Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Skipperoo]

Hi everyone!

First off I'd like to apologise for presenting you with a bunch of questions you've no doubt heard a hundred times before - I've tried searching for the answers on this forum and elsewhere but I either get two completely opposing accounts or the information is 5-10 years old and thus can't be trusted. Better to come to the bitter, disillusioned horse's mouth, I thought.

Secondly I'd like to apologise if this is in the wrong sub-forum, the boundaries are a little vague to me.

Anyhow, here are my questions:


1) The main subject I can't find any information at all on is teaching private lessons in SoKo. I'm aware that this is illegal in most cases and can result in fines and/or deportation, but how likely are these consequences to occur? Are people really likely to turn you in?
Also, is it possible to negotiate an 'open' contract with schools to allow you to engage in this work? Or indeed, any other way around this problem?

2) Picking a location in Korea is driving me nuts from all the conflicting opinions I'm hearing. Could anyone briefly describe the key features of major locations, or point me towards a decent guide for this issue?

3) Working in a university seems to be the golden ticket in Korea; short hours, long holidays and decent pay. Tasty stuff. But without a masters degree (or experience, TEFL course aside) how difficult is it to get one? I'm not expecting a red carpet to be unfurled for me just because I speak english and have white skin, but I've read reports of people managing to snag one and would be very interested in hearing any tips they might have.

4) Accomodation. I know it gets paid for and furnished, but what can I expect in terms of room-size, neighbourhoods etc? Obviously this changes according to city/town, but if anyone has pictures of their own accomodation (inside and outside) they'd care to share to give me a vague idea, it'd be much appreciated

5) Say I move to Korea and hunt for a job when I arrive. What happens to the cash I would have recieved as flight reimbursement if the school had hired me from abroad? If it just vanishes into the ether it'd seem to make a lot of financial sense to apply from home - any arguments against that?


Thanks in advance folks, there'll no doubt more to come once I've had a bit more of a think.

[schlotzy]

Alright, I'll bite...but be prepared to get more conflicting answers and differences of opinion of course.

1) Privates- definitely illegal. Your school won't let you do them. A lot of people take the risk and do them anyway and most don't get caught. However, I would recommend just not doing it. Not worth the risk in my opinion. I know someone who got caught. The fine she paid was around $2000 or she had to leave.

2) location- This is ALL about you. Personally, I'd suggest a larger city for your first time in Korea so you have more access to English speakers and the comforts of home. Most popular choices are Seoul and Busan.
Seoul- tons of Western conveniences, more English speakers, awesome food, tons of things going on...but...more expensive, really, really big, and depending on you, maybe TOO similar to living at home.
Busan- nice beaches, close to Japan, still a decent amount of Western food and conveniences, cheaper

3)University- not really my area...but I do know the competition is fierce these days. With unis, it's much easier to get a job if you're already in Korea. But chances are if you have no Masters and no experience in Korea, you're out of luck. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but if you are one, then expect to be out in the boonies.

4) Accomodation- there's no way anyone could sum this up. I've lived in everything from a tiny bachelor with a friend, to a 2-bedroom on my own. It could be a villa, a small apartment building, or a huge complex.

5) If you want guaranteed airfare, get the job from home. Most places won't pay if you're already here. Also, if it's your first E-2 visa, you'll likely need an interview at the Korean consulate closest to your home.

Good luck!

[balzor]

[brento1138]

1) If you're here on an E-2 visa, the school owns your visa and won't allow you to work elsewhere unless you get permission. Yes, it is possible, but not probable. That's why so many teachers here do privates ... and 99.9999% of them are smart enough to stay under the radar and never get noticed... the only foreigners who are REALLY caught for teaching are people on Tourist Visas... which is understandable, since they are not screened.

2) If I were you, I'd go to Seoul. Way more fun than the other cities. However, Busan is nice, and Daegu isn't bad. But if you want to be a hermit, or have a limited amount of friends, or simply blend in with/be part of the culture (haha!) then go to a small city. I highly recommend NOT going to a small town / city, unless maybe it is an hour away from Seoul...

3) I worked at a university because of someone I knew. Don't expect to land the job right away, but make friends who work for universities. With luck, they can help land u a job. It's not about your education really (masters may help) but who you know and if you're free to work at the right time of year, when the uni is hiring. Some universities, like the one I worked at, have a high turnover because the pay is VERY low, so low that it is almost impossible to save money... I believe if one comes to Korea really WANTING a uni job and does everything possible to get one, you will get lucky!

4) Most places in Seoul are extremely small compared to North American houses, but they're fine. I made a video tour of my place. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/brento1138#p/a/u/0/BhxQ_JuicIQ

5) I would get the job before coming to Korea. I'd go with a public school program, rather than hakwon or something. Check out Korvia.com for positions... nice people there. And they hire for public schools. Definitely apply from home.

You sound like you're fairly new to this, and am glad to help ya out! I remember when I was just like you, with no clue about Korea! Hehe... that will all change very soon.

[EddieH]

I'll just weigh in a bit more on location since I seem to be one of very few teachers who is actually really enjoying life out in the boonies. I live in Muju, which is really small, about an hour away from Daejeon by bus, and has about ~8 foreigners living in it.

Frankly, I love it out here. I've been here for about four months so far, I'm still young (24) but the bar/drinking scene isn't really for me. That being said, I have made friends in Daejeon and we meet up there and go out once in a while. More than anything out here I like the scenery - I don't make the claim that a small town is somehow more authentically Korean than a big city (just the opposite, really, given where the majority of the Korean population lives) but you definitely experience a different aspect of the culture here.

The worst part? No cheese! The diet is definitely a bit limited, and Western foods are entirely unheard of, but I would recommend a small town over a big city in a heartbeat.

[jvalmer]

^ Agree with living in the smaller cities.

Also, if you're willing to work in the smaller cities, the Universities are desperate for instructors. In one smaller sized city I lived in, the local college had 8 english instructors plus a few for other languages. Just say that after the first semester 4 of english instructors didn't return.

The pay may not be as good as the bigger universities in the big cities, but I believe you're gonna' get at least 3 million with the same amount of time off. If you play it right, you'll be able to pick up a hagwon/vacation camp gigs during the breaks, in addition to your 3 million a month.

[PRagic]

1. Privates: Don't bother until you get here, get the lay of the land, and can do them legally. If you work for a hakwon or public school, you won't have too much time on your hands, anyway. If you get popped, and it does happen, you're done.

2. Where to live: Start in Seoul or Pusan, Seoul preferably. Get out and about when you have long weekends and scout around. It's easier to break yourself in if you're in a city, and you'll meet a load of people who have worked all over the country. Make you decision based on what you personally like, but I never suggest making that decision from an armchair on the other side of the world.

3. University: Forget it. Get your MA, CELTA, DELTA, a few years of experience, then stand in line. There are a lot of qualified people here now, and the competition for the better jobs is tough. Some schools in the country side, and some of the smaller colleges in Seoul do hire BA holders, but they pay isn't that great, you have to work camps, and you are at their call. They know they have you because you are underqualified. I know a few people who work at decent universities and colleges who only have a BA, but they've been in country for a LONG time and have a lot of experience teaching and in periphery industries (e.g. publishing, testing...) The bigger, better schools want the qualifications. You might slide into a unigwon (Hakwon run by a university), but even then, if they take BA holders, they won't be that great of a place to work.

4. Accomodation: It's a crap shoot.

5. Find a job from where you are and get the plane ticket. If you get hired from in Korea, you'll probably just have to turn around and go back home to start jumping through the visa hoops.

If you just want to come and do a year, then so be it. If you want a career here, you'll have to take it seriously to get ahead, at least as far as building your degree level and professional experience. A lot has changed over the past 20 years.

[Skipperoo]

Brilliant information everyone! Much appreciated Keen to hear more thoughts.

[PatrickGHBusan]

I will answer your questions but please then take the time to read the Faqs here....

[Kissmykimchi]

http://kissmykimchi.com/2009/04/finding-a-job.html

Hope that helps!