Korean Job Discussion Forums

[austrian123]

1. The market is not as bad as many on Dave's proclaim. I easily found employment as a TOEFL teacher and as a regular esl teacher at two different hagwons. At my TOEFL hagwon I feel like a legitmate teacher....however at my other hagwon teaching esl is joke. I can't believe I get paid for what I do there.

2. The wordwide recession seems to have improved the quality of foreign esl teachers in Korea. I mean I've heard about the many stereotypes of esl teachers being unemployable back home, being dateless etc. But it seems the recession has brought in droves of foreigners who have the skills to be employed at home, but the market being so bad it seems that desperation has been the main cause of the influx of foreigners into Korea recently.

3. I can't believe the b*tching, moaning, whining and the complaints I hear from foreigners about teaching in Korea. What I don't understand is if these people want to complain so much...why stay?

[hondaicivic]

[austrian123]

[wooden nickels]

[austrian123]

[wooden nickels]

[some waygug-in]

[bobbybigfoot]

Ah, you are one of those guys. If things go well for you, then things should go well for everyone.

Reminds me of one of those annoying speeches I have to endure every now again. Some champion/winner makes this proclamation:

If I can do it, anyone can!

*groan*

[curlyhoward]

[Fishead soup]

The heyday was in the early ninties. There was a massive illegal market.
Since then things have gone downhill. In the early ninties there were lots of people with no degree whatsoever making good money. Iteawon was rocking almost every night of the week. Hooker hill was packed every night of the week. By the late ninties the IMF crisis came and lots of people in both public schools and hogwans bailed. There was a slight improvement in the early 2002-2010.

Since the scandal involving a pedephile arrested in Thailand things have gone dowhill. Public schools are no longer the automatic re-contract cushy jobs they used to be shorter vacation time plus higher standards. More desk warming more nosy Principals /Vice Principals peeping through the window. More interferance from POE.

[ssuprnova]

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

For the record, here are some things that I believe do not go over well in Korea and lead to people having a hard time:

1. Aggression (perceived or actual)
2. Argumentative/Confrontational
3. Unwilling to compromise
4. Poor work ethic
5. Not married to a Korean (this can lead to you being able to get away with more #$%^, as can being married in general)
6. Being a baby about everything and demanding too much of your co-workers

This is why hiring recent uni grads who have never traveled, who have no interest in the local culture, or who actively refuse to adapt is really not a good idea. They're still in that 'I'm so @#$%ing smart' phase, and while they may openly state that they want to experience another culture, all that they really want is to be treated like a king and act like a tourist.

80% of the bitching and moaning is a direct result of this. 20% is the genuine problems with hagwons and schools... or the students, but that's part of being a teacher.

[ZIFA]

[garybliss123]

I guess most of the people that come on here come to vent anger at things they have experienced during the day.....and the longer you have been here for, the more frequent that becomes.

However, the whole 'leave if you don't like it' rule is largely correct......... which is why after almost 2 years I'll be leaving soon!!

[Fishead soup]