Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BananaBan]

I had prepared to leave for Korea a few months ago, but various events back home had prevented me from leaving then.

now i am free to go and can expect a contract starting for early March. The thing is, i may have to come back home in a bit before september for an academic opportunity (so there is a chance i will be staying in korea for just 5 and a half months).

do you think it is still worth going to korea given the chance of early return?

i am aware that i will have to pay airfare both ways and potentially the recruitment fee (or part of it). but as long as i make 4k USD, il be happy (im mostly doing this korea trip for the experience).

also, will this create a problem for a hogwon? i dont want to be a source of inconvenience, especially if the hogwon im at is good to its employees.

thanks for reading ~[/u]

[sbp59]

I would say it's probably not a good idea. It all depends on the school and the boss. But, you will put the hagwon in a very bad situation. They will have just finished training you and getting you comfortable living there and now be in scramble mode to find your replacement.

If your really going to do this, you would want to keep leaving a complete secret until you get your last pay check, then mid-night run. It sounds bad, but it would be your best bet.

If your honest, and tell your boss the truth 4 or 5 weeks before leaving, it's probably going to get ugly. You'll have to pay flights, recruiter fee, won't get your final pay. And the Boss would likely make your life and work experience miserable.

Obviously, every situation is different. You said you might have to go back home. So, maybe you wouldn't have to go home. Tough call to make.

My advice would be if you really want to teach in Korea, come on over, save some money for your education, enjoy the experience and put your academic opportunity on hold for one year.

[comm]

[morrisonhotel]

A 6 month contract would be better in this case. Look for jobs in China. You'll find something for 6 months. I'm doing the same as you (going abroad then studying in September).

[northway]

You'll be leaving just around the time you kind of start to figure out what the hell you're doing in the classroom. Basically, you'll leave Korea just as your job is starting to make sense. On top of that, I tend to think it's kind of bad for students when they don't have consistency of instructors, particularly younger students.

[amnsg2]

I'm definitely on team be honest in this situation

You might be able to get an academy that has never had a foreign teacher before or are expanding to consider hiring you for 6 months. Taking on a foreign teacher is a big risk for some academies, so if you put the idea to recruiters they might have an ideal school on their list.

I know that my previous boss was unsure about hiring another teacher, and eventually decided to find a part time teacher instead. She might have gone for that, so fingers crossed...

[OBwannabe]

You could always consider a summer camp. If you are willing to work long days, 6 days a week you can probably make close to the $4000 you were hoping for in one month!

[bbunce]

I'd say go for it and let him know about 1-2 months beforehand you plan on leaving early. Things could changen and you want to stay. You probably already did a lot of preparation to come here so why throw all that away. Don't pull a runner and leave right after payday unless the boss is a super jerk. If you stay 6 months, you shouldn't have to repay the airfare coming here but make sure that's in the contract.

[Tigerstyleone]

This is an excellent plan. You can easily save $10,000 in 5 and a half months because all your expenses are paid by the school, and I bet you're not the same as the rest of us, so you'll probably make a lot more money because you are a bit different. Please please please, whatever you do, keep us informed and post your decision and let us know when you are in Korea.

[litebear]

[ttompatz]

5 months in Korea @ 2.2 million won = 11 million gross / 10 million net.

Less airfare (2 ways = 2 million won)

less living expenses (utilities) 1 million (live like a hermit - you did want internet and electricity).

Less setup costs (condiments, stuff for your apartment (sheets, blankets, soap and shampoo)) 1 million

Less food (500k per month) 3 million.

Less entertainment on the weekends (unless you really did want to live like a hermit (23 weekends - 2.3 million won)

2+1+1+3+2.3 = 9.3 million in expenses and we haven't considered document and visa costs, medical, etc.)

You would never recover your costs on a 5-6 month jaunt to Korea.

Better to just stay home and work a minimum wage job or take a vacation.

.

[luckylady]

a lot of the money saved is due to severance payouts at the end of a contract, plus pension refunds, which can add up, plus last month's salary to 5 million won. it takes a while to save, the first few months are spent adjusting and settling in, buying a phone, etc.

theoretically you could do it the way you suggested but only if you were already experienced in living abroad and knowing the ropes. chances are, that's just not going to happen.

*you also need to take into account vaccinations and other physical check ups before leaving. it takes a couple of months just for the Hep shots to work.

[carny-vor]

tbh i left after 6 months and gave my boss 2 months notice and got screwed out of quite a bit of money tbh coupled with the fact that my boss had never bothered to get me medical insurance despite charging me for it so i had a bill to pay for a sprained ankle.

when i first came back I thought that it would have been better had i just cut and run with no warning but my boss was decent in other ways and its nice not to feel too guilty.
gonna be studying in korea soon which will be amazing- i loved korea and it will be 100x better not having to deal with bosses and parents and bull.

I will probably work part time legally but ill make sure im in a situation where i can just walk away and get another job if it starts to bother me

[bbunce]

If you are here for 6 months, you will save probably about $4,000. Even though your apartment is paid for, you still have bills like maintenance fee, cell phone charges, electric, and possibly other things like food and alcohol. If you are a party hard guy though, forget saving anything. Bars can be expensive. I agree with the last post though. Giving to much notice can hurt you but you should be decent. When you give notice, don't expect to be treated like a human or even your last paycheck without going to the labor board. Just come over here and you'll see what I mean.

However, if you are not sure about teaching that's another story. You'll quit after a week if you've never taught before or don't like children.