Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bet]

After almost two months of thinking I already had the job and going back and forth, I was finally officially offered a job. I really want this job, but the offer unfortunately came much later than I expected (I had actually just given up on it). But now I stand not only to lose my apartment deposit but a months rent too. This is on top of all the other expenses I will incur like breaking phone and internet contracts, moving things into storage, and even taking a trip to Chicago to get my visa. It is going to get expensive... like possibly close to $ 3000 expensive. Is that normal? Have lots of you guys already abroad taken big financial hits to get where you are and how do you feel about that looking back? I'm not going to be making a lot of money there. Thanks for any feedback.

[lille]

I bit the bullet and moved in with my folks a few months before I came here. A painful adjustment to be sure, but with visa delays and a zillion consular back-and-forths, crashing with my folks was the only way I ended up able to save enough cash to survive my first month.

Whatever you do, make sure you have at least that - you won't get a paycheque until a month into your contract.

[Ultimo Hombre]

Things went smoothly for me.
I feel for you guys though.
I've heard some stories of long waits and jerk around behavior.
OP listen to the guy above. You definitely need a month worth of cash to make it at first.

[Robot_Teacher]

Total start up cost=$1200 maybe $1300 not including money I took to Korea as I was saving whatever little bits I could on small paychecks. Also a huge time cost in studying up on teaching in Korea as I'm sure you too spent hundreds of hours on your computer researching and prospecting for a career opportunity instead of just placing bets by guessing. Anyhow, here's a long insightful and informative post to share a bit of my knowledge based on my experience in making it to Korea.

I was lucky, I had already served my 1 year apartment contract and was living month to month so I just gave 1 months notice as I had been living in the same place for like 4 years. Be sure to officially change your address to a relatives place if you can or pay money to a mail box company that provides you an address.

I gave up my furniture and boxed the things I wasn't taking and put some at my brothers and some at my mothers in closet space they weren't using. I'm storing things I didn't and couldn't take such as high school diploma and other historical life things that mean a lot to me. If you rent storage, be sure it's a company you trust to stay in business in the long term and takes electronic payments, preferably Paypal or debit card.

Since prepaid cell phones are decent deals now in the US not requiring a huge deposit where I'd get 400 outbound minutes with free nights and weekends as well as unlimited inbound for $45/month, I'd been using that for several years and was able to just shut it down.

I had already served my 1 year internet contract long ago and was going month to month on it too.

If you're going public school, Chicago doesn't require a consulate in person interview. At least I didn't have to do that.

I drove a used car I sold through Craigslist a few weeks before leaving which served as 1st month spending money. I did have to pay $1100 out of pocket for my flight which was reimbursed 3 weeks after arrival. I also was handed 300,000 won (about $250) settlement allowance on the 2nd day to help.

If a Missouri resident, just drive to Jeff City, go to the state highway patrol records office for a CBC, take it a notary public, and then visit the state capital secretary of state office for your apostille. All done in one day for less than $50 including gas. I was refused notary at a bank due to the notary not witnessing the issuing of the CBC, but just went to the secretary of state office anyhow and the secretary of state office gave me both notary and apostille with only a 20 minute wait. And then you hit Columbia a few miles north on 63 for your $5 sealed transcripts if you graduated from the University of Missouri.

Back home, for many years, I was just living in a frugal way scratching out my survival that would allow me to up and leave anytime by avoiding contracts, credit cards, and anything else as I expected to have to relocate as the job market was dismal with little or no prospects paying anything more than peanuts in the Midwest as far as I knew. The contracts I took out were during college, but already finished upon graduation. I'm thinking Florida might be better if looking for a job back in the US.

As for student loans, refinanced with Dept. of Education consolidated loans and got on the income contingent plan upon graduation so I wouldn't risk default or be too over burdened. Just some extra advice for fellow Americans.

[bet]

Thanks guys. Thank goodness for student loans this summer, sounds like I'm going to need a little extra. Have any of you asked your Korean employers for an advance of your first paycheck?