Korean Job Discussion Forums

jiberish · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: The Carribean Bay Wrestler

Hi,

Next week im heading back to Korea with my wife who is Korean. Now as we all know the world is a bit buggered and everything seems to be headed in the wrong direction. But as far as I understood before, if you had a degree, a passport and a pulse then someone wanted you in Korea. I mean the first time I got a job there I got it 3 days after giving my details to a few recruits and of those 3 days most of them rejecting crappy hagwon contracts.

Last time I was fresh out of uni with no experience and got a Job easily.

This time, I will have an F-2 visa, Experience and I will already be in Korea. Not to mention im young and handsome which in many cases is more important than qualifications (yep great system there). But is it harder to get a job these days in Seoul? My assumption is that I could easily get a job in a week if I wanted, or maybe a month if I wanted to find my ideal job.

Am I correct? Or have things changed quite dramatically in the last year?
I know most people who have f-2 visa's typically go for afterschool, privates etc. But I want to get a solid job before I branch out into other areas.

Anyway any info is appreciated Very Happy

Ukon · Joined: 29 Jan 2008

Easier than hell...perhaps even moreso than the past due to new visa regulations and the fall in the Won's value.

jiberish · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: The Carribean Bay Wrestler

See thats what I figured, people are giving me hell because I said I want to find an apartment then a job. They say how can you get an apartment without having an income to pay for the rent(not including the 50k I have in the bank as a financial back stop). They just can't grasp the concept of demand greater than supply for a job market. Sigh I wish people actually knew something about korea before they spoke.

A nice example, I went to get a new internation drivers lisence at the place that issues them.
Stupid person:" Which country do you want the lisence for"
Me: " Korea, I'm moving back there"
Stupid person: "Why do you want one for Korea"
Me: "So I can drive around"
Stupid person : "Just hire a driver over there, it's very cheap"
Me: "No it's not?"
Stupid person(gets defensive) :"Yes it is!"
Me: "No, It's not. Have you been to Korea?"
Stupid person: "No, but people tell me"
Me: "Who? Stupid people?"

then she got all angry and didn't want to give me the lisence

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Good jobs are difficult to find. Mid-road and crappy jobs are abundant.

Public school jobs are often not bad to good. It really depends. Not sure it's the right time for one of those right at the moment -- I haven't been looking at them lately.

jellobean · Joined: 14 Mar 2006

jiberish · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: The Carribean Bay Wrestler

Before I worked at public schools on a rotating roster. I week at one school one week at another. I would prefer to work public again. But I want to live around jamsil this time. So if I can't get a public around there I reckon I can easily get my foot in the door at a hagwon in gangnam.

valkyrian2 · Mod Team Joined: 15 May 2007

wheredowego · Joined: 14 Nov 2008 Location: Seoul

jiberish,

Reminds me of of going into the bank and asking for a draft for $55 made out to the Korean Consulate. The (stupid person) told me I'd have to wait while she checked to see if it was ok because she knew that it was wrong to have dealings with North Korea.

jiberish · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: The Carribean Bay Wrestler

Haha, yeah

I still talk to people and say I'm going to south korea and they go, "there's a north?"

aerialsimulacrum · Joined: 11 May 2008 Location: Space is the place

A lot of it has to do with timing. My situation is that I work at an adult hagwon and decided I want to teach kids instead... a big reason being the better work schedule. As well, PS experience looks better if one wants to become a certified teacher back home.

I asked at my local PS board and they said I would have to wait until March. Then I applied at a kids' hagwon and they are saying the same thing. But I've contacted some recruiters and may be able to get a PS job next month in another province.

Maybe the delay is because winter vacation happens in December and January so they don't want to hire then.

jiberish · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: The Carribean Bay Wrestler

I think alot of the public schools hire in march because thats when the school year starts for them. The company that I worked for which had a contract for public's hired teachers every sumer and winter vacation. I think they would only want someone asap at random times if the previous teacher left.

However I'm suprised you got that response from hagwons. From my knowledge they just typically hired throughout the year whenever the previous teacher left.

I think for this period I should actually be looking for winter camps. Just as long as I don't have stay at the camp. I remember some of the teachers did that before. Lured in by the high pay. But they had to be with the kids from when they woke up till when they had to go to sleep. They complained about it for months.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

waynehead · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Location: Jongno

If you're picky, it can take some time. I've got experience (in Korea and elsewhere) and I've had a little trouble landing a job of late, but that's mostly b/c I have a lot of specific demands that have scared away some recruiters/potential employers.

That said I think I've got a school that's going to work and I'll probably be signing/sending off my contract w/in a week.

If you're willing to take almost anything, then you're not going to have any problems at all.