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		Benman25
 
 
  Joined: 25 Feb 2009
 
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				 Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:36 pm    Post subject: On my way to Korea | 
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				So I was offered a job today to teach in Korea at a Hagwon and I have a couple questions about it. 
 
 
First, my recruiter is telling me I need to send my original bachelors degree mailed with a bunch of other documentation so I can get my work visa. Has anyone done this before? It seems a little strange to me to send my original college diploma. 
 
 
Second, I have read some horror stories of people going over there and then the recruiter bailed and the job didn't pan out or whatever. How often does this happen? | 
			 
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		asams
 
  
  Joined: 17 Nov 2008
 
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				 Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:43 pm    Post subject:  | 
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				everyone sends over their original diploma.  you can order an extra one from your school (mine costs $25).  
 
 
i sent an apostilled copy, but I've heard that they might stop accepting those. | 
			 
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		TBirdMG
 
  
  Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Location: SF, CA, USA
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				 Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:50 pm    Post subject:  | 
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				You DO NOT need to send your original diploma. This is one of the most repeated falsehoods of getting a visa in Korea. 
 
 
Yes, it is one of three options, but it is not the ONLY option. You can also submit a copy of the diploma which has been BOTH notarized and apostilled (please don't ask what that means. Do the homework using the search function on Dave's), OR by having a Korean consulate notarize it. 
 
 
Any of the three is fine. Any recruiter who demands your original diploma should be tarred and kimchi'ed. 
 
 
Enough with the original documents, please..... | 
			 
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		BS.Dos.
 
  
  Joined: 29 Mar 2007
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:02 am    Post subject:  | 
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				F*ck hagwons. They'll steal your pension, kick you out the door at around the 11th month mark waving the bonus that they were never going to give you in front of your now crying face. They'll house you in a roach infested coffin with shit stains up the walls from where the previous FT held a dirty protest on account he hadn't been paid for 3-months. They'll give you neither materials, advice, help or chalk. You'll be held personally accountable when over-bearing-Korean-mother is less than .001% satisfied that her spoilt wh0re of a child isn't 400% happy 700% of the time. You'll get 52 days holiday per year...Sundays. Your work day will start at 06:30, stop at 09:30, begin again at 14:00 and finish at 10:30 and you'll arrive home to your shoebox of an apartment after the twice daily 40-minute bus/subway ride to find that the vegas inspired Noraebong downstairs has just opened for the night. Plus a load of other general heavy shit will continuely rain down on you from the moment you step off the plane looking for the pickup that isn't coming. You'll find that you'll frequently ask yourself why you bothered coming in the first place. Unfortunately, you'll be too busy preparing for your 19th lesson of the day to figure out the answer.
 
 
Oh yeah, the foreigner who told you all those wonderful things about the job, will be a Canadian alcoholic called Colin who'll insist that you be his new best friend on account that he has none of his own. Don't, he's a first order cunt who needs stabbing. 
 
 
Conversely, it may be fine. | 
			 
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		afsjesse
 
  
  Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:17 am    Post subject:  | 
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				Yikes!!!    | 
			 
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		TheUrbanMyth
 
 
  Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:19 am    Post subject:  | 
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	  | BS.Dos. wrote: | 
	 
	
	  F*ck hagwons. They'll steal your pension, kick you out the door at around the 11th month mark waving the bonus that they were never going to give you in front of your now crying face. They'll house you in a roach infested coffin with shit stains up the walls from where the previous FT held a dirty protest on account he hadn't been paid for 3-months. They'll give you neither materials, advice, help or chalk. You'll be held personally accountable when over-bearing-Korean-mother is less than .001% satisfied that her spoilt wh0re of a child isn't 400% happy 700% of the time. You'll get 52 days holiday per year...Sundays. Your work day will start at 06:30, stop at 09:30, begin again at 14:00 and finish at 10:30 and you'll arrive home to your shoebox of an apartment after the twice daily 40-minute bus/subway ride to find that the vegas inspired Noraebong downstairs has just opened for the night. Plus a load of other general heavy shit will continuely rain down on you from the moment you step off the plane looking for the pickup that isn't coming. You'll find that you'll frequently ask yourself why you bothered coming in the first place. Unfortunately, you'll be too busy preparing for your 19th lesson of the day to figure out the answer.
 
 
Oh yeah, the foreigner who told you all those wonderful things about the job, will be a Canadian alcoholic called Colin who'll insist that you be his new best friend on account that he has none of his own. Don't, he's a first order cunt who needs stabbing. 
 
 
Conversely, it may be fine. | 
	 
 
 
 
 
Don't hold back...tell us how you really feel.   | 
			 
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		kaosjin
 
 
  Joined: 06 Sep 2007
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:24 am    Post subject: Ouch | 
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				BS.Dos 
 
Are you having a bad day? | 
			 
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		BS.Dos.
 
  
  Joined: 29 Mar 2007
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:26 am    Post subject:  | 
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				Everyday is happy day with EPIK.
 
 
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		BS.Dos.
 
  
  Joined: 29 Mar 2007
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:28 am    Post subject:  | 
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				Everyday is happy day with EPIK.
 
 
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		BS.Dos.
 
  
  Joined: 29 Mar 2007
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:30 am    Post subject:  | 
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				| So happy in fact, I said it twice. | 
			 
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		Tobias
 
  
  Joined: 02 Jun 2008
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:10 am    Post subject:  | 
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				There is some truth in what BS Dos says. 
 
 
Find out why this outfit needs somebody. Is it expanding, or is it merely replacing a quitter? If you'd be replacing a quitter, would you be replacing somebody who finished up his commitment and then left, or would you be replacing a runner? You'd be wise to find out which it is. A lot of outfits view us as easily replaced and the American labor market as a pool of fresh meat. Such people don't change their ways of treating their hired help.
 
 
Replace a quitter today, be a quitter tomorrow. Replace a runner at 9 a.m., be a runner by high noon. | 
			 
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		hugekebab
 
  
  Joined: 05 Jan 2008
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:42 am    Post subject: Re: On my way to Korea | 
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	  | Benman25 wrote: | 
	 
	
	  So I was offered a job today to teach in Korea at a Hagwon and I have a couple questions about it. 
 
 
First, my recruiter is telling me I need to send my original bachelors degree mailed with a bunch of other documentation so I can get my work visa. Has anyone done this before? It seems a little strange to me to send my original college diploma. 
 
 
Second, I have read some horror stories of people going over there and then the recruiter bailed and the job didn't pan out or whatever. How often does this happen? | 
	 
 
 
 
I would advise not to go to a hagwon and reapply for a public school (although you've missed the beggining of semester so it's probably too late for that.)  My uni has problems, but the best decision I ever made was not having a hagwon for my first job.  Many of the horror stories are true.  Usually the reality is somewhere in the middle, but still sucks. | 
			 
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		hugekebab
 
  
  Joined: 05 Jan 2008
 
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:45 am    Post subject: Re: Ouch | 
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	  | kaosjin wrote: | 
	 
	
	  BS.Dos 
 
Are you having a bad day? | 
	 
 
 
 
I would call that an average day in Korea, not necessarily a bad one. | 
			 
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		losing_touch
 
  
  Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Location: Ulsan - I think!
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				 Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 3:23 am    Post subject:  | 
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	  | BS.Dos. wrote: | 
	 
	
	  F*ck hagwons. They'll steal your pension, kick you out the door at around the 11th month mark waving the bonus that they were never going to give you in front of your now crying face. They'll house you in a roach infested coffin with shit stains up the walls from where the previous FT held a dirty protest on account he hadn't been paid for 3-months. They'll give you neither materials, advice, help or chalk. You'll be held personally accountable when over-bearing-Korean-mother is less than .001% satisfied that her spoilt wh0re of a child isn't 400% happy 700% of the time. You'll get 52 days holiday per year...Sundays. Your work day will start at 06:30, stop at 09:30, begin again at 14:00 and finish at 10:30 and you'll arrive home to your shoebox of an apartment after the twice daily 40-minute bus/subway ride to find that the vegas inspired Noraebong downstairs has just opened for the night. Plus a load of other general heavy shit will continuely rain down on you from the moment you step off the plane looking for the pickup that isn't coming. You'll find that you'll frequently ask yourself why you bothered coming in the first place. Unfortunately, you'll be too busy preparing for your 19th lesson of the day to figure out the answer.
 
 
Oh yeah, the foreigner who told you all those wonderful things about the job, will be a Canadian alcoholic called Colin who'll insist that you be his new best friend on account that he has none of his own. Don't, he's a first order cunt who needs stabbing. 
 
 
Conversely, it may be fine. | 
	 
 
 
 
Well, none of those things have happened to me at my hagwon.  My apartment is clean.  The nearest Noraebang is 2 blocks away.  I got picked up at the airport.  I have 5-8 lessons per day.  I don't know anyone named Colin.  In fact, I don't really know any Canadians at all.  We pay into pension too.  
 
 
Interesting. | 
			 
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