Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

Well after a year working in a not very nice director (I only got ripped off 300k ) I thought I would share some stuff I learnt with you all. I'm sure that people will go hey CLG, you sure made some stupid mistakes but I'm not perfect. I was one of those stupid kids fresh out of university looking for a way to get the hell out of new zealand, so I will share some advice with one and all now.

Do your research.
Try and find out as much about your school (and director) before you sign your contract. If you have the cash come over and have a look for yourself, it will be worth it.

Make the recuriter work for you.
If you use a recuriter then make them do the work. Don't let yourself get pressured into taking a bad job, there are plenty out there.

Trust your gut.
From the outset I knew that something was not right. Instead of working in incheon for a kwak young-il which is what I signed up for, I ended up working for TEFA in Bucheon. I should have trusted my gut that she was a dodgy director and got out then. Don't write off dodgyness as 'culture shock.'

Befriend the korean teachers.
My year was made a lot better through building up a good relationship with korean teachers. The easiest way to do this is through food, put on an afternoon tea. If you've got some candy or chocolate from your home country they will love it.

Also don't be a *beep*. Please and thank you aren't too hard. And remember they do a lot more work for a lot less money so complaining about your schedule etc. to them 24/7, refusing to do a few extra duties (ie. keeping an eye on the kids if they have a meeting) etc. isn't going to make you friends. If they want help with their english take some time out to give them a hand, as chances are they will be the ones ringing up the cable guy to get your cable instaled.

When the going gets tough, get a korean translator
I am sure that I didn't get ripped of nearly as bad as I could have been because one of my korean friends came in and spent a few hours fighting with the director on my behalf. My boss wanted to get a korean teacher under her employ in because she knew she could bully her. That korean friend was an ex workmate, see the importance of the point I made above.

Paperwork is your friend!
Directors will use their lack of english and your lack of korean against you. So keep all paperwork contracts, bill payments, minutes of meetings etc. in a safe place. Do not, I repeat, do not ever let yourself get paid in cash. If you are getting paid in cash then you have no record of what you got paid. Take care of all bill payments yourself if you are living in hogwon accocomdation.

My director first claimed that she didn't know about severence (I produced my contract, a record of a meeting where she agreed to pay serverence and a signed declartion made a few months before my contract ended) so she backed down. She then tried swindle my entire severence on a whole lot of trumped up utlities charges, including a phone bill for a school telephone line! I produced the bills and each 'charge' was dropped. In the end I lost 300k because she decided to take back a pay rise that she awarded me in may for the last 2 months of my contract and my severence paper, if I had any sort of written agreement about the rise or an offical record of what she paid me I would have got the full amount.

How to read the writing on the wall
I spent a bit of time working at the boss's failed school in incheon, before she sold the school because it was losing money. My co-workers said that I was paranoid because of my repeated warnings that the ddong was going to hit the fan. But for a number of months it was obvious that things were going down hill rapidly. If your school is: losing losing students, merging classes (because of losing students), classroom equipment starts going missing, your director is at the school more than they usually are then your school is in major trouble. If you start seeing suits then you should be dusting off your CV.

don't be a prick
Your actions will have an impact on people. If you refuse to teach a class, then chances are one of your co-workers will be picking up the slack. If you don't put any effort into your lessons then don't expect your students (and source of your salary) to stick around. Pay your bills, and leave your apartment in a nice state for the next teacher. The reason for this is simple. When the going gets tough don't expect the people who you crapped over to stick out their necks on your behalf.

Learn to win wars, not battles
Directors love to feel like they are in charge. Thus if they come up with some grand scheme to make your english classes better but can't actually tell you what it is because they can't speak the language themselves, learn to nod and smile and go back to what your were doing. Reasoning is not worth it when the director won't know the difference. It's about winning the war.

[kangnamdragon]

These are good points. Thank you.

[riverboy]

Excellent post, Might I add GET A KOREAN GIRLFRIEND It Makes life really easy.
I suppose any non lesbian Teachers, could get a Korean Boyfriend

[itaewonguy]

you said is spot on..


BUt.. not for all.. but for me.. I need respect!!!
and If I dont get it.. I walk!!

I am not a slave here... I am not some foreigner sent here to make them rich..
I am a human being who is entitled to respect!! from my employer and my co workers.. my students-ehhhhh...
if my employer ever raises his voice to me in a rude manner!! I will walk!
if my co workers try to make me do things that I shouldnt be doing. I will tell them to back off..
If THEY DONT LIKE IT!!! I dont care!!!

basically.. you treat me with respect.. I will treat you with respect..
I am a VERY fair guy.. I am very kind, and nice to those who treat me well. if you treat me like dirt. or play me for the fool!! I will show you a nightmare you wont wake from for a long time!!!

ESL TEACHERS!! listen to me!!!!
you dont have to take the abuse that these directors are dishing out!!
stand your ground!! dont be afraid to speak your mind!!!
BE A MAN!! and take charge!!! dont bend over and take it up the arse....
dont be afraid....

and one more thing.,.
THE CO WORKERS!!!
the korean co workers... DONT TRUST THEM!! trust me.. they will sell you out faster than you think...
they dont like you... they are just acting like they do..
they will tell the director everything about you.. they will be the servent to the director trust me.. browny points!!
Im not paranoid! I just know koreans.. I have been working 7 years here.
been to many schools... a leopard never changes it spots....

[Juggertha]

such a great post ruined by Iteawon guy. I think CLG made some fine observations.. they had a ring of truth to them. "I"-guy... it'd be nice for you to add some more of a balanced response.

Personally I have made some good friends out of my co-workers (past and present). They are people, and as such you need to learn how much you can trust them. Each person is an individual after all.

[Corporal]

[peppermint]

Hey, can I get one of those at the local "supa"?

[crazylemongirl]

I disagree with what itaewon guy said about co-workers. I feel it's important to build up trust with some of them, particularly the ones who hate the director. In my case that was all bar one of them, and it made my experience the better for it.

As I said respect is a two way thing and if your willing to be a bit flexible then chances are they will be flexible with you. ie. I go the extra mile on something for one of the teachers, they don't mind covering a class so that I can go to the bank and wire some money through. it's a give and take relationship.

[Corporal]

[Corporal]

[peppermint]

At my first school my k-coworkers were very distant, and in some cases downright unfriendly, but at my last school there were a couple of absolute sweethearts. Always willing to answer a stupid question about Korean language or culture, and generally always cheerful.

[crazylemongirl]

yup that's right I got some time off, because I arranged with a co-worker to swap classes and the supervisor was cool with it. The suprervisor also had the kids sing me happy birthday when I walked into her class on my birthday, and the kids in her class gave me a goodbye song when I left.

[dominic]

well I agree with itaewonguy, i dont trust anyone I work for, and being friends with them, hell no. i dont want to be their friend. and get a korean girlfriend? what the f*uck for. I had a few korean gf's and my life was not easier thats for damn sure. ill never date a korean girl again i hate them. they have bad attitudes and cant keep their face out of their f*ucking mirrors for me than 5 seconds. they are very self centered and self involved and selfish.

[bellum99]

Trust nobody and watch your butt.
Everyone here will screw you and I do mean the Western teachers also. Only family matters in the long run.

[maiden's iron]