| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
raytownloc
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Location: Changwon
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 12:50 am Post subject: Warning! Don't believe the foreign teacher! |
 |
|
This happened to me a couple weeks ago, but I thought I would bring it up for the benefit of all fellow newbies out there...
I was "interviewing" for a Hagwon job in Shi Heung, and when I asked for the email address of a 'foreign teacher' I was told that I would be contacted in a few minutes. A few minutes later my phone rang and it was the recruiter transfering me to the school where an Australian/NZ'er picked up and proceeded to answer my questions.
Now I had a list of questions, mostly getting at all the pitfalls like Saturdays, overtime, and the usual stuff. The guy on the other end seemed a little strange because he kept pausing for a few seconds after each question, and seemed a little reluctant to answer some of the questions. But he did, and in the end I was pretty convinced that this was a good school. At the last second I asked for his email address so that if I thought of any more questions, and he gave it to me.
Now I was a little suspicious and so I emailed him and asked him if there was anything else that he was avoiding telling me...
When he wrote back he told me that he was promised a vacation if he could convince me to come, and a raise for the following year. Turns out that his director was in the room with him at the time I was talking to him, and he had been directed to leave out certain details including working Saturdays, massive overtime, no vacation allowed, etc. He also said the following about the town of Shi Heung...
"Shi Heung sucks...but not more than any place else
in Korea really. Shi Heung is a town of drunks and
prostitutes. There are no beaches, public pools,
bookstores, english libraries, museums, or cultural
attractions of any kind. "
Needless to say I found a better job in the end, but I was pretty close to getting screwed by believing the foreign teacher!
The school I settled on gave me all five email addresses of the five foreign teachers that worked where I was applying. I got to email each one of them and got three responses. That made me feel a lot better.
Good Luck! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
chomsky
Joined: 03 Jul 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 3:24 am Post subject: |
|
|
| that's good info. thanks |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 5:18 am Post subject: Re: Warning! Don't believe the foreign teacher! |
|
|
| raytownloc wrote: |
When he wrote back he told me that he was promised a vacation if he could convince me to come, and a raise for the following year. Turns out that his director was in the room with him at the time I was talking to him, and he had been directed to leave out certain details including working Saturdays, massive overtime, no vacation allowed, etc. He also said the following about the town of Shi Heung...
! |
Sounds like a pretty spineless fellow. He works Saturdays, massive overtime, and with no vacation? I'd be out of there the next day. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 5:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
| wrote: |
| I think he deserves credit for owning up to the fibs told while the boss was hovering over his shoulder and telling the truth later--before it was too late. How many would ignore the boss' presence and tell it like it is? Willing to forfeit YOUR "bonus" and make the boss hate you and try to get you at every opportunity? Didn't think so. |
You missed the point. I said he was "spineless" for TOLERATING this abuse, NOT for not telling the truth. As for not telling the truth, I wouldn't have put myself in this situation. If I had come to this school, as soon as I found out the truth, I would have gone to Immigration and filed for the 60-day release. By doing that I would have forfeited my bonus and made the boss hate me, but rather that than work a year at that school in those conditions.
It doesn't sound like you believe that there are some people who will NOT put up with abuse of their contract. There are...and I am one of them. Someday I will tell the story of my first contract. It should be required reading for all newbies. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Middle Land
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 5:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| The school I settled on gave me all five email addresses of the five foreign teachers that worked where I was applying. I got to email each one of them and got three responses. |
A friend of mine had a similar experience. She e-mailed 4 teachers with questions and only ONE responded!
You know what guys? When a fellow who is a newbie like we all were at one point, the GOOD thing to do is to offer a bit of help.
Or at LEAST say "sorry I don't know". |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
FierceInvalid
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| If I had come to this school, as soon as I found out the truth, I would have gone to Immigration and filed for the 60-day release. |
Whoa, whoa, whoa....you can do that? I was under the impression that if a school doesn't give you a letter of release you're just pretty much shafted. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 6:46 am Post subject: Re: Warning! Don't believe the foreign teacher! |
|
|
| raytownloc wrote: |
Shi Heung is a town of drunks and
prostitutes.
|
WHERE DO I SIGN?      |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
raytownloc
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Location: Changwon
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 8:47 am Post subject: |
|
|
wrote:
| Quote: |
| By telling the truth in the e-mail, that teacher erased any and all lies. He did the best he could. |
I agree. But I had to ask for his email address and sort of prodd him on it. He made it clear in his email that he never lied, but just sort of withheld a little bit.
In the end he is a good guy in my book, I just wonder what if I never emailed him. Would I be on my way to Shi Heung, and would he be getting a raise based on his disception? Hopefully not, but who knows? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 9:18 am Post subject: |
|
|
If it is the shi heung I'm thinking of (a little south of seoul and bucheon) you're lucky. You'd end up in a bigger dump than what Bucheon is  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 7:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The guy was double spineless.
1) he shouldn't stay at a scool with bad conditions.However, if he does ,
2)He should have gone for his bonus and holiday reward by duping the newbie. I think he would have deserved it.
I was suckered into my first job here by a lying Australian posing as a recruiter. I hope she enjoyed her reward after netting the big fish. And then, as a lone foreigner, I found the other waygooks far less than friendly/ helpul. They were more of the "Check out the clueless newbie" variety.
All in all, I haven't experienced much solidarity with other waygooks here anyway. So why would I betray my chances of a hard earned bonus to protect the ass of a newbie. They can learn the hard way. I had to. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
raytownloc
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Location: Changwon
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 9:39 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| ouch! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2003 6:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Rike wrote: |
The Urban Myth,
Ah, NOW I see. It's impossible for a school to start out great and slowly go bad. It's impossible for a teacher to stay at the school because they like the location, like the students, heck, it's impossible for them to possibly have a reason to remain at the school (like, a bonus). Everyone should and always does bolt at the first sign of trouble. People are never told, say this, or you don't get your bonus. Hmmmm....your world is different from mine.
Ie. |
Where did he say this school started out great and then slowly went bad? Where did he say the teacher wanted to stay? As for the bonus, if your director treats you as badly as he did this fellow, do you think the director is going to pay it? This guy should have realized he is not likely to ever see his bonus if the director has no problem violating the other terms of his contract.
As for bolting at the first sign of trouble, how do you classify working Saturdays, massive overtime and no vacation allowed as a "first sign of trouble." ?
I have to admit that you were right about one thing though. Our worlds ARE different. I believe that when contract violations are tolerated, it only encourages bosses to keep on at it. I also believe one should not tolerate contract violations. But hey, if you do, that's your right. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2003 7:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
| FierceInvalid wrote: |
| Quote: |
| If I had come to this school, as soon as I found out the truth, I would have gone to Immigration and filed for the 60-day release. |
Whoa, whoa, whoa....you can do that? I was under the impression that if a school doesn't give you a letter of release you're just pretty much shafted. |
Most people are too afraid of Immigration to ever bother. And most teachers here who get screwed probably have a reason not to go to Immigration (be it privates or illegal degree, or some other equally squalid reason). Those who don't have such reasons don't want to wait 60 days.
Anyway to answer your question, unless the laws have changed since 2001, you can get a release from Immigration (provided you are not one of these people who change schools like other people change shirts.) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Trinidad
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject: Re: Warning! Don't believe the foreign teacher! |
|
|
| raytownloc wrote: |
"Shi Heung sucks...but not more than any place else
in Korea really. Shi Heung is a town of drunks and
prostitutes. There are no beaches, public pools,
bookstores, english libraries, museums, or cultural
attractions of any kind. " |
Sparkling! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kabrams
Joined: 15 Mar 2008
Location: your Dad's house
|
| Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 3:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| wrote: |
| I think he deserves credit for owning up to the fibs told while the boss was hovering over his shoulder and telling the truth later--before it was too late. How many would ignore the boss' presence and tell it like it is? Willing to forfeit YOUR "bonus" and make the boss hate you and try to get you at every opportunity? Didn't think so. |
You missed the point. I said he was "spineless" for TOLERATING this abuse, NOT for not telling the truth. As for not telling the truth, I wouldn't have put myself in this situation. If I had come to this school, as soon as I found out the truth, I would have gone to Immigration and filed for the 60-day release. By doing that I would have forfeited my bonus and made the boss hate me, but rather that than work a year at that school in those conditions.
It doesn't sound like you believe that there are some people who will NOT put up with abuse of their contract. There are...and I am one of them. Someday I will tell the story of my first contract. It should be required reading for all newbies. |
What about people who don't know? What about people who don't have options?
It's one thing to puff your chest up and say "Well I would do this...!" but you have no idea what the person's situation is. What if they were working to help their parents/family? Could they just get up and leave? Would they feel they were doing the right thing?
It's always so weird to hear people on this board grandstanding about not tolerating "abuse". |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
