Korean Job Discussion Forums

[niceguysfinishlast]

Hi I have just began looking into programs to teach English in Korea and I am having difficulty finding good programs. Does anybody have any tips on how to find good programs? Or what some specific good programs are?

I applied to Aclipse/Chungdahm Learning and I got a response from them and it seemed like a good opportunity. Then when I searched Chungdahm on this forum I saw that about 90% of the comments about it are negative. Then I discovered EPIK and I thought it looked good but then I saw many negative comments about it on this forum.

Is there a reason why I am only finding negative reviews of these programs? Is it because only people with negative experiences are talking (and those with good experiences are not) or are these legitimately bad programs? And if so, where are the good programs? Or where should I look?

I don't plan to leave until around March so I have plenty of time but I would like to start researching good opportunities now. I am also hoping a friend of mine can do the same program as me so we can go to Korea together. I don't know if this will be a real possibility but is there any advice on how to go with a friend?

[ttompatz]

[niceguysfinishlast]

Yes, many times. Did I somehow miss a post that would help me?

[CentralCali]

You're seeing a lot of negative comments because CDI's one of the places pulling the "independent contractor" ruse to avoid paying its employees (which you would be) legally mandated items, such as pension, national health, and severance, not to mention pulling a swift one on the tax rate. Honest outfits don't cheat people.

[Kaypea]

Working for Gepik's been good for me. Deskwarming isn't so terrible.

[sallymonster]

Many people come on Dave's ESL Cafe and other forums to vent. Few people come online to talk about how great their experiences are because they're busy enjoying themselves. Once you get to Korea, most people you'll meet (in person) will be having positive experiences.

That being said, doing your research is always a smart idea.

I don't think EPIK and GEPIK are bad programs, but you most likely won't have any say over which school you end up at (unless you apply directly to an independent public school like I did). You might end up at a great school where everyone treats you well, or you might end up at a school where you have trouble with your principal and/or co-teachers.

As for hogwans, some are really shady and screw over their teachers all the time, and some are great. You should read over the "contract posting thread" in the stickies to get an idea of what a decent offer should look like. When you get an offer, you can post your contract in that forum for review. Also, ALWAYS contact a current foreign teacher at the school before accepting any hogwan offer. Contact several foreign teachers if you can.

If you read the FAQs or do a search you should find a list of good recruiters who can help you get started. I personally recommend WorkNPlay (www.worknplayconsulting.com) and KorVia (www.korvia.com). You can use as many recruiters as you like, but make sure you only apply to programs like EPIK and GEPIK through only one recruiter. Start getting your documents together, that will help you get a job faster as many schools need someone ASAP.

I hope this helps. I haven't been in Korea very long but I am having a great time so far.

[niceguysfinishlast]

Yes that does help! Thank you!

[toph]

sallymonster pretty much summed up the gist of what I was going to say.

But in my opinion? You seem like a good candidate for working with a recruiter. They'll answer all your questions that you have right now, and in the end, you don't have to apply through them. So just find one you like and ask away~