Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tanklor1]

I'm about to turn the corner on the signing of my fifth contract and I feel that I'm doing it out of routine. The magic that I started with years ago seems to be almost gone. I'm not certain what is keeping me going these days outside of the slight possibility that the next year could be better than the last.

To all of the long term people: what keeps you going? Is it the job? The family? The pursuit of money? What is it? Because I've seem to have forgotten what is keeping me here.

[PatrickGHBusan]

The 5 year mark usually has that effect on people!

What kept me going from 1997 to 2008?

A combination of loving my work, keeping myself challenged with projects, great family life, lots of friends, interest in local activities (ie getting involved in the community (neighborhood, groups).

If work feels like a routine its a combination of your experience making many tasks easier and perhaps you getting too settled in your ways. Thats when you need to go for more: improve your qualifications by taking courses, look at other jobs in the market and if you can get them, start some projects at your school or on your own time, learn....

[brier]

Korea pulls you in and chews one up. It's the hours ~ hence free time, the money, the low crime rates, the hotties, the food, good public transport. You become apart of the cocoon, one with the cocoon. You stop traveling, stop reading, you play with your kids, wishing rents were cheaper, food was cheaper, there were more partks and open spaces. You start thinking about funding retirement, kids education..... Yeah, Korea has a way making you deal with life.

Get out while you can.

[kimchi_pizza]

I was on my way back "home" from Seoul when I was reading an article
in the Korean Herald about an artist that was "drawn" to the country or more specifically, Jeju island.

And for him, as well as me, it's the spiritual or soulful connection that motivates a fella to stick around.

Yes, Korea has it's plentiful challenges and aggrivations, yet there IS something inexplicable that draws people here and to remain longer than most and
withstand the inevitable B.S. But there is something OUTSIDE of the four-walled classroom or building that draws some people to remain.

There's a motivation to stay because there is something magnetic found out in the general populace wether it be the culture, the language, the landscape, the history, the future, etc. Or as simple as love, marriage and family.

But it's there. Just gotta realize it. And if it's not there, then that's certainly a time to move on.

[Hotpants]

Where else are you going to get jobs that can offer 5 months of paid vacation time? You'd have to be insane to give that up.

[kimchi_pizza]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

Get a car, more adventures.
Get a house, more comfortable.
Get a wife, more ? (well all sorts of things).

The job remains pretty boring, but your life can improve rapidly here.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Travel within Korea can so interesting. You just pick a destination and go.

Try to visit different places (go with your family if you have one in Korea).

If you sit in the same job and do nothing to improve yourself and follow the same routine of hanging out with fellow expats and hitting the bars on weekends for example, then you will end up without motivation.

The key is truly to challenge yourself, go out of your confort zone and get active.

[Vagabundo]

I'll probably renew for a 4th year soon.

what keeps me going and has kept me here?

well, an easy job, a comfortable workplace and long vacations full of travel outside of Korea are the best and most obvious answers. I actually kind of live for my vacations

minimal to no stress, lack of culinary temptations that enable me to stay in good shape are also factors.

that said, I'm almost certain should I stay another year, it will most certainly be my last.

I'd rather enjoy life outside of Korea instead of having to travel outside of it to enjoy it.

[soviet_man]

[Cerulean]

I'd have to say the vacation time. I won't have this when I return home.

But I won't stay here all my life just for the vacation.

[sbp59]

"lack of culinary temptations that enable me to stay in good shape are also factors."

This comment made me laugh, what a terrible reason to stay, lol.

[bobbybigfoot]

I would venture to say that most old timers have little to nothing to go home to and thus must stay in Korea. Any and all job prospects would be worse than what they have now. Knowing this, they make things as comfortable as they can in Korea with decent to above average success.

[T-J]

[Vagabundo]