Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DeMayonnaise]

[World Traveler]

[Mariella713]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Indeed Mariella.

[brier]

[allovertheplace]

As far as the economy goes...I view it kinda like this.
20 years ago, you and a friend graudate high school. You go to college he gets a union construction job. He starts making 20 bucks and hour while you go in debt. You graduate college and make 32k a year, hes already 4 years deep making 45k a year. You question why you went to school.

10 years later...He is making 55 k a year, you are now making 65.

20 years later...Hes making 65 a year, youre making 85 and hes wishing he went to school.

In korea the money is good for now but you wont get rich by teaching. Good life maybe but it its only money youre after (not naming names) not the best long term strategy.

Im not saying you can still get a job with growth potential after grad. Another point, Im tired of people complaining you cant get a job with a b.a- GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND GET A M.A. Of course you cant get a job with a lib. arts degree from a third rate school. Its not easy but put that nose down and work hard.

Why I stayed in Korea for a few years was the ease of life, my motorcycle, enough cash to not worry about cash, free apartment, and fun. Simply put I stayed because I had more fun than at home. But i left to start clawing my way back into life because when Im 35 or 40 I want to look back, wipe my brow, have some good memories, and then continue the climb.

[hyridmonochrome]

Just today, I checked on job listings in my old city (Austin, TX), to see if the job market had improved. It hasn't. After this place, I will not work a slave job for ten dollars an hour again. Also, this job has inspired me to go back to grad school, and I'll need money for that. I'm also going to Poland to teach there for awhile. I'll need ALOT of money to do that comfortably. I'm paying off my student loans and credit cards, get access to both modern and traditional health care, and while living as a waygook can be taxing sometimes, it does leave you out of the complex and often exhausting Korean social structure. No too bad. However, I would NOT be here if the money weren't.

[allovertheplace]

nobody would be here without the money. I have student loans, bill etc. but I consider them short term. Making 2,500 a month paying 800 in bills is a ton, in ten years Ill hopefully be making closer to 6,000 a month and then even 1500 in bills, student loans, still allows for a comfy life. In Korea we (or atleast I) got used to the comfy lifestyle of paying my bills and having money for booze but its not 'real' if youre not a lifer.

Like the previous post korea lit a fire under me to go to grad school, and not a crappy online esl master (shouldnt count as a masters). I want to care about my job and have a desire to excel. I wish teaching did it for me but alas, it was only about the money.

So best advice to anyone- enjoy yourself and be open to where your mind leads and follow it. When I went to Korea I had no idea what i wanted to do and thus I explored, travelled, read, met great folks, and then left with a life path I care about. If I hadnt gone to Korea, and given life a real shot, Id probably be addicted to weed.

[H.W.]

[AsiaESLbound]

[ippy]

my coteacher is being sent to re-education camp for 6 months from september! wheeeeee! So figured id suck up the summer term and consider it my dues for my twenty whatever it is (plus free extra week) days off in february boarding in Niseko.

[naturegirl321]

It's first world and much much better than life back in Peru. AS for culture shock, I still can't get over how clean and organised it is and how polite the people are. Seriously, Korea is utopia compared to third world countries like Peru.

[Steelrails]

Not wanting to work for minimum wage back home. Food. A general feeling of being alive. Enjoying the work. Getting to do things like play basketball during my lunch break and occasionally acting like a kid. Getting to do arts and crafts on a daily basis. Good times.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[naturegirl321]