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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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elliot79
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Location: England
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 Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 11:31 am Post subject: |
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is the salary on a par with south Korea though?
one of the reasons for applying to S. Korea was so i could save a lot of money. |
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millyfrend
Joined: 29 Apr 2010
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:35 pm Post subject: Re: Desperately trying to find a job, all help is appreciate |
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There are other Korea teaching sites. Epik is not the only one. Also, you can try Spain, China, United Arab Emirates or Thailand. I heard those places are hiring if you want a job overseas.
In the states, they are only hiring subs and that doesn't pay much.
| elliot79 wrote: |
after having my contract cancelled with CBFLIS i was supposed to have an interview with a school in Paju and that's been postponed for the 3rd time now.
I've registered with a few more agencies and EPIK seem a challenge to get into; i can't get letters of reccommendation on headed paper 
I have the following qualifications:
MA- English Literature
BA- English Literature
Diploma - English Language
CELTA TEFL
and i have nearly 2 years of experience working in schools, as a teaching assistant and a cover supervisor. i am also multi-lingual.
i'm 31 and female and a British citizen.
if anybody could help me find a job that would be brilliant. and my husband will also be travelling with me, but he is not a teacher.
thank you in advance. |
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Hotwire
Joined: 29 Aug 2010
Location: Multiverse
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 9:46 pm Post subject: |
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| elliot79 wrote: |
| sorry, yes i will. i'm just stressing out, it's been a couple of weeks since i started e-mailing agencies etc and i thought i would have secured a job by now. i guess South Korea is now very competitive as well?? |
If you didn't find the thread I'll try tonight when I get off work.
It is tougher to get jobs here now.
It used to be up until this year you needed to be white and have a pulse to be able to save about 600 pounds a month, have your own apt and have a pretty decent lifestyle too.
To add some perspective - the last 5 years every time I applied for a new job I would have tens of offers in my inbox from week one!
This year after 9 weeks of applying I had only one offer which I took and which was a 300,000 Won step down in monthly salary, 11 days less paid vacation per year and a 5 room apt to a one room studio. That's with 4 years public school exp in Korea, a TEFL cert, references and 6 years of working here and knowing the culture etc.
They want young maleable types with a ba and a pulse that they can pay 2mil this year.
You'll get something, but NA females in their twenties will be at the top of the list this year (I have been told by recruiters) so lower your expectations, tell them you are flexible with regard to location, type of job and salary and something WILL come up but it might not be that nice public school job in Seoul however and you might have to settle for a hakwan in a semi rural location or something.
Though with your qualifications one of the TOEIC / TESOL etc specific schools in Seoul would be a good opyion for you or a more corporate job like Wall St, Pagoda, CDI - all of whom you will have to apply direct to.
Things have changed dramatically this year and public schools are not hiring newbies that fit into the higher pay brackets. This is official policy. You would fit into the higher brackets with your quals. Though I did have 2 offers that said they would hire me if I accepted the lowest pay bracket but I refused out of sheer spite. Like I'm going to go from 2.6 to 2 - 2.1 for the same job I've been doing for 4 years!
You'll have posters coming along to contradict me soon, so I guess make your own mind up etc. |
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Gom
Joined: 05 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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Will you take a job in any kind of school, or are you after a public position or a university job?
Just some notes on Hagwons -
1. Unless your husband is also working you will save a lot less than you might expect. Does he not want to teach too? There are job openings for couples occasionally.
2. Update your CRB (CRC) as soon as possible. You only require standard disclosure and it won't take long to process. The more recent it is, the better. It doesn't cost a lot so get it done.
3. Do not be picky as to location. This will increase your chances.
4. Do not expect to be earning more than 2,100,000krw per month in your first job. You may strike it lucky with a University position, but you are much more likely to find work in a Hagwon. You can negotiate a pay rise after 1 year.
5. Can you PM yet? I can send you lots more information if you can.
6. What is your email address?
7. Good luck  |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| elliot79 wrote: |
is the salary on a par with south Korea though?
one of the reasons for applying to S. Korea was so i could save a lot of money. |
Your worries about "social corruption" are unfounded (as in it is just as high in Korea as it is in Thailand or China or elsewhere in Asia).
Gross salaries are often NOT on par with Korea (typical newbie mistake thinking that higher gross salary means more savings or better standard of living)
BUT
The NET salary (savings at the end of the month) can, in many countries, be HIGHER than in Korea due to the differences in the cost of living.
AS an example:
Meat in Korea (from the local supermarket) can run as high as 12-15k won per kilo ground beef or pork. The same product in Thailand will cost about 3k won.
A loaf of whole grain bread in Korea will cost you 3-5k won. In Thailand whole wheat bread is 1k.
Rice in Korea is 3000 won per kilo (or MORE). In Thailand we pay 2k for 5 kilos.
Utility and other apartment fees on our officetel (one large room) in Korea average about 150k per month. Our house in Thailand (3 bedroom, double bath) costs us about 200k won per month all in.
Monthly, in Korea, our food costs ran 600k per month. In Thailand they run 200k and we eat WELL.
All in, on a salary of about 3 million per month + housing, medical, pension and airfare we managed to save about 12 million won per year.
In Thailand I work on a salary of about 60k baht and we still manage to save about the same, spend our (3-4 months instead of 10 days) annual vacations on the beaches around SE Asia (including pay for the airfare for a family of 3) and have much less stress that I ever did working at a school in Korea.
It is not that hard to find jobs in the 45-50k baht range (1.7-1.9 million won) and live quite well as well as save or pay off bills at home (provided you don't' blow it all on the nightlife).
In China you can also find positions that offer 10k rmb (about 1.6 million won), offer end of contract bonuses, airfare, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments with utilities and internet included and a monthly food bill of less than 100k won.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you should look at the WHOLE PACKAGE as a package and not just the initial salary offering when looking for positions abroad. The net at the end of the day is commonly similar for people with more than just a white face to offer.
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elliot79
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| Gom wrote: |
Will you take a job in any kind of school, or are you after a public position or a university job?
Just some notes on Hagwons -
1. Unless your husband is also working you will save a lot less than you might expect. Does he not want to teach too? There are job openings for couples occasionally.
2. Update your CRB (CRC) as soon as possible. You only require standard disclosure and it won't take long to process. The more recent it is, the better. It doesn't cost a lot so get it done.
3. Do not be picky as to location. This will increase your chances.
4. Do not expect to be earning more than 2,100,000krw per month in your first job. You may strike it lucky with a University position, but you are much more likely to find work in a Hagwon. You can negotiate a pay rise after 1 year.
5. Can you PM yet? I can send you lots more information if you can.
6. What is your email address?
7. Good luck |
an agent told me about a hogwan job, the hours are crap, the pay is 2.1-2.3 million won, but if i cna get my foot in the door, that will be a start.
my husband's education took place in Pakistan, he has a British passport though, so i don't know if he would teach there legally. |
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elliot79
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:34 am Post subject: |
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still can't PM, but my e-mail is: [email protected]
i appreicate all your help, everybody xxx |
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elliot79
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:25 am Post subject: |
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I am willing to work in a hogwan, i am flexible and i know i will not get the best job available, especially without experience.
i have looked at jobs in Thailand and the well paid jobs ask for teachers with a teaching licence. these jobs pay �1,200 a month. |
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elliot79
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:29 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| elliot79 wrote: |
is the salary on a par with south Korea though?
one of the reasons for applying to S. Korea was so i could save a lot of money. |
osts ran 600k per month. In Thailand they run 200k and we eat WELL.
It is not that hard to find jobs in the 45-50k baht range (1.7-1.9 million won) and live quite well as well as save or pay off bills at home (provided you don't' blow it all on the nightlife).
. |
i'm not finding these kind of jobs without demanding experience or a teaching licence.
i'm a muslim as well, so alcohol would not be an expense either.
and i can only eat halal meat, so i doubt it's hard to come by there.
if only i could find a job that paid around the 50k baht without asking for too much experience. |
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methdxman
Joined: 14 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 11:07 am Post subject: |
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| elliot79 wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| elliot79 wrote: |
is the salary on a par with south Korea though?
one of the reasons for applying to S. Korea was so i could save a lot of money. |
osts ran 600k per month. In Thailand they run 200k and we eat WELL.
It is not that hard to find jobs in the 45-50k baht range (1.7-1.9 million won) and live quite well as well as save or pay off bills at home (provided you don't' blow it all on the nightlife).
. |
i'm not finding these kind of jobs without demanding experience or a teaching licence.
i'm a muslim as well, so alcohol would not be an expense either.
and i can only eat halal meat, so i doubt it's hard to come by there.
if only i could find a job that paid around the 50k baht without asking for too much experience. |
Have you lived abroad before? Korea probably has the strongest expat teacher community out of all the the countries mentioned here so that might help for a lot of things that we can take for granted when going to a new place to live.
If you keep trying, you will undoubtedly get a job in Korea. Don't despair.
Do not go to Italy or Spain to teach English if you want to make money. Spain and Italy are quite expensive places to live and the pay is crap. Nevermind that the Spanish economy is in shambles and unemployment is over 20%. The quality of the students in Spain sucks as well since most Spaniards are uninterested in learning anything new.
Ttompatz seems to be an expert in all things Asia/EFL, but I'd say that the whole Thailand/China thing is a deeply personal taste. Korea has a lot going for it in terms of lifestyle, culture, pay, safety, etc.
I guess don't go to Korea if you can't deal with, SURPRISE, proud Asians who might not treat you as the king/queen from the west as most Far East/South East Asians do. I think a lot of this animosity towards Korea/Koreans on this forum stems from that. |
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Chollian
Joined: 12 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="elliot79"]
my husband's education took place in Pakistan, he has a British passport though, so i don't know if he would teach there legally.[/quote]
There are lots of factory jobs in Korea which employ huge numbers of South Asians so I guess this could be an effective way for him to earn money. Sure, it's not pleasant work, but surely it beats being sat on his backside all day. |
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elliot79
Joined: 08 Oct 2010
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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that would be great if he's allowed to work, otherwise he was going to do some course, learn how to drive. be productive in some way.
it's going to sound cheesy, but my husband is the best guy ever and he's super hardworking.
maybe he could get a job in McDonald's, he's a shift manger there at the moment, if he took his McDonald's certificates with him.
but right now, i'm just desperatly trying to get a job.
a recruiter rang me today telling me about a hogwan job. the salary is from 2.1-2.3 million won and the hours are 1pm =9pm.
but she told me not to negotiate any terms with the school (interview tomorrow) and not to have a strong English accent. i don't speak with a specific regional accent anyway (i can turn it off easily), so i don't know what she meant.
i sound like a typical Brit. |
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mimi belle
Joined: 11 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| elliot79 wrote: |
i'm a muslim as well, so alcohol would not be an expense either.
and i can only eat halal meat, so i doubt it's hard to come by there.
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This puts an interesting twist on your situation.
Have you looked into teaching in the Middle East? The pay is as good or better than korea, and the lifestyle might match your needs. You need an MA + experience, which you have.
Anyway, here's an article on muslims in Korea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Korea
Hope the interview works out. If you get it, you could try for a university as your next one. |
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JD_Tiberius
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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| elliot79 wrote: |
I
and i've paid �236:00 to a public notary today to have my certificates apostilled.
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WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!
You got schooled by a lawyer. It shouldn't be anymore than 5 Pounds per notarisation and around 30 pounds for your apostille from the FCO. Always do your research before commiting to anything as far as lawyers are concerned. |
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Gamecock
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 12:49 am Post subject: |
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methdxman said:
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Ttompatz seems to be an expert in all things Asia/EFL, but I'd say that the whole Thailand/China thing is a deeply personal taste. Korea has a lot going for it in terms of lifestyle, culture, pay, safety, etc.
I guess don't go to Korea if you can't deal with, SURPRISE, proud Asians who might not treat you as the king/queen from the west as most Far East/South East Asians do. I think a lot of this animosity towards Korea/Koreans on this forum stems from that. |
Well, after 5 years in Korea and 2 years now in China, I'll back up what Ttompatz is saying. It is more than personal taste. You can have just as good of a lifestyle and just as much savings (I have more now in China than I EVER had in Korea), because the cost of living is less and the depreciation of the Won over the last few years has cut the net profits in Korea. Also, you can have a REAL living accomodation and are free to take on extra work if you so desire.
As well, both Thailand and China have MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more going for it in terms of lifestyle, culture, etc. (China and Thailand just as safe as korea). Factor in the ability to take cheap weekend trips to 1st class beaches (Thailand) or 1st class travel destinations (China) compared to being trapped on a peninsula with very limited getaway options. I enjoyed many things about Korea, but it is what it is.
I have never been treated like a king or queen here in China where the people are certainly as proud as Koreans. But i have felt respected and welcomed here rather then being viewed as a possible pedophile by every third person on the street. This very real underlying anti-foreigner sentiment in the hermit kingdom is a solid reason why anyone with solid credentials or experience should consider looking at other countries.
methdxman is also here on an F4 visa, which means he may be slightly biased as well and which also explains his spiteful comments. |
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