Korean Job Discussion Forums

april · Joined: 23 Oct 2009

Does anyone have any thoughts on working for a newly formed school for your first year of teaching in Korea? Since you cannot get any recommendations, doesnt it seem a little risky?

ticktocktocktick · Joined: 31 Mar 2009

Is it a hagwon or public school?

Ramen · Joined: 15 Apr 2008

Do you like gambling? Razz

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Banana_Man · Joined: 01 Mar 2010 Location: Busan

I would agree that it may end in the blind leading the blind but, they may be well set up and have planned ahead, it could be a well oiled machine or it could go broke in a month.

Do your research - if they don't seem 100% on the ball then don't do it.

april · Joined: 23 Oct 2009

Kinda what I was thinking- thanks for the confirmation.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

AussieGav · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Location: Uijeongbu

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

Who is the director of the school? Check the name on search engines and see if they have been up to anything in the past. Some new directors were formerly tyrants and have since moved on to starting new ventures in which they will most certainly be tyrants again.

Case in point:

april · Joined: 23 Oct 2009

It is the Jayun school chain setting up in Dongtan but I do not have the directors name.

Nester Noodlemon · Joined: 16 Jan 2009

KimchiExplosion · Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Location: Nowhere near Seoul

If the school director is the notorious Mr. Kim, the insidious Mr. Lee, or the infamous Mr. Park stay away. I've heard TONS of horror stories about those three individuals. It's defiently worth checking out the names of the people you're going to work with.

pangaea · Joined: 20 Dec 2007

Is this a brand new private school or a new branch of an existing company? If it is a new branch of an existing company and it is run by the same management of the other schools, you should be able to get references from other teachers. Definitely get the name of the director and do some homework.

If this is a new private school, I personally wouldn't do it. You would have no references to check with and no guarantees that the school will even last a few months. Management may be poor and you may end up in a chaotic situation. Pay could be late or nonexistant due to poor budgeting.

For your first year of teaching, it would probably be better to go with a more stable situation. Once you've been in Korea for a while and know the ropes, you might be able to afford to take chances on a new school.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

New Public school =good

Usually disorganised, lots of down time. They have no one to compare you with. No matter what you do you will look awesome

New Hogwan=bad. You will be the main selling point of the school. Not so bad if there are more than one foreigners. If you are the only foreigner and inexperienced it is a recipe for disaster.

Saskatoongirl · Joined: 03 Dec 2005

my schools' pretty new and there were only a couple of foriegn teachers here before me and its worked out pretty well so far ... actually its worked out really well and my boss is one very smart woman