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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007
Location: ples bilong me
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 Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:43 am Post subject: |
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| itistime wrote: |
hmmm. I also rarely ever capitalize 'english'.
I don't think I should be giving importance to it. I'm not going to explain why.
You can tell much about a person from the way
they type. How old are they? Experienced?
Educated? Considerate? Origination.
Some people anyways, no? It may not seem that big of an issue
to some people. In the grand scheme of things, it really
is not. If I can communicate with you....good.
If I'm a recruiter, employer, interviewer and that mess
comes across my desk....
your resume, CV, cover letter and the like, are going straight to the shredder on some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle type styles!!!!!
It's not just the grammar. I can talk all the slang and lingo that I want. If you see that someone is careless in their type, you may get the impression that they are careless or dimwitted in their work.
Are we still just making points? |
You've got to ask yourself if the OP would have maybe put a little more time and effort into his application than his post on this website, I'll give him/her the benefit of the doubt.
I won't give many others the benefit of the doubt though. I put people in two categories, those I'd like to share a beer with, and those I wouldn't. It's a shame most people on here are such an uptight lot, devoid of a sense of humour and who seem to take themselves so very seriously, gravely so. When looking back on the characters here circa 1993, I think that would have been a much better time to be in Korea, or at least for whittling away time on this website. These days Dave's is chock full of people who think they have an IQ of 140, whilst having a sense of humour that would make Stalin look like a stand up comedian. Needless nick-picking on grammar and rudeness to new members on this website ensures that the "new wave" of Dave's douchbags lives on.
If you take the time to listen to Dave's interview on this website, you'll realize he's the happy go lucky type character that should be doing ESL, vibrant and full of energy, not the morose rabble that seem to be in the ESL industry at present. Hell, imagine being their students, traumatising to say the least. |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:50 am Post subject: |
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Are people really attacking OP because he didn't capitalize his letters? Good God get over yourselves people. It's a message board.
I would rather be run over a bus to live to see the day I hang out on Dave's during my spare time insulting others because I wear a police badge when I use the internet. Get a life. |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:53 am Post subject: |
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| wishfullthinkng wrote: |
To be fair to Tanklor, Cobbles' original post was littered with grammatical and spelling errors, not just capitalization issues.
For serious english teachers and institutions I could see this as something very worrisome. I know if I were a hiring manager at a hagwon that post would have been an immediate disqualification and I'm not even picky. |
This post is a parody of itself. |
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cobbles
Joined: 23 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:20 am Post subject: |
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Wow! What an introduction to the forum. It is quite sad that people on here waste their time commenting on the grammatical errors of their peers. When I post on the internet I type fast, make mistakes but don't care, I know other posters will understand my post, like Morticae. Thanks mate.
Back to the topic. Thanks Morticae for your response. Do you think the Korean Hagwon manager would be put off if I ask to Skype foreign teacher currently working at the Hagwon??
I just don't like the idea of flying over to Korea after only talking to the Manager for 10 minutes. I certainly don't trust the recruiter as they will say anything to make you happy and get you over as soon as possible.
Thanks guys for your advice
(please no petty off topic replies) |
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tanklor1
Joined: 13 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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| cobbles wrote: |
Wow! What an introduction to the forum. It is quite sad that people on here waste their time commenting on the grammatical errors of their peers. When I post on the internet I type fast, make mistakes but don't care, I know other posters will understand my post, like Morticae. Thanks mate.
Back to the topic. Thanks Morticae for your response. Do you think the Korean Hagwon manager would be put off if I ask to Skype foreign teacher currently working at the Hagwon??
I just don't like the idea of flying over to Korea after only talking to the Manager for 10 minutes. I certainly don't trust the recruiter as they will say anything to make you happy and get you over as soon as possible.
Thanks guys for your advice
(please no petty off topic replies) |
I have hired people in the past and I have disqualified people for having poorly edited resumes. I remember one in particular; a girl with no teaching experience had about 13 to 15 grammatical mistakes in her resume alone. (Somehow it slipped by the recruiter) She never made it to our school.
As for your question: it isn't out of line to ask to speak to another teacher at the school. I was always open to the idea but I will warn you that waiting too long to ink a contract may go against you. This country is all about speed and the longer you wait to send it the more likely your school will move on to the next dude or dudette on the list, |
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Morticae
Joined: 06 May 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| cobbles wrote: |
Do you think the Korean Hagwon manager would be put off if I ask to Skype foreign teacher currently working at the Hagwon??
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They might be put off, they might not be. I'm not sure if there is any way of telling. I would recommend you try to get a couple email addresses from the native speakers currently there (just ask your recruiter).
As tanklor mentioned before me, don't wait too long once you have the contract. They are likely preparing several backups. Contingency plans are very popular here, for both employers and (hopefully) foreign employees alike. |
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earthquakez
Joined: 10 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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Cobbles - can you reply to my post? I was the first person to reply (relevantly to your question  ) and I can't stress enough that what is in your contract will tell us about your employer without even meeting them.
If it is an exploitative, poor contract then it will be obvious. Can you just answer re the points I made in my post - salary, if pension is paid, sick days, vacation, deposits, utilities payments. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:18 am Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
Cobbles - can you reply to my post? I was the first person to reply (relevantly to your question ) and I can't stress enough that what is in your contract will tell us about your employer without even meeting them.
If it is an exploitative, poor contract then it will be obvious. Can you just answer re the points I made in my post - salary, if pension is paid, sick days, vacation, deposits, utilities payments. |
I agree with this post!!! There is very little to be gained by skyping. The current teacher won't want to bedevil his own situation by slagging the school. That's common sense.
Some years ago I called a very courageous and honest current teacher and he didn't hold back. I was most appreciative of his warning but I stupidly hinted to the recruiter why I was no longer interested.
The poor teacher was confronted by his offended director and final salary placed in jeopardy.
I think he was the exception that proves the rule.
If you can, acquire the email address of the previous teacher. Then in addition, as Earthquakez suggests, establish the iffy points of the contract. Go over them with the current teacher. This should elicit valid comment from him/her, even if done so reluctantly. |
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mdsb87
Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Location: Gyeongsangnam do
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
Cobbles - the fact that you have a tefl qualification is a plus. Obviously you take teaching English seriously although you have no experience yet and this will be your first job.
While it's true that there are many mediocre to bad hagwons, you might be at one that is fine. Personally I don't expect too much when I go for new hagwon jobs but I do have standards and limits to what I'll put up with. If your hagwon is only giving you 5 days' vacation, 2 or 1 or no sick days, taking a deposit, making you pay for utilities at the place they provide for you, giving no pension payments and paying you 2.1 million won or less then that's not what I consider acceptable even for somebody who has never taught in Korea or taught at all.
It's exploitative in a basic sense though it might turn out to be a good job with a decent employer, Korean staff and fairly good kids. I do think the reason you were offered the job quickly is that recruiters are blockading applicants with experience and mostly only passing on the information of inexperienced applicants.
Of course there are hagwons that are asking for little or no experience because they have an aversion to foreign teachers that know their rights and will not put up with nonsense as easily as a newcomer to the teaching game.
What's the contract like? Is it what I outlined above? |
Are you talking about gas and electricity here? I understood from a vast number of threads about cost of living that everyone has to pay their own bills but not their rent. I certainly have to pay my own mobile phone, gas and electricity. .. . |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 2:48 am Post subject: |
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I'm looking for my second contract in Korea now and am about to complete 1 year. I know SO much more now about dodgy jobs than I did before.
Just a few pointers:
- ALWAYS talk with a teacher there over the phone. Asking for the information is just as important as the discussion with the teacher. If the school isn't willing to let you talk to a teacher there, what does that say?
- ALWAYS deny a job that doesn't offer pension. It's illegal and the "3.3% tax rate" is a red flag meaning no pension
- Post the contract in the contract thread on this forum. Really helped me take note of the dodgy stuff a job was asking me to sign. There are experienced people here nice enough to help you. Take advantage of that. |
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earthquakez
Joined: 10 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 3:27 am Post subject: |
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Apologies, I didn't explain about the utilities thing. I worked at a school where the school at first took the utilities payments out of my salary. I didn't see the bills and this concerned me. They weren't being sly, they simply thought it was more convenient if they did that.
I asked them to stop doing that and get my utilities bills put in my letterbox where I lived just like the other residents got theirs. I don't like lack of information about anything in Korea, Japan or Taiwan (the 3 Asian countries I've worked in). I like to know just what is coming out of my salary and exactly how much gas, electricity and water I'm using.
I also worked at a school where they paid my utilities. Sounds very generous, right? Not really. The amount of the housing they specified they would pay for in my contract was far above the cost of the horrible little place they shoved me in.
It was the cheapest and nastiest place I've ever lived in, even the bedsits I experienced as a student in the UK looked wonderful compared to this Korean 'apartment' which was simply a one room with just about no room and one undersized window. Even after paying my electricity, gas and water plus the rent there was surplus money.
Getting back to Cobbles - I forgot to mention health insurance which is tied in with the pension. So what is going on with your contract? |
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cobbles
Joined: 23 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 4:37 am Post subject: |
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| marsavalanche wrote: |
I'm looking for my second contract in Korea now and am about to complete 1 year. I know SO much more now about dodgy jobs than I did before.
Just a few pointers:
- ALWAYS talk with a teacher there over the phone. Asking for the information is just as important as the discussion with the teacher. If the school isn't willing to let you talk to a teacher there, what does that say?
- ALWAYS deny a job that doesn't offer pension. It's illegal and the "3.3% tax rate" is a red flag meaning no pension
- Post the contract in the contract thread on this forum. Really helped me take note of the dodgy stuff a job was asking me to sign. There are experienced people here nice enough to help you. Take advantage of that. |
Yeh good points thanks a million. I was thinking, if a school doesn't let you talk to a teacher what does that say about the school? i would also imagine the manager would put his best (unproblematic) teacher forward.
Yeh so my contract has no pension and tax at 3.3%, 170hrs a month and 10 days vacation.
I invite you guys to view my contract half way down the post here:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=197658&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30
To be honest i'm not getting good vibes with this school! |
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brickabrack
Joined: 17 May 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 4:44 am Post subject: |
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"- ALWAYS talk with a teacher there over the phone. Asking for the information is just as important as the discussion with the teacher. If the school isn't willing to let you talk to a teacher there, what does that say? "
I agree with this. OP, if you are not allowed contact with the current, then you prob don't want to be with the outfit looking to hire.
Just to mention some of the picking on msg board typing. It is a little more lax. I think that's fine. Just ask yourself if you're really being too critical. To be fair, I've seen some type that I KNOW would not be good fits in 'my' school.
Also, if you've got an email address like 'bronxboy79@hotmail' or 'prettybabi23@yahoo' you'll probably want to come up with something a little more professional. Some people wonder why they've got such a raw deal or landed in a crappy school. |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| cobbles wrote: |
| marsavalanche wrote: |
I'm looking for my second contract in Korea now and am about to complete 1 year. I know SO much more now about dodgy jobs than I did before.
Just a few pointers:
- ALWAYS talk with a teacher there over the phone. Asking for the information is just as important as the discussion with the teacher. If the school isn't willing to let you talk to a teacher there, what does that say?
- ALWAYS deny a job that doesn't offer pension. It's illegal and the "3.3% tax rate" is a red flag meaning no pension
- Post the contract in the contract thread on this forum. Really helped me take note of the dodgy stuff a job was asking me to sign. There are experienced people here nice enough to help you. Take advantage of that. |
Yeh good points thanks a million. I was thinking, if a school doesn't let you talk to a teacher what does that say about the school? i would also imagine the manager would put his best (unproblematic) teacher forward.
Yeh so my contract has no pension and tax at 3.3%, 170hrs a month and 10 days vacation.
I invite you guys to view my contract half way down the post here:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=197658&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30
To be honest i'm not getting good vibes with this school! |
- 170 hours a week is WAY too much for your first job in Korea. Unless they are paying you 2.4 or more and you are a workaholic, I do not recommend that for your first job here. You will be worn out.
- No pension, I've been denying jobs left and rate that have that 3.3% tax rate. It's their way of scamming you out of pension. You will get jobs that offer pension (it was say), the ones that don't always have that 3.3% tax rate. |
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