Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kelcclay]

Hi There,

I recently was offered a position at the Junggye ECC branch and am having a hard time finding much about it. Any information would be great! Thanks so much!

[smurfystew]

Hi there,

I worked at this branch from September 2005 - August 2006. All in all, I would say it is a fair and decent school. You will have a typical hogwan schedule 9-5 or 1-8. The pay was a bit low. When I worked there they payed me 1,800,000w. I accepted it because I was foolish and didn't know any better.

Also, Nowon-gu is a bit out of the city. Coming home from Itaewon or Hongdae will set you back around 20,000w. There isn't too much going on in that part of the city besides mountains if you are into hiking. There are tons of other foreigners living in the area though, so meeting people shouldn't be a problem.

[aphase]

I worked there also. Actually I worked there with the poster above. It was my first job in korea, and as far as first jobs are, i guess it was ok. If you don't mind a schedule that constantly changes, and don't mind the distance from everything else, i guess go ahead and give it a try. Pay is low, and that 20,000 won getting back from hongdae/itaewon, actually that was with what taxi prices were back then, around 2004/5, so its probably a bit more of a taxi fair than that now.

Since it was so long ago, i can't really say what its like working there now, could be a whole new manager etc.

on the plus side you'll always be paid on time. on the downside, well you'll be living far away, and have lower pay than other jobs

[bossface]

i don't know about ECC, but i live in Nowon, it's not so bad. there's more variety in bars/restaurants now than there were a couple years ago. yes, the taxi ride does suck, but if the driver takes the expressway, you can get home from Itaewon for between 14 and 18, and Hongdae can be as low as 16

[Buffalo]

I worked at an ECC in 2007-2008. I suggests steering far away from it. It's a business, not an institution for education. Thus, you will be treated as a business tool, not a teacher.
The ONLY good thing I can say about YBM is that they pay you on time.
They never pay you enough for the amount of work that you do, plus you never feel appreciated, making your days insanely longer than need be. I worked at my ECC from 930am to 8pm three days a week and 900am to 6pm the other 2. Average of 40- 44 classes (40 mins each) a week.
Add this up Nowon + ECC= a good decision? Don't be hasty and investigate your options a bit more. I suggest finding a public school job if you can. I work 15-18 (1 hour) classes a week and I have at least 2 months of vacation a year with slightly more pay. Plus, they actually treat me like a teacher here.
The grass is always greener compared to ECC.

[snurglersons]

i work at a ybm ecc. teach 10:45-7:25 MWF, 10:45-6 Tues Thurs...this includes an hour 15 for lunch and a few nice breaks. i find the job incredibly easy, set curriculum and work with great people.

most of the public school people i meet love their vacation time/work hours and that's about it. i've found them to be some of the more isolated foreigners i come across.

keep in mind, you're coming here for a job and not some exotic vacation. although, i absolutely love korea, the exotic vacation will be after your contract with the money you can bank. i party my ass off every weekend and can hardly hit 1,000,000 won of spending a month. when i finish my contract i'll be able to do south asia for at least 6 months, hopefully much longer, the way i travel.

i seriously seriously do not get the people that come on here and whine about shit...i can only assume they'd be just as maladjusted if they moved from a small city to NYC or a single inch outside of their comfort zone. for the most part, this site is only of comedic value for me.

[WoBW]

[Davew125]

[bbonthec]

I have never worked at ECC, so I can't vouch for it. I did do an interview at YBM once, but I turned the job down due to the split shift. Also, from what I hear, YBM has a crazy strict curriculum, and I find I enjoy teaching a lot more when I have a bit of flexibility in the classroom.

I do live in Nowon though, and I highly recommend it as an ideal location to live in. You might not like Nowon if you like to go clubbing and eat at foreign restaurants every day of the week, but if you limit these activities to the weekends, Nowon is great. Nowon subway station is a transfer hub of Line 4 and Line 7, both of which run north-south, and cross almost every other subway line in the city -- meaning that you can get almost anywhere in the city with just one transfer, and you always get a seat when you're heading south because you're near the end of the line. There are tons and tons of foreigners who live here, and there are many great bars and restaurants around Nowon. Plus, you're right next to the mountains, the air is much fresher than downtown Seoul, and it's fast and easy getting onto the expressway if you drive. All in all, a great little neighborhood.

As for the public school vs. hagwon debate, I'd say both positions vary. I've heard of both great and downright terrible public school and hagwon jobs, so it really all comes down to either luck of the draw or knowing the right people. I prefer hagwons personally. I dunno, it's just a different atmosphere. Plus, at the hagwon I currently work at, I am in the academy far fewer hours and get paid much more than most of my public school-teaching friends. The only thing public schools have going for them is the longer holidays, in my opinion. So, I guess it really depends on whether you wanna spend all your hard-earned money traveling every year or not.

[drukx001]

I am interested in YMB also. I have heard the quality of schools varies from one school to the next. I am waiting until January or February to start, so I don't know what branches are open. For every job I have ever had, I have known someone to complain about it. Take it with a grain of salt.

[eggman87]

im actually working at junggye right now.
but I am quiting so you'd be my replacement if you decide to take the job.
ive been here for six months teaching and am quiting to pursue my korean language education in university. ill be honest with you its been a really rough 6 months. thats just my opinion though, if you want to come to korea to teach english and that is something your passionate about go for it. just be ready to spend most of your time at school. schedules here have really sucked so far. but maybe that will change in the future i dont know...