Korean Job Discussion Forums

[antsea]

My job is ok, but one aspect that's getting to me is the time spent on a computer, sitting in a chair. It's really not ideal for me for several reasons. I'm not planning to jump ship as it's a solid job, but thinking about my future plans after this year. Gotta have a plan to get through it right.

I was wondering if anyone has a job ideally with low to minimal time spent in an office, or maybe where you can stand in the teacher's room and do preparation at a table.

Also, crucially, is it realistic to search for a job with this criteria or would it be a matter of luck?

[koreatimes]

There are 3 kinds of jobs: public school, hagwon, and after school

Most public school jobs will have you sitting at the desk. Same with large hagwons. Smaller hagwons who are trying to save money will negotiate with and you should be able to get 3 or 4 months of decent scheduling from them. Then, it will get worse and they will play games to get you to work more and be paid the same. Simply, stand your ground and give something initially. After that, ask, "When will you pay for the extra classes on Saturday I did?" Whenever they ask for a second thing to do, make sure you get paid for the first thing. Outside of that, I have never had problems with smaller hagwons, and in fact when it is time to leave they are more likely to work with you. You might not get paid for a while until your next job, but they will let you transfer. The bigger hagwons won't be so willing. I have never been able to find a big hagwon job I could like.

After school jobs are pretty good compared to the salary and workload. It feels like a hagwon job, but there isn't a principal or hagwon owner pestering you. You work with a manager that will relay what needs to be done between you and the public school. The downside is that students are not highly motivated to succeed. It's just an extra class before they go to taekwondo, soccer practice, or piano lessons. They will come late if they have to go to one of them earlier, and you might get students leaving earlier to go to a hagwon for classes. However, this type of job has the least amount of sitting.

I teach public school classes, and students sometimes bring a chair to the front for me to sit in. I just put it off to the side and stand or walk around. I am the same way, and at home I lie down instead of sitting when I use the computer.

[cdninkorea]

I don't know what your work experience and qualifications are like, but a university job would be ideal if you hate desk-warming. At mine I'm required to have 3 office hours per week, and I can schedule them anytime I want. If I'm busy prepping for classes or grading papers I'm there other times too, but if not I don't have to be there outside of classes and my office hours.

[scorpiocandy]

My first university job was at the language institute, not teaching credit courses. I had zero office hours - didn't even have an office. Came when class started, left when last class ended.

My second univ also had an institute and I worked there for some overtime. Also zero office hours.

The students are usually great, and the English level can be really good. It's a pretty good job if you can get it.

[antsea]

Thanks for the answers. koreatimes, good tip about hagwons. I also read about your working for 4 months to stay in the sweet spot, interesting.

[iggyb]

Be careful what you wish for.

In hakwons, you'll spend most of your time in class, but a full day of 6 or 7 classes can be a real grind. I've done hakwons and now public schools and taught in public school in the US too. The elementary school schedule here in Korea does leave a lot of time with nothing to do. In the US, I'd be teaching 1 or 2 more classes making it a pretty full day often without energy to use during the planning period by mid-semester. But the in-class hours in the hakwons burnt me out. It was a good way to learn about teaching language to start with, but it took a lot of energy being in so many classes on my own with little supporting material to use in class and no time for prep.

[DaHu]

I would kill for a job where I could sit at a desk and use a computer.

[jeremysums]

Most people don't even have jobs right now. I have 3 friends unemployed.