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Should I wait to teach or should I go now?
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DJ Clae



Joined: 04 Mar 2009
Location: Seoul
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:07 pm    Post subject: Should I wait to teach or should I go now? Reply with quote
I've been working in finance for 6 years in the US and I have a decent job, but it will be ending for sure sometime within the next 1-2 months. My rent, utilities, and car are high, so I have a comfortable boring life with little spending money, but currently don't make any progress on my school debts.

My major is Japanese language and I haven't been to Japan because I became bored with the idea, seeing friends and my brother go. I applied to JET this year and didn't get an interview (no surprise). My major gave me some good cultural studies about Asia in school, but I know nothing of the Korean language. I recently got interested in teaching in Korea because I thought it would be more of an adventure, and the pay sounds like a good way to put some dent in my debt.

I responded to an ad on Monster.com when I was searching for temporary work in the US, and that's how I got the idea, found this site. Now I have that recruiter from craigskorea.com/Hoya English/G'Day Korea or whatever they're calling themselves now saying she can hook me up with a job by early April, but I need to act quick.

Is the rush a warning sign? Will I be able to find plenty of good opportunities in Korea if I search in say April-June this year, or is now a better time? Can I get a public school job that will be better if I wait until August? I think a hagwon sounds okay for my needs. Of course if I have an offer I will fully research the school and the people there per the great advice on this site.

For that matter, should I just explore the other, lesser organizations for teaching in Japan at a private school?

Thanks for any help/suggestions.

Last edited by DJ Clae on Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:49 am; edited 1 time in total
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Is the rush a warning sign? Will I be able to find plenty of good opportunities in Korea if I search in say April-June this year, or is now a better time? Can I get a public school job that will be better if I wait until August? I think a hagwon sounds okay for my needs. Of course if I have an offer I will fully research the school and the people there per the great advice on this site.


I don't think so in this case. Schools are just now opening up again after winter break and those without native speakers are still scrambling to fill their positions. I'm sure the thinking in the schools is 'the sooner the better'. Natural from their perspective. It probably doesn't make too difference if you wait till August, but my impression is that there are more PS jobs available in March, which is the beginning of the Korean school year. Basically, a PS job is a PS job; the possibility of landing a GOOD one is more dependent on luck than timing.

If you want to go the hakwon route, then almost anytime is good. They hire all year round with peak seasons during the PS breaks.

Good luck.
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oskinny1



Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Location: Right behind you!
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Do not be rushed into a job. There are tons out there waiting to be filled, the recruiter just wants to fill that job and get the fee.

I don't think going to Korea is the best idea if you want to save money. When I was there I was able to walk away with $18,000(US) but that was when the exchange rate was 1000won=$1. As of writing this it is 1,550won=$1.

I am surprised you don't want to go to Japan. There are other jobs than JET, and JET takes a year to for the interview process. I worked at an eikaiwa (yesterday was my last day) and really enjoyed it. There are some listings on Dave's job board, I say check those out.

But if you really want to go to Korea, I say go for it. I had a good time there and no real bad experiences. Good luck either way.
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The Cosmic Hum



Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Should I wait to teach, or should I go now?


If you go there will be trouble, if you stay it will be double. Wink
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ChinaBoy



Joined: 17 Feb 2007
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
NO NO NO never leave a decent job to teach English!!!!!

Plus, I'm confused why you would go to Korea instead of Japan. There's more than JET (and they're not "lesser organizations").

There are always plenty of jobs available. No sense quitting a decent one now just to be shafted later.
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cruisemonkey



Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ya-ta Boy wrote:
Basically, a PS job is a PS job; the possibility of landing a GOOD one is more dependent on luck than timing.

Yes... unless you're already in K-land and can check out the school/principal/v.p. it's almost a total crap shoot.
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semi-fly



Joined: 07 Apr 2008
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
oskinny1 wrote:
Do not be rushed into a job. There are tons out there waiting to be filled, the recruiter just wants to fill that job and get the fee.

I don't think going to Korea is the best idea if you want to save money. When I was there I was able to walk away with $18,000(US) but that was when the exchange rate was 1000won=$1. As of writing this it is 1,550won=$1.

I am surprised you don't want to go to Japan. There are other jobs than JET, and JET takes a year to for the interview process. I worked at an eikaiwa (yesterday was my last day) and really enjoyed it. There are some listings on Dave's job board, I say check those out.

But if you really want to go to Korea, I say go for it. I had a good time there and no real bad experiences. Good luck either way.

Forgive my ignorance, but wouldn't working in Japan being practically the same as working in Korea in terms of saving? Isn't the cost of living in Japan a bit higher than it is in Korea?
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Does a base salary of $1,300 / month appeal to you? It's about the worst time it's ever been for an American to come over here to teach.
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hugekebab



Joined: 05 Jan 2008
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Should I wait to teach or should I go now? Reply with quote
DJ Clae wrote:
I've been working in finance for 6 years in the US and I have a decent job, but it will be ending for sure sometime within the next 1-2 months. My rent, utilities, and car are high, so I have a comfortable boring life with little spending money, but currently don't make any progress on my school debts.

My major is Japanese language and I haven't been to Japan because I became bored with the idea, seeing friends and my brother go. I applied to JET this year and didn't get an interview (no surprise). My major gave me some good cultural studies about Asia in school, but I know nothing of the language. I recently got interested in teaching in Korea because I thought it would be more of an adventure, and the pay sounds like a good way to put some dent in my debt.

I responded to an ad on Monster.com when I was searching for temporary work in the US, and that's how I got the idea, found this site. Now I have that recruiter from craigskorea.com/Hoya English/G'Day Korea or whatever they're calling themselves now saying she can hook me up with a job by early April, but I need to act quick.

Is the rush a warning sign? Will I be able to find plenty of good opportunities in Korea if I search in say April-June this year, or is now a better time? Can I get a public school job that will be better if I wait until August? I think a hagwon sounds okay for my needs. Of course if I have an offer I will fully research the school and the people there per the great advice on this site.

For that matter, should I just explore the other, lesser organizations for teaching in Japan at a private school?

Thanks for any help/suggestions.


Wrong decision; go to Japan.
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DJ Clae



Joined: 04 Mar 2009
Location: Seoul
PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks for all the helpful feedback, everyone. So let me get this straight, for hagwon jobs it doesn't really matter when I go, but for public school March is the best time?

ChinaBoy wrote:
NO NO NO never leave a decent job to teach English!!!!

I don't have a decent job. The one I have now is going away in probably less than a month.

I've heard nothing but bad things about the eikaiwas in Japan.

Yu_Bum_suk wrote:
Does a base salary of $1,300 / month appeal to you? It's about the worst time it's ever been for an American to come over here to teach.

I guess the theory is that while I'm in Korea 1,000 won will be sort of like $1 USD, and hopefully the exchange rate will recover a little within a year before I move all the money over. The cost of living is much higher in Japan, is it not?
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asams



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess the theory is that while I'm in Korea 1,000 won will be sort of like $1 USD, and hopefully the exchange rate will recover a little within a year before I move all the money over. The cost of living is much higher in Japan, is it not?

this theory is valid if you're not trying to send money home. you can definitely save money and still live well, but if you're trying to send money home each month then this theory becomes null. I have the same deal (needing to pay off some loans) as do many of us here, and waiting it out is most likely the best way to go, but the exchange rate could go either way so it's really risky. If you want to make progress right now, go to Japan where the exchange rate is better and send money home every month.