liver another day.

As luck would have it, I was eating at the restaurant a second time and the neighbor stopped in again. He wanted to know what the liver tasted like. This time, however, the cook was standing over us listening to what I said. The cook knewl that the recipe had changed a bit, and I no longer liked the taste. Because the cook was standing there, I was afraid to answer.

Have you ever tried liver?

[Adventurer]

I basically told the teacher since I've seen him off-and-on in my building for over a year, and he seems like a decent guy and, though he doesn't know me well, approaches me with this certain respect. I figured I would give him the scoop, tell him what he should expect based on my experience in the school, and asked him ask himself certain questions about what he could and couldn't do based on his circumstances, and I did tell him the person who he is replacing, because she is coming to my team has slightly less classes then he has, and she takes work home once in a while.

I told him that I cannot be connected to him working at that branch or not. That it's up to him, and that I thought he's a nice guy, so I thought I would mention some important stuff to him. I didn't tell him I totally hate working there. I just described the conditions, spoke to him in a way to where he could read between the lines. He's a sharp guy. I am sure he can.

[Korussian]

[Adventurer]

[quote="Adventurer"]I basically told the teacher since I've seen him off-and-on in my building for over a year, and he seems like a decent guy and, though he doesn't know me well, approaches me with this certain respect. I figured I would give him the scoop, tell him what he should expect based on my experience in the school, and asked him ask himself certain questions about what he could and couldn't do based on his circumstances, and I did tell him the person who he is replacing, because she is coming to my team has slightly less classes then he has, and she takes work home once in a while.

I told him that I cannot be connected to him working at that branch or not. That it's up to him, and that I thought he's a nice guy, so I thought I would mention some important stuff to him. I didn't tell him I totally hate working there. I just described the conditions, spoke to him in a way to where he could read betwe lines. He's a sharp guy. I am sure he can.

I love that liver example. I can't stand eating liver, and I can't stand my job. I am not sure which one is worse, but I didn't tell him I hate my job. I am told him what to basically expect, but that he would have to talk to the other teacher teaching the classes he's teaching.

[moosehead]

you know what - people rarely ever actually take advice - you know if you tell him your job sucks - he might be so full of himself he thinks it's just you - or that he's so blessed it won't suck for him -

I'd just ignore his email and if he stops you and asks just say you felt it was time to move on or something like that - and you don't recall his email or were too busy to respond whatever -

I've responded as the FT to others and sometimes they listened, sometimes they didn't. People do what they are going to do.

Don't let it bug you so much -you are just worried about leaving. Think positive thoughts, try and destress and concentrate on your own future - it's the one that matters anyway, right?

[Adventurer]

[cruisemonkey]

My advice - don't respond.

The golden rule in K-land is "Keep your trap shut." I once told a co-worker (whom, at the time I thought I could trust) something about the K-boss in confidence, and the idiot blabed it to the K-boss when he was mad at him... "cruisemonkey says..."

[Adventurer]