Korean Job Discussion Forums

[JFuller317]

I am about halfway through my contract, and I have a fairly serious relationship with a Korean girl. I am looking into the possibility of bringing her to the U.S. with me after my contract is over. Her English is fairly decent, but there is a lot of room for improvement. She is not an engineer or anything like that; she was training to be a language teacher in Korea, and so she speaks Chinese and Japanese fairly well and is licensed to teach these languages to Koreans.

I am looking for ideas about what kind of non-science jobs Korean immigrants typically get. My hometown is Los Angeles, which has a large Korean population. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing?

[seoulsucker]

[Beej]

"massuese" or if she doesnt want to do that "massage therapist"

[Easter Clark]

I think her (and your) opportunities are far greater in Korea than in LA. Why don't you consider staying? The truth is, without minimal education or some specialized training, she won't be able to find much (how many Americans are out of work right now?). This sounds bad, but she may be doing nails in the mall if you don't play your cards right...and end up resenting you for it. Just my man won's worth.

edited for clarity

[jdog2050]

[Xuanzang]

Korean restaurant server or owner (if you have some coin) or working in a Japanese housewares or cultural items store. There`s slim pickings for non-citizens and citizens alike now

[JFuller317]

Yeah, I thought as much. One question though. Remember how when most of us were kids, there were always those Chinese-American or Korean-American kids in class who went to "Chinese school" or "Korean school" on weekends? How possible is it for immigrants to get those jobs?

[jkelly80]

I think you should try to get in touch with Korean civic groups/churches/cultural centers in LA while you're still in Korea. They can probably give your gf some info about what to expect.

[PeteJB]

Well, if teaching is not your thing then you could try a shot in the dark at learning Korean and living here - but for that you'd have to be *way serious* about everything.

[Gimpokid]

She might be able to get job in sales or customer service for some type of high tech company. I worked in the planning department of a semiconductor company with people like your wife who handled calls and shipments from Korea/Taiwan etc.

It should be noted that in the 2 years I worked there the stock dropped 60% and 30% of the employees got layed off... I was a waiter for the 3 months before I came to Korea.

[aarontendo]

prostitute if ya move to L.A.

[DRAMA OVERKILL]

She might get work at a laundromat or dry cleaners.

[Easter Clark]

[pkang0202]

OP,

Her best bet would be to open her own business here. There is a reason why most 1st generation Koreans own little mom and pop stores when they come to the US.

Those mom and pop stores is what allows 1st generation Koreans to move out of the "slums" and into Middle Class suburbia within 10 years.

My parents ran a beauty supply store. They spoke little to no English. Why were they successful? All the suppliers were Korean companies. 90% of the merchandise came from Korean wholesalers in NYC or LA.

Once the business gets off the ground and you are making a healthy profit, its REAL easy to sell it off to another Korean couple that has just come to the US looking for the American Dream.


Thats the best way to go. Start up a business, or buy a business from other Koreans that are looking to sell. Make sure you stake out the place and see how many customers are going in there.

[robot]

She could get into language school administration or work for a recruiter. Basically anything in the ESL biz, though the money's not always that hot.

The best idea? Going into business for yourself. If there are few jobs available, just make one. What skills can she translate into a money-producing venture?

(on edit it seems pkang beat me to it...)