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First Timer: Public or Hakwon?
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dyc



Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Location: Vancouver

PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lifeinkorea wrote:
Quote:
What do you mean "have money for your own plane ticket?" I thought all schools paid for airfare.


School often decide to reimburse instead of paying upfront. So, you need the money for the flight, and they will reimburse when you get there. It's up to you to decide if you want this kind of offer. Public schools are the safest bet in this case.


Yes, I know, but that still doesn't explain the sentence "If you have money for your own plane ticket, go with a public school. If not, go with a hagwon."


I realize you didn't write that. But it seems to be suggesting that if you go to a public school, you won't get your plane ticket reimbursed (you need to have your own money for a ticket). If you go to a hagwon, they will always reimburse (you don't need to have that extra money for a plane ticket).



One more thing: I'm Chinese-Canadian. Will most hagwons turn me down due to my Chinese features?
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lifeinkorea



Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China

PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
If you have money for your own plane ticket, go with a public school. If not, go with a hagwon.


What they are saying is if you have money, pay for the flight because the public school will reimburse you. If you don't have the money, then go with the hagwon and MAKE THEM PAY FOR IT FROM THE BEGINNING. Don't pay for the flight if you accept a hagwon job.

Here is my personal advice. I had a good hagwon offer in Suwon. I should have taken it considering I ended up in Pyeongtaek, and I have a good Korean friend in Suwon. However, before I ever worked in Korea, I felt some of the effects of working for bad hagwons.

I accepted the job initially, through a recruiter. Then, I was told I would get an email from the travel agency about the flight info. Instead, I got a request for my credit card info. This threw a red flag in my face and I flat out refused to pay for it. After that, I never heard from the recruiter.

The reasoning is that public schools get money for hiring us. So, they don't get it in either situation. The hagwon owner on the other hand has to pay directly for the flight. So, they are more likely to screw you.

If you get a public school job, you shouldn't be as concerned about getting reimbursed. If you go with a hagwon, it is better to make them pay for it.

I hope I have clarified this for you.

Quote:
I'm Chinese-Canadian. Will most hagwons turn me down due to my Chinese features?


Unfortunately, this may be a problem. I have always had to submit my photo, so the best I can say is you should do the same. If they see your photo and hire you then that won't be an issue. If you can't get jobs, try not submitting them.

If they accept you, pay for the flight, and see you teaching, then they are more likely to keep you. In this case, public schools are a safer bet since parents can't complain as much. At hagwons, they ALWAYS complain regardless if you are Asian Canadian/American or blonde haired and blue eyed.
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dyc



Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Location: Vancouver

PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've heard people talk about applying directly to a public school (as opposed to through EPIK/GEPIK) - how does one do this? I thought one could only get PS jobs through EPIK/GEPIK?
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Totti



Joined: 24 Nov 2007

PostPosted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check all the recruiters out and ask them. Sometimes you'll get a school advertise on Dave's, so keep your eye out.
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