Korean Job Discussion Forums

[is so delicious]

I got offered a university gig. I've been working in Korea a few years and majored in English, and have a strong professional background in editing/writing, but I don't have a Master's degree, so I'm pretty surprised.

I think I'm definitely better suited for teaching college students. However, this is definitely not one of those dream uni jobs with three or four months paid vacation. Vacation is only three weeks, hours are 9-5, teaching four 70 or 75 minute classes per day. So it's definitely not a cakewalk. Ha, I guess this is why they'll hire someone with a BA only.

Anyway... I have another job offer- actually I signed the contract already- that is paying more per month (though the uni job pays pretty well- 3.0, but no housing or severance, compared with 3.1 and no housing, but severance). It's with kindergartners, which I don't have much experience with and am only half-sure I can handle well. But I only teach 30 HALF HOUR classes per week. Also slightly better teaching hours, severance, same amount of vacation, less lesson-planning, etc.

I think I'd take the latter, all present things considered. However, I have no plans to go back to my home country, and have long envied those with the three or four month paid vacation/12 hours a week college gigs.

My question- sorry this is long-winded- is: will many universities take you on if you have a years' experience at the university level, but no MA? If it's fairly common, it might be worth it... otherwise I figure I should just take the first job and have more money while working less.

Thoughts/experiences are appreciated.

[enchoo]

More than the MA I think!!!!!
I needed a low level uni to get a higher uni position.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I'd say go with the uni job. After a year, you can renegotiate the contract or move up.

[is so delicious]

Oh man... a few days ago everything seemed so simple...! Ha... I think I was looking to be convinced to take the easier job. Damn you people!!

But seriously, thanks for the info. I'll probably end up taking the kindy gig. I figure uni will be more demanding, and my main goal is to get out of teaching and get back into editing, so it's hard to dedicate myself to a year of two more classes per day for less money and longer working hours- not when I'm not sure about teaching long-term.

Any more thoughts are certainly appreciated, though.

[minos]

I did it....kinda lucked out in getting the decent, first gig. Some even contacted me first to apply to others.

Once you have the experience, you can start applying for more regular Uni gigs and move up.

Your chances of a decent city position without connections is pretty low. I just got offered a short term one myself

Without an MA, I think Seoul is near impossible without have inside help. Nearby cities are possible....

Some unis are extremely isolated....even with good money and low hours, it's a huge compromise unless your trying to write a book....short term is fine though.....long term in the middle of no where is mentally damaging.

[legrande]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Good question!

University experience can compensate for your not having a MA...to a point.

At some point it will not be sufficient (ex: to get the better positions).

My suggestion: use your time as a University instructor (you have more free time than say at a Hakwon) and get that MA!

You can do a lot of excellent MA programs through distance learning these days.

If you want to be serious about working for Universities long-term then get the MA as you build up credible experience.

Good luck.

[sirius black]

If you haven't taught kindergarten, its NOT a cakewalk. There is a reason why a lot of teachers say no kindergarten to their recruiters. Some people like it and thrive in it, they are a blessed and lucky few. Talk to somoeone about their work there. Its very tiring or can be.

Others said it best with regards to a uni job. If you're planning to go back home it also looks better on a resume. I'd also suggest getting a TEFL or TOEFL while you're at the uni job and especially if you're not going to get a MA. Uni experience plus a certificate is a lot better than just uni experience and a TEFL takes less time and money than a MA. Something you can get pretty much right away.

[offtheoche]

I'd decline both job offers.

[RMNC]

The question people in this situation need to ask themselves is what their ambitions are.

Do you want to make TESL a career? If you do, then go for the university gig. As far as professions go, you can't beat University work. Great hours and vacation, and the pay is very good. As for this job, it's comparable to the pay and hours of someone who gets 2.3 million with housing included, so you're no worse for the wear than most people in your position. The benefit, of course, is that teaching college aged students is a lot easier and more fun than babies in Kindergarten. There's also more job security than a Kindy hagwon.

However, if you're only planning on working in Korea for a few more years, then only teaching 15 hours a week is a sweet gig as well. True, Kindergarten is a lot of work, but you'll still end up doing less than the average teacher in any other hagwon or public school. Same deal on the housing/pay trade off being the same, but the cool adult students are switched with low hours.

Personally, I'd go for what Patrick said and take the Uni job and use that time to get an M.A. Everyone has to start somewhere, and while that Uni position has only slightly better pay and hours than any other school, the career path is much more enticing in the long run.

[Carbon]

Take the uni job, but...

In the future, which university you worked at will be a factor influencing your candidacy; the ranking is important, even to foreign hiring committees. Are you sure this job is not at a unigwon? It doesn't sound like even a typical uni job and this again will be a factor in how valuable the job is as a reference.

If you think that the a year at this job will somehow legitimize or qualify you, you are certainly wrong. The truth is that there are an extraordinary number of graduate degree holders with good references and other qualifications out there (CELTA/DELTA, TESL certs, etc). This job will guarantee nothing in and of itself. As you have been advised: take the job but if you are serious about EFL as a career, then get an MA.

Best of luck.

[swashbuckler]

is so delicious,

If your "uni job" (it's not a true university position) is the one I think it is, then I was also offered a position there. I agree with you that the teaching hours are quite long and the vacation pretty lousy. Having said that, I have no idea why anyone would choose a Kindergarten hagwon over this job, even with the reduced hours. That's just me, though. If nothing else, this "uni job" would be better resume fodder for pretty much any other job on the planet except something involving early childhood education or working at a daycare center, I think.

I am taking this position because I am a career-track TESOL teacher completing my MA in Education this spring from a top-tier school and looking to move into something higher in 2012. I am not a BA English major with a few years of hagwon/public school experience (dime a dozen in Korea these days) bidding my time in Asia while I wait for my "big break" in travel writing/blogging/editing.

Also, based on my limited knowledge of the publishing field here in Korea, there is a glut of qualified English majors on E-2 visas trying to break into editing and ready and willing to jump into the first non-teaching positions they see advertised. The competition for those jobs is fierce and may even match university applications in some cases.

Or perhaps I'm just blowing smoke up my own ass...does anyone else have something to contribute with regards to editing jobs?

[swashbuckler]

[naturegirl321]

I'm hoping one uni gig will lead to another, I'm just worried about being able to get another GOOD uni gig. I've renewed for another year, but after that, who knows? New admin, restructuring and personal issues mean that no one's jobs are secure.

[is so delicious]

It's a "real" university gig. Ha... at least I would be teaching university students. Though yeah... they don't really offer the perks you've come to expect from teaching uni.

I just can't convince myself to work a crap(pier) job for the next year, when I'm ambivalent about my future. Maybe I'll regret it. My goals in life are vague... save as much money as possible (without going to the middle east) and retire as early as possible. Maybe if I hate teaching kindergarten, I'll know it's time to move on after.

By the way... and I'm not even joking... ethics aside, what prevents people from lying on their resume and saying they've worked at a university? I've gotten a few job offers and my references told me nobody ever contacted them. And I substituted at a university for a week and... well, let's just say it's listed as a little longer on my resume. Nobody seems to have checked into it.

Not looking for pats on the back or anything, but I don't think I'd have a problem lying to get my foot in the door, as long as everyone was happy. I'm sure this will bring a few lectures, but... any thoughts?