Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oldtactics]

My situation sounds about the same as naturegirl321 & Tamada. I will never go back to PS. I'm making twice as much money as last year, teaching 16 hours a week, and my curriculum is 100% up to me, 100% of the time. I have very little prep work, a private office, high overtime pay, one meeting a semester, and students who are fun to teach. No complaints here, I think I might stay forever if things keep up.

[earthquakez]

[naturegirl321]

[naturegirl321]

[earthquakez]

So urban myths have a solid core of truth! Congrats to you!

It seems the more higher-end job ads I read, the more they want somebody in Korea. My residency here is irrelevant because I can't get a foot in the door with interviews even being in Korea. The guy I referred to asked if his new uni employers would find out he left Korea under some kind of shadow. He obviously got his uni job while not in Korea.

[lawyertood]

These jobs do exist, however, there aren't as many positions like ours (9 hours a week at 3 million+/month and long paid vacations) as less desirable university positions. Very competitive to get them, not as high turnover generally, and sometimes filled by word-of-mouth recommendations. Having an advanced degree and a fair amount of university teaching experience can give you an edge when applying for them. This could be why so many opt for the lower paying university jobs--to get some university experience in hopes of eventually gaining one of the better ones.

To add thoughts on what others have said...

Some PS jobs are better than some university jobs, some aren't. Some people get more satisfaction teaching young children. Others, in seeing students progress in the development of skills in English which is not always possible in the university system where you might see the students once a week or you have students taking a required course and showing no interest in any thing more than a passing grade.

That being said, like some, I don't think I could go back to 30 hours a week at an institute with only a week or two of vacation.

[naturegirl321]

[earthquakez]

Interesting about the snail mail. I think that's where applicants like me would have had more of a chance. Snail mail lets you add all sorts of things you've done like non academic articles published in print and hard copy evidence to back up what you're saying.

Email means you can't send much of that esp on the initial application because often the university wants just a basic application. Then after that they might ask for more things. People who could shine initially through snail mail can't through email.

[naturegirl321]

[earthquakez]

Clearly your cv spoke louder than an interview - did you have one by phone or webcam?

I really just missed the boat in Japan. I was there for so long but I didn't think much about lining up a uni job back then until it was too late because I'd gotten engaged and was going to supposedly live again in Blighty. (That's a whole different story altogether ) My cv was and is better than a fair few of the Japan vets who are there now in the cushy uni jobs.

I can't believe that on the Hong Kong forums a poster who is in Japan now at a university was saying he was thinking of Hong Kong because his students don't really think about much. If I were teaching at a uni in Japan with his conditions I wouldn't even think of doing anything such as leaving.

[naturegirl321]

interview by webcam, job offer by phone. At least for this uni. I've heard that NET in HK is good, but I've tuaght primary and secondary students and don't want to do it again.

[sirius black]

Question. At the universities that have teacher evaluation (if not all unis) are the evaluations for all instructors? Korean and NETs alike? Also, does one have a serious risk not having their contract renewal with generally bad evaluations?
I know two people who work at uni jobs that began at only 1.8 which is low but given non stellar qualifications compared to most uni jobs I would consider it for the experience and do privates, etc. get a TEFL, etc. if you don't have one, and learn to live on less. Then go to a uni after a year which pays more. I would think having a uni on one's resume is worth the year of lesser pay in that kind of situation.
With all that time off I would also assume one could make extra money dong a month long camp for a couple million won and still have enough time for a fairly nice vacation.

[Skyblue]

[hubbahubba]

[Unposter]

The question about snail mail is an easy one - the last thing some university needs is thousands of applicants. If all you had to do was press a button to apply there would be way too many applications to sift through.

If you force people to go to the post office and put a stamp on something, the university can weed out a lot of cadidates who aren't make much of an effort.

And, don't underestimate the budgeting of time at most universities. Most Korean profs don't want to have to read through even 100s of resume's, especially in a foreign language, regrardless of how good their English may be.

My suggestion, and you can take it for whatever it is worth, the best way to break into university teaching is to go to the university you are interested in and make yourself known. Most schools get a countless number of resume's, all that look the same - Master's in blah, blah, blah, years at blah, blah, blah school. In some ways, for even highly qualified individuals, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle.

You got to find a way to stick out from the crowd and yet still sound like a team player.

As for the question of university jobs, it all depends on the school - public school, hakwon and university. There is no one right answer. It all depends on the school. Some are great places to work for; others you wouldn't want to touch with a ten foot pole.

We all have our own fate in this world. Everyone does things; everyone goes places. Where will you go? You will certainly find out. For some people, Korea works really well; for others it doesn't. Some people land university jobs; others don't. Some people like their job; others at the same school don't. You want to think there is a rhyme and reason to this. You may think that there is an answer. There is a one size fits all explanation for it all. One theory to cover life, universe and everything? Well, good luck! It just is and that is all it is. Some people just have good karma; others are fated to misery...