Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cincynate]

I took a job at a new Hagwon. It is awesome. The classes are small, and you really have a lot of autonomy as there is no solid system in place. You really get to put in your input.
However, there is always the chance that the Hagwon will go bankrupt, but it is very easy to find a new job when you're already here.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TheresaTheresa]

[nfld_chingu]

I have worked for two hagwons in Korea: one was new, and one was well-established with many branches. I had a much easier/better time at the second one (and higher salary, but that was partly because I had more experience). The "new" hagwon was actually not really new, it was a hagwon that had several branches in Seoul already, but they opened another one in Daegu and I worked there. The first six months were hell. The enrolment was super-low (I think partly because we opened in September, in the middle of the school year, because in March we got a lot more students). We (the teachers) worked our butts off preparing materials for classes, decorating our classrooms, and trying to make sure the kids were happy (and learning). But we were still blamed for everything. Our boss threatened to start firing people if we didn't improve as teachers, because the low enrolment was clearly our fault.

[DosEquisXX]

[RMNC]

If it sucks, there's always an easy way out. They might fail, thus saving you a lot of trouble with getting fired/laid off, whatever. From there it's usually a lot easier to find work IF they do close the school or get rid of you. As DosEquis said, it usually works out.