Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Old Surrender]

Hi all. I want to go to Korea after my year in China is up. Will that smidge of experience help in the salary department/better job department? I see plenty of "no experience" gigs but I don't want to end up with a 1.9 million won gig that features split shifts and a roach motel in the boonies.

I got a degree, American accent, teach both kids and adults, white, under 30 years old, can leap buildings with a single bound, etc.

Thanks!

PS: The reason for leaving China is money. The RMB-USD exchange rate is killing me. China is fun, but I want cash and I have a soft spot for bibimbop.

[jmuns]

nope. and chinese food is better than korean

[ttompatz]

[Old Surrender]

[air76]

Of course some experience is always better than none...but in general the better jobs in Korea you need to interview for while you're here regardless of how qualified you are. Sure, if you've got a Masters in TESOL and 5 years teaching experience at a university in another country then you might be able to set up a university job in Korea from overseas, but for the most part your teaching experience outside of Korea only really comes into play in your 2nd year in Korea and beyond.

At any rate, it should be worth something, but it won't make that much of a difference.

What you ought to do is get a job at a high school. You'd get that small bump in pay, but then with 2 years experience, one at a high school, you should be able to move up to a lower tier university the following year. As long as you're willing to move to a smaller town.

[VanIslander]

squat

[air76]

I wouldn't say it's worth squat...most schools would prefer someone with one year experience over someone with none...but that might just be it, you may get a job over someone else, but wouldn't necessarily make more $$$.

Like I said, I do think that this 1 year in conjunction with 1 year in Korea would help you greatly in moving up to a better job in year 2 in Korea. A lot of the lower level universities would look at 2 years experience as being better than 1. 2 years seems to be what the minimum is to start having a chance at the crappy university jobs. (crappy for university jobs, but great compared to hagwon or public school)

[Sadebugo1]

[PatrickGHBusan]

actually sadebugo1 what you just wrote says that market principles do work in Korean TESL....

But ok.

[Sadebugo1]

[air76]

The product is viable in terms of the fact that it brings in customers for the hagwon...in this market a 6'4" attractive whitey brings in more customers for the business....so what's really screwed up is not the economics but the mindset of the customers (meaning the parents.)