Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kokoba]

I'm hoping the hivemind can help me make a better-informed decision about my return to Korea.

I taught at a franchise of a medium-sized chain in Uijeongbu. It wasn't terrible, but towards the end there was some amount of disregard for contract, miscommunication, etc. I won't name names publicly and they're irrelevant to my post anyway. Long story short, I have no interest in returning there and I am scouting out schools. No interest in dealing with recruiters.

Short background: I have a BA in Creative Writing (aka "Diet English") and six years' experience in tour guiding, so I'm both literate and entertaining. In addition to my year's experience teaching at the aforementioned hagwon, I have a CELTA from Cambridge University.

I would expect fair compensation for that to be at least 2.3 - 2.4 mil. I've had offers of 2.6 mil, even, but I'm not setting my expectations that high. I'd prefer to be out by Uijeongbu, as I'm familiar with the area, still have friends there, and generally prefer living *away* from Seoul proper. I have a bit of an "in" with CDI Uijeongbu, though nothing's confirmed yet---hence my shopping around.

But there are a lot of offers out there. This is where the hivemind comes in: what "type" of school should I give priority? Vote in the poll but posts with arguments for/against also much appreciated. I'm most concerned about:

1. Fair contracts (and adherence to them) (read as: sane working hours [no 10 hour days, no split shifts], no Saturdays, sick days, pre-paid flight)
2. Appropriate compensation (salary as well as pension/severance)
3. Clear communication between employer and employees

Things I'm not concerned about:
1. Vacation days (Did all my traveling in Asia already, anything else I want to do is in Korea and accomplished over a weekend.)
2. Student language level (most of my students were pretty low-level, I can cope)
3. Living conditions (I can live with a little bit of grunge, busted, and/or cramped, just so long as I'm either getting a housing allowance or not paying rent.)
4. Other foreign coworkers (I don't mind being the only foreigner in the place)


Bonus points for experience with the Uijeongbu branch of CDI.

Thanks!

[minos]

CDI = work like a dog.....from what everyone I know who ever worked there told me.
KPS: Yeah, they come to me too...same story as CDI...not worth the level of work.

If you have a CELTA, i'd just apply to mom and pop hagwons or elite chains and eventually one of the higher end or paying ones will bite...

Pay usually 2.5 and above.

The public schools and and most generic hagwon chains don't really care about rewarding you for a CELTA unless your applying for a management position there....I wouldn't have got it so I could teach at Avalon or YBM on 2.3 mil for christ sakes.

Although the guy who replaced me at my last PS job had a CELTA....talk about overqualified...

[Kokoba]

Funny you mention that about PS. It was my understanding that you now needed some kind of ESL teaching cert to work at one. Is this so?

I was talking about this with a Korean friend back when I was in Korea. From his perspective, the larger the chain, the better your work environment. You can argue it both ways, I guess, but I've seen a couple mom & pop ones close up and leave friends of mine out cold. Funds are probably not as much an issue for the big chains.

[edwardcatflap]

If you have two years post CELTA experience, apply to the British Council in Seoul. Their pay and conditions beat the options you mentioned in every regard