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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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 Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:04 pm Post subject: Which is more important: prestige or high salary? |
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Last edited by fustiancorduroy on Sat Feb 21, 2015 5:01 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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| In Korea, you can't have one without the other. So I choose both. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Does this Government Writing gig include housing? |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Does this Government Writing gig include housing? |
Unless I negotiate really hard, no. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| jvalmer wrote: |
| Does this Government Writing gig include housing? |
Unless I negotiate really hard, no. |
I'd say go for the Government gig, but without housing it's harder. Then again there are tons of Koreans that would love to be making 3 million but I guess a lot are still living in their parent's home, which makes it easier. And I assume they probably could get a better deal on rents just by knowing the language.
Don't know how old you are, but if you don't have a family I'd say go for it, and make connections and possibly work your way to better things. But this is what I'd do. |
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Faunaki
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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| High salary is much better. Who cares what anyone thinks of you, especially in Korea? |
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antoniothegreat
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Location: Yangpyeong
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Faunaki wrote: |
| High salary is much better. Who cares what anyone thinks of you, especially in Korea? |
ditto that. whatever your plans, money is better.
if you have a child here, will prestige get that kid into a hogwon?
if you go back home, will prestige buy you a new car?
if you go to japan, will prestige get you a ticket?
no, no, no... so money is better... |
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hobakmorinam
Joined: 22 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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Is working at a uni REALLY that prestigious? You're still just an esl teacher.
GO FOR THE MONEY. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Faunaki wrote: |
| High salary is much better. Who cares what anyone thinks of you, especially in Korea? |
My girlfriend's parents care, and that does matter. Still, money is nice. |
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hajima 99
Joined: 13 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Which is more important: prestige or high salary? |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
Hi all,
University
Benefits
- Good prestige
- Decent amount of vacation
- Decent students
- Fairly short working hours
Drawbacks
- Poor salary (like 2.x won a month)
- Possibly boring (just teaching English conversation)
Government Writing Job
Benefits
- High prestige
- Interesting work that I would truly enjoy
- Would utilize my Korean skills
- Can possibly take my career in a different direction
- Great location in downtown Seoul
- Daytime hours
- 3 million won a month salary
Drawbacks
- Long hours
- Little vacation
- Only 3 million won a month salary
Gangnam Super Hagwon
Benefits
- Good salary (6 million won a month or more)
- Teaching very bright students interesting subjects (debate, TOEFL, SAT, etc.)
- Decent vacation time
- Can give me the skills needed to open my own test-prep hagwon someday
Drawbacks
- A hagwon, however nice, is still a hagwon
- Very little prestige
- Long teaching hours, mostly in the evenings
- Possibly poorly organized
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First off, to say that one of the drawbacks of a uni job is 'salary' is not really fair when you make the following considerations: several unis starting salaries that I have been applying for are now 2.8 million to 3.3 million won (with plenty of opportunity to supplement that income with tons of OT opportunities, optional camps etc.). So right there you have matched and even surpassed in some cases, your writing job salary.
Secondly, when you break down the pay per hour of a uni job vs. your writing job, safe to say (without knowledge of the length of your workday) there is no contest. Some of the aforementioned 2.8 to 3.0 positions require merely 9 to 15 hours of teaching a week. Now this difference is made all the more significant when you consider the writing job is very unlikely to provide on average, 4 months of paid vacation a year, as most of the university jobs do (not really sure how you could qualifiy this as "Decent" and then go and state that the Gangnam Hagwon also offers "Decent" vacation- I find it very hard to believe that any hagwon would offer anywhere near 4 months of paid time off. Correct me if I'm wrong).
Another point that many people fail to recognize regarding uni jobs, is that many schools will allow their instructors to work part-time jobs for other employers so long as it involves teaching. With all that extra time on your hands as a uni instructor, you can fairly easily (and legally I might add) add another million or more a month on top of your approximately 3.0 million salary. Plus there are always camps and other special language programs available within the university to teach on overtime pay. Time is money as the saying goes and if you interpret that differently: when you have the luxury of a lot of time, there is the potential for a lot of money.
And you can't dismiss the invaluable perk of the time-off itself, just to live a little. I mean many of us are over here because we want to experience new cultures and travel etc., not just to pay-off loans. A uni job not only allows you do this, for extended periods of time I should note, but you have the opportunity to do so during times of the year when demand and ticket prices aren't jacked up sky-high (ie. Chuseok etc.). Sign me up. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| What are your long and short term goals?? Can't answer without considering that. |
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br_owen
Joined: 10 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| if you're making life choices based on the opions of your girlfriend's parents, then you've already lost. Look at yourself in the mirror and slap yourself in the face. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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I'd go with the university job, but that seems to be a very low paying position. Still, you could take it and continue to write, selling what you generate on the side. You can always move on to a better university position if and when you upgrade your credentials. Non-tenure track university jobs are hardly prestigious, no matter the dicipline, though, just so you know.
Government writing job? Prestigious? Not. Plus, you'll be looking at a lot of other non-contractually defined b.s. to contend with. Avoid.
Like you said, any hakwon job is still a hakwon job. Prestige aside, if they can and will pay you that much, you'll be generating far more for them and sacrificing any assemblance of a life in terms of free time and holidays.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever you decide. |
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ytuque
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
Location: I drink therefore I am!
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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| You can't eat prestige! |
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FistFace
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Location: Peekaboo! I can see you! And I know what you do!
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| Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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Many people I know working university jobs are doing other jobs on the side. That is what makes it worthwhile.
If you're viewing a university job as a mere 2.* per month, then you're looking at it the wrong way. |
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