Korean Job Discussion Forums

[danseonsaeng]

Guys and gals,

Here's the deal - come August, I'm returning to Yonsei's Korean Language Institute to finish up the ol' langauge studies.

During that time (roughly one year), I'll need a stable, reliable and legitimate hagwon position to cover expenses.

I'm currently working with SMOE at a public middle school in Nowon. I'd love to continue on with my current school (as the staff and students have been nothing but good to me), but I feel I've gotta complete my language studies before too long. The goal is to finish up the KLI and apply to the Korea National University of Arts for filmmaking. Problem with that is, I've gotta attain fluency first.

Anyway, that's the background. In the next couple of months, I'll start looking for hagwon work somewhere in the Sinchon/Hongdae area. Here's the question(s):

What sorts of conditions should I be looking for (in order to determine legitimacy of the business)?
What sorts of questions should I be asking potential employers?
What sorts of conditions should I expect to find at a decent hagwon (vacation time, sick days, working hours, contractual things, whatever)?
I'll be doing the KLI from 9-1PM Monday-Friday; I know the hours at hagwons vary, but can I expect to start work around 3 or 4 each day?

Having only worked within the public school system, my hagwon knowledge base is a bit light.

I appreciate any insight or advice you guys and gals can offer up.

[Poemer]

Firstly, bookmark this http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=006359271486458796786%3A_ooozypbm6u helps solve the search problem here on 'ol Dave's

Second, there are a lot of differences between hakwons pay and hours. You can definitely find jobs that will allow you to start at 3 or 4.

Be prepared to look at a lot of job ads, receive and reject many offers from recruiters, and spend some time looking. Be patient.

Check the faqs, google Dave's and you should be able to find everything you need. The contract posting thread would be a good place to look for the info you want.

[Xuanzang]

Word of mouth works quite well too re: finding a job and determining goodness.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

There are basically three issues you have to sort out: pay, hours, and respect. Re: the first and second, ask for references from teachers no longer working there and see if they got paid on time and if the hagwon paid pension, health care, and severance. While hours can change from month to month, teachers who've done a year there should be able to tell you how reasonable they were with breaks, vacation, etc. Re: the latter, there's a simple litmus test: visit the hagwon and try to talk to a number of the kids when no Korean adults are around. If they respond politely, they likely view FTs there as real teachers; if they talk back to you in banmal, they don't. Then do the same in the staff room. If they talk to you in banmal in front of the Korean teachers, you can be assured you'll be in for a year of constant disrespect.

[danseonsaeng]

Thanks very much for your help.

Can anyone else chime in with some specifics?

Also, what's the best way to locate hagwons within a specific area of the city (Seodaemun-gu)? Just go on foot? Ask a recruiter?

This timing of this move is gonna be interesting.

Basically, my contract with SMOE ends on the 24th of August. Yonsei's KLI starts at the end of September. I'll want to find a hagwon position starting in September or (at the latest) October. Seems like the visa thing's gonna be a bit complicated. Not exactly sure how that'll work - can anyone offer some insight?

Let me know your thoughts; much appreciated.

[hagwonnewbie]

The only was to find a good academy is to get multiple references of people who have completed contracts at an academy and are willing to give you a lot of information. People who are stil working at an academy will lie to you about their situation. I've seen it time and time again.

A former co-worker of mine was just bragging that he had found a "sucker" to replace him. He knew he wouldn't get severance until he got someone to replace him at his failing academy. As a former employee, I'd like to post the name of that academy and its criminal director, but that would make me liable for any face lost.

[PigeonFart]

If your co-worker got some sense of self-satisfaction at misleading some "sucker," then your co-worker was a dick. I told all potential teachers the truth about my school, which obviously resulted in them not taking up their offers. My school then never gave my email address to another potential teacher again, because they knew i'd tell the truth.

Some of my co-workers were like yours, they were only giving the good news. What a bunch of wankers. How the hell can you knowingly mislead some poor teacher travelling from the other side of the world.

I'd have much more respect for a foreign teacher that i've never met than for some corrupt K-manager i've been working for for a year.

[Ukon]

[danseonsaeng]

Word, so aside from the thumbs up or thumbs down of current employees, what're some other things I can do to assess legitimacy?

And how the hell do I find hagwons in the area I'm interested in? Just go on foot?

[Xuanzang]

Dress nicely and canvass your resume in Sinchon or Hongdae. The best thing you can do unless you know direct hook ups or someone who is TRUStworthy

[danseonsaeng]

That being said:

ANYONE WORK IN SEODAEMUN-GU?

[hagwonnewbie]

I think the guy was just trying to get out of a bad job and find someone, so he could get paid and leave on a friendly note. If you search my posts far enough back (Subject: My Boss complained to Immigration and I still got my visa.), you'll find out what happened when I disobeyed the owner.

I'm not condoning it or condemning the guy. That situation is much more common than most people would think.

[quote="danseonsaeng"]Word, so aside from the thumbs up or thumbs down of current employees, what're some other things I can do to assess legitimacy?

Nothing, as far as I know.