Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OMGtrev]

I'm looking at a job with YBM. I can't find enough info to make a decision. The school is in Seoul, so that's definitely a plus. Any insight on how they work?

[dongjak]

YBM has an adult hagwon where you work split shifts, 6 to 9 in the morning and 6 to 10 at night, or something terrible like that.

I think YBM also has kindergartens.

[big_fella1]

YBM is a very big company with fingers in many pies.

They franchise their name to children's hagwons if it is an offer for one of these you will not be working for YBM so it's luck of the draw.

Some YBM ECC are run by YBM company, I don't know about them but I assume the YBM cultural issues will come to the fore.

YBM ELS and YBM Premier are company run adult schools once again with all the good and bad that entails.

The Good
You will be paid on time. You will get what's in the contract although some centre directors and head office staff may independently try to save the company a couple of dollars on occasion and you may need to assert your rights. You will learn a lot about Korean company culture, and if you work split shifts you will save money as it's difficult to spend money when you're at home asleep during time off. The students are great and the primary reason to go work. You will get a better job after your year.

The Bad
YBM is a very conservative Korean company, the workers are not treated in the way you would expect workers to be treated back home and there are better Korean companies from the employees point of view, although very few of them are in the English language business.

The dress regulations for the adult institute are quite frankly ridiculous you will be better dressed than 90% of your students. Ties in summer?????

They know which laws they must follow and which they can ignore, they used to short pay pension (the NPS has no teeth), there are also some concerning aspects regarding treatment of sick leave and the penalties should you be unable to fulfill your contract.

Split shifts are okay, but having less than 10 hours between the end of the day and the beginning is not okay. They will tell you about people who thrive on them and love them, I have never met such a person. You will be tired for 1 year.

There is no vacation, 1 day off here and there does not equal a vacation this is a huge cultural difference.

There are worse out there and the better workplaces are almost impossible to join in your first year.

[marsavalanche]

My first contract was a YBM school. It was really laidback, paid on time, I literallly wore jeans and flip flops to work, and there was never any issues of being fired in my last month or anything shady like that. I really enjoyed it actually and have nothing but good things to say about that place.

Drawbacks: wasn't allowed to take vacation outside of preplanned vacation days, impossible to take sick days. But every other job I've seen does that as well. Quite frankly that's really not that bad compared to the other horror stories I've read from other hagwons.

My best advice would be to talk with a foreigner teacher there over the phone. YBM is such a big company it's hit/miss..

[OMGtrev]

I should say that it's a YBM ECC hagwon, 9-6, so that means kindy. I've done kindy before and I'd certainly be better prepared for it this time around. It's not in the best area of Seoul, though it's close to a station so it will be easy to get around.

[Zyzyfer]

[Weigookin74]

[alwaysbeclosing100]

A YBM franchise is a total craps shoot from a good owner to the total opposite. I own quite a bit of YBM material that I use in my public school after school classes. IMO the YBM material is well above average when it come to quality curriculum.

[West Coast Tatterdemalion]

More work for less pay. Crap schedules. I also believe that most have to pay for their own housing. I wouldn't do it.

[Zackback]

They are simply awful.