Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oldfatfarang]

Oh, I forgot, one guy at a kiddie hagwon held the record for running in Pohang. He lasted one day - and left when they pulled the old 'Bait and Switch contract trick on him.

"That changeee. Although we said you wouldn't work weekends, we only said that because nobody would come if we said that. You're working every saturday."

Good on him.

[tophatcat]

The % seems high.

In the first school I worked at, 3/11 teachers left within the first 6 months. Bingo on the %. Since then, of all the teachers I've known, maybe 100 or more, I can only remember 6 who left within the first 6 months. Of course I'm sure there were some who left early and I never knew it.

I would estimate that about 12/120 teachers that I've known left within the first 6 months. 10%

However, I'm sure if I were to go work in some of these shady 1st-year teacher hogwons I might see more than 10%. And there are a lot of these shady little schools out there, plus some big ones.

[sulperman]

[Troglodyte]

I was thinking something similar. I would guess that most of us have a skewed impression of how many people leave in the first few months.

For us to know about them, they'd likely have to be here longer than that. Otherwise they don't start showing up at the foreigner bars or get together events. And even if they do go to the foreigner hangouts and meet a few people, even if they meet you yourself, you might not realize that they ran (or were fired) because they might not tell you. You may notice that they aren't hanging out at their favorite bar anymore but if you only met the person a few times you probably won't notice them missing (if they were ever present at all). As well, if a teacher leaves because they are homesick, then I think there's a higher chance (as was pointed out) that they are spending more time at home on Skype or such. Or they may feel homesick BECAUSE they haven't met any other foreigners.

I think that if 10% of the teachers you've met have left early, then there's a good chance that there are a LOT more that you have heard about.

[jiberish]

A korean at a place I worked for that supplied alot of teachers for public schools said. 1 in 5 would do a runner in the first month. She said it was costing them a fortune in flights because they paid for the flights up front.

[Hotwire]

Let's all be totally honest here; for those of us that haven't run from Korea, it's only because we can't get good jobs back home to go to.

[Fox]

[languistic]

No source, no cred. Korean media is not exactly known for telling the truth.

[Hotwire]

[TheresaTheresa]

[Hotwire]

If I wasn't dead broke when I got here, I would've ran to be honest.

Who here can honestly say if they had say 50,000 USD in the bank and debts paid off, no heck 25,000 USD in the bank and debts paid off - would you stay? Why? I'd have got here, thought 'well that's one country I've been to for a few moths but the job kinda sucks - where next?'

I wouldn't, don't love the job and am an alien in a foriegn culture and am trreated as such whatever...

I'm here for the easy set up, easy hours and coz well, I blew all my money gambling over the past 6 yrs and am too lazy to get a full 8 hr a day job.

[tophatcat]

[Oliver]

It's a big cultural difference between Korea and the West. That could be an explanation for a high turnover rate. It would be interesting to see where the figures came from though.

The job description is not easy, 'Get the kids speaking English'. It's no small task.

On a perhaps related note I wonder how many schools actually want their teachers to stay, whethar at the 6 month mark or at contract renewal stage?

[Wishmaster]

Actually, Hotwire, I meet your criteria. Why am I still here in Korea? I guess part of the reason is that I can leave whenever I want. I don't need Korea and that actually works to my favor because it feels good knowing that I could up and relocate wherever and wouldn't have a bunch of other factors to deal with. It is those who are pretty much forced to stay in Korea because they are poor and in debt that often have a great deal of difficulty. Why? Because they NEED Korea. They have to stay here to pay of their monstrous student loan or don't have a pot to piss in back home and so have no choice. It is having a choice and control of your life that make living in Korea a breeze. I could pick up tomorrow and fly home and start over and still be in great shape financially. Of course, it also helps that I have an easy job with low working hours and a nice apartment. But I've been in Korea awhile and have paid my dues. But even so, despite how good my situation is, I could give it up and I would be fine. There is no cloud of debt over my head. There is not a bank account showing $0 which would force me to give control to my employer in Korea. I work for myself here. Even though I work for an employer, the truth is that I work for myself and I can leave it anytime that I want. And it is then when you truly can tolerate all the idiosyncracies of Korea and laugh it off because you have the freedom to leave whereas most have to grind it out.

It is this personal freedom that makes Korea work for me. I don't need Korea.

[Summer Wine]

What's funny is that I am almost there.

I have been in Korea for a long time compared to some and yet this is the worst that I have felt that I have been treated in this country.

I was also looking at the 6 month mark and considering what it would take to change schools.

Its just that the situation has changed so much. I am not surprised that noobies have quit when even long termers are now questioning the issues.

It's not just me, some of my friends are also asking questions about the desires of Korea and long term prospects.

(edited)