Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kraggy]

Hi folks,

My girlfriend has been told to apply for a job in the SMOE. However, she has also been told that if she takes it, because she will be starting around the end of April, that she will initially have to sign a contract until February 28th next year and then will have to sign another one for 6 months to bring her up to August 2012.

The reason given for this is to bring her into line with those who signed contracts on February 28th last. How this is, I don't know, I think the agencies thinking is that EPIK want her finishing on Feb 28th but that as she won't have given a full year's service, they'll want her to sign another contract til the following August.

Have any of you heard of this type of thing? I myself have been offered a job also in SMOE, through a different agency, but will be starting this April. My agency has told me that I will have a standard EPIk/Smoe contract. They haven't said that I will only get a contract up to next February (i.e. 10 months instead of 12) and then have to do the extra 6 months.

i.e Question is: Can contracts run from mid-semester to mid-semester or do they only go from mid-semester to end of semester? I will be contacting my agency anyway but won't be able to speak with them til tomorrow. Please help!

Second question, I myself have been told that I won't be told until after I go over there and do some orientation which part of Seoul I will be working and living in. Is this normal? I thought it was but the agency my girlfriend is dealing said that she would be told at interview which district she would be working in.

Thoughts? What's the norm with SMOE and knowing/not knowing where you'll be before landing in Korea?

Thanks for reading,

K.

[kraggy]

Anyone?

[WillTurnerinVanCity]

Hey - I'll knock the easy one out of the way.

It is common practice that you are not notified of your specific placement with the public schools.

From our experience, what your girlfriend is dealing with is a policy of the SMOE. They want the teachers, the students, and the schools to all start at the same time. They don't want a situation where they hire a teacher a month late, have the contract run for 12 months to the day, and then hire another teacher a month late, and continue that on.

It is likely that you will have to sign on for the additional time as well.

However, nothing is ever 100% in this industry, so take this with a grain of salt.

[kraggy]

Thanks very much for that.

I find it odd that my agency didn't say anything about an issue which is so major.

It means that I won't qualify for contract completion until I've worked for 16 months instead of 12.

Not impressed. I only wanted to work for one year and get the completion bonus and then reassess.

[WillTurnerinVanCity]

[kraggy]

Yeah, different agencies.

It's just the way it worked out. I thought that I'd get a contract from April to April. That maybe the position in that school has run from April to April for a few years.

Must be a case that someone started in March but didn't like it and has done a runner.

Havin said that, I'm still going to take the job but feel a bit annoyed that if it is the case that we have to sign 10 and 6 month contracts, that we in effect have to work 16 months to avail of airfare, completion bonus etc, instead of 12.

[Ji]

You just decided to teach at a bad time. Start times are March and August. It's not convenient for you but SMOE isn't doing anything inherently evil by signing you to such contracts. Hiring April to April would be inconvenient and disruptive to the school you go to.

The first month of each of the new school terms is an important time for teachers to establish their relationships, rules, and expectations. New teachers coming in after students have had time to acclimate to their new teachers, classmates, and classes, have a more difficult time then people who start each semester.

[crisdean]

I seem to be a bit late to the dance here, but I signed a similar contract with SMOE last year. It's common in SMOE to have these contracts, usually it either a replacement position where the previous teacher left mid-contract, or there weren't enough successful applicants to fill all the positions before the orientation deadline. (My job was a replacement)

I started in January of all times; the school was in a big panic and I guess they couldn't wait 'til the new school year in March. I think I taught 3 whole weeks before the start of new school year and basically had paid vacation time for the rest of it; pretty sweet deal for me. Then had to renew in August (no pay raise, since I hadn't completed a full year though I did get the renewal bonus and extra vacation days, also I did get my raise starting in January after completing a full year at the school.)

You won't do orientation before you start working, because the orientations are only twice a year, they'll probably make you go to the next one in August (I didn't have to go to mine, but I had previous teaching experience in Korea with GEPIK.) With SMOE if you're being hired on time you won't be told a head of time. If it's a mid-term placement you might be told a head of time.

[kraggy]

Hey Ji and Crisdean,

Thanks very much for that info. Very useful.

So I've been in contact with my agency again and he said that he made a mistake and that yes indeed, I'll have to sign a contract initially until next February, and then sign another one til the following August. If I leave at the end of next February, even though I'll have fulfilled that contract, because it's less than a year, I won't receive either my completion bonus or my flight home/exit allowance.

I can understand SMOE doing this. But, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND how my recruiter did not know this and has only confirmed this morning when my visa package is being sent today from Korea. Especially since they are one of the official recruiters for SMOE/EPIK.

What I'm worried about now is that, since it's a mid-term position, what's the likelihood that it's become available because it's a horrible school and the previous teacher had to leave?

Or am I being pessimistic here?

Lastly, Crisdean, you say that you didn't get a payraise til you finished 1 full year of teaching, but that you got the renewal allowance when you finished the first shorter contract. What's the renewal allowance worth?

Thanks for all your help.

[crisdean]

[winterfall]

[kraggy]

Thanks for the info guys, very valuable.

So, just to be clear, if my short contract runs from April 2011 to Feb 2012, and I extend it to August 2012, my pay will increase in April 2012 because I'll have done 1 years service?

Also, what do you know about desk-warming? Do most schools make foreign teachers desk-warm?

If so, can you tell me which times in summer and winter the kids are not at school and when desk-warming might take place and also which times in summer and winter that proper vacation may be taken?

Finally, those schools that do enforce desk-warming, do they make you come in for every single day that the kids are off or just some of them?

Thanks very much.

[nukeday]

expect to desk warm. also camp and vacation dates vary - your school will tell you typically 1-2 months in advance. you're just gonna have to bite the bullet and deal with some unknowns.

[kraggy]

Ok will do.

But how many weeks in summer and winter are the kids out of class? i.e. either doing camp or at home.

Also, with regard to my contract situation (April 11 to Feb 12 then Feb 12 to August 12), will I get 16 months contract completion bonus when I finish in August 12 or just 12 months? (1 month's salary or 1.33 months salary because of having worked 16 months instead of 12).

Or would it be a case that I'll get the bonus after 12 months service i.e. next April?

(I will have 12 months done next April, but 16 months when I finish in August 12).

Finally, what's involved in camps? Is it mainly sports? Do you get help from your co-teacher? How many kids might one have to supervise?

[Oppa]