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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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 Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Julius wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
My first job in Korea included these highlights:
A competitive salary--- if they were competing to offer the lowest then yes--- 1.6 million per month
A low income tax---Well yes 7% income tax is low...just not for this job in Korea. |
lol.
What cracks me up is the whole advertising of "Places to see in wonderful Korea" then they refuse to give you even a single day off in the ensuing year to go and see aforementioned places. |
Ah yes that reminds me.
18 days of vacation--- Ten Korean holidays plus 3 days in the summer and 3 days in the winter...the fact that these 3 days were Friday, Saturday and Sunday was apparently irrelevant. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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There's potential in an "old-timers first hakwon" thread. Mine wasn't really a horror story, but I would definitely never work at that kind of place again.
- had to work Saturdays
- 1.8 in 2001 (granted, not in Seoul)
- no actual vacation
- farmed teachers out to various places and pocketed the earnings
Fortunately the majority of the Korean staff were nice. The owner's son was pretty useless, though. Housing was shared, they basically had two big apartments and threw three teachers in each one. I had solid roommates though, so it was tolerable. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow, what a bunch of posts deleted! |
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Koharski
Mod Team
Joined: 20 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| Wow, what a bunch of posts deleted! |
Moved for review, not deleted.
Get my PM? If you have an issue, respond to the PM and we can discuss it.
Koharski |
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sbp59
Joined: 01 Apr 2009
Location: Somewhere in SK
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Zyzyfer wrote: |
There's potential in an "old-timers first hakwon" thread. Mine wasn't really a horror story, but I would definitely never work at that kind of place again.
- had to work Saturdays
- 1.8 in 2001 (granted, not in Seoul)
- no actual vacation
- farmed teachers out to various places and pocketed the earnings
Fortunately the majority of the Korean staff were nice. The owner's son was pretty useless, though. Housing was shared, they basically had two big apartments and threw three teachers in each one. I had solid roommates though, so it was tolerable. |
Sounds brutal. |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| thegadfly wrote: |
When I worked at Wonderland (first job in Korea -- I had NO idea), I was put into an 8-pyeong apartment with another fellow. My "furniture" was a mattress on the floor (since my bedroom was too small to fit the frame), a kitchen table and two chairs that had been picked out of the trash, a mini-fridge, and another trash-rescue "desk." My roomie had a bed with a frame, and another trash-rescue desk. The desk chairs were the kitchen chairs.
I was given a split-shift, 9 am until 10 pm, and my apartment was 20 minutes from the school by subway, or nearly an hour's walk. I worked Saturdays, too, and I had to serve the kindergarteners their snacks during my "lunch" break. Oh, did I mention I had 3 hours of kindy a day as part of my split?
HUFs may not be good, but it still sounds hella better.... |
Avoid both of these schools.
Last edited by Smithington on Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:32 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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purplemonkey
Joined: 27 Feb 2012
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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The jobs that people actually accept here are a continued source of amusement for me. If I worked at a horrible hagwon (which I don't), my "testimony" would go something like this:
"I'd like to introduce you to the school where I work now. The accommodations, while extremely small (to be honest), and having some issues with wind and rain whistling through (to be honest), is quite pleasant on sunny days, as part of the roof is missing, allowing the sun to shine in, not unlike the Pantheon in Rome.
The schedule, to be honest, changes often. This is the price you pay for working in such a progressive, fast paced environment. You'll rack up an enormous amount of overtime hours. I keep track of them with scratches on the bathroom wall. Why, I should be able to retire when I return home. The boss says he'll put the check in the mail the day I leave! Oh, I quiver just thinking about it.
The location, to be honest, is not the greatest for living, as there are no shops, and nothing to do, but you can find everything you need for a happy life at the local Mini Stop. As the school is perched on a peak next to an oil refinery, transportation can be difficult. However, with even a light snowfall, you can get most places by toboggan. However, if you work here for a couple of years, the boss will give you permission to pay for your own apartment, minus a 100,000 housing allowance.
Shared laundry facilities with the brothel next door. Take showers the natural way, with a punctured emart bag filled with water you boiled on the stove. |
Love it, I'll try and continue:
NETs will also be given the opportunity to receive the benefits of the hakwon boss' financial planning skills - for a small fee! By avoiding dodging schemes life the national pension fund or medical contributions you'll be safe in the knowledge that your boss is not only your spiritual guide but also your trusted money manager.
The students are a teacher's dream - after working here you'll find your next teaching assignment (be it in Northern Colombia or Central Iraq) a breeze. Your coteachers will also have the utmost interest in your wellbeing and won't be afraid to discuss your circumstances with each other to ensure you're feeling at home in the Korean cultural landscape.
You'll also have ample opportunities to learn the fine distinctions in kimchi and rice as you develop the nuances of your palate through minor variations of this Korean culinary art.
You'll also have all the holiday time you need whether it be one day or even half a day and we won't charge you for the privilege! You'll also be made to feel at one with the teaching community and given a first class opportunity to brush up on your Korean listening skills by attending regular meetings, team work sessions and edicts delivered by the boss himself.
Worried about making mistakes you aren't aware of? Don't be, your coworkers will dutifully search for areas of improvement in your job performance and won't hesistate to inform the team so that you'll have the added benefit of accountability without the tiresome self-monitoring process. This will happen automatically, so you won't have to worry about a thing!
Have you ever wanted to teach only idioms for a full week or impart the joy of phrasal verbs for days on end? Well with our spontaneous parent feedback system you'll find that you'll be given opportunities to do just that. Western schools may call this "ridiculous" or "indulging in the gravely irresponsible" or even "bordering on criminally negligent education al practices" but here in Korea we're not beholden to draconian Western dogmas like "consistency" or "leadership" that holds back education. That's why our students spend so much more time thoroughly learning the English language, whilst other countries bypass at least 5 years of necessary instruction.
=-=-=-=-
Ok, so I changed voice somewhere in there, but it's a lot of fun trying to paint the typical Korean NET problems to sound like planned benefits |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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LOL.
Some funny stuff here. I wish I had the time to sit down and write about the many 'benefits' of working at HUFS. "Worried that you spend too much money? Don't worry - at HUFS you pay for your own flight ticket, so you'll be forced to learn how to budget your money better. Looking for a new challenge? Don't worry - at HUFS our constant criticism of every single detail of your teaching style will challenge your ability to endure abuse and demoralization. Consider it character building - while you get paid. Worried about being lonely in Korea? No worries. At HUFS you will share a small crowded office with fifteen other teachers. Spend too much time on the internet? Don't worry - the two computers set aside for the fifteen teachers rarely work. You can use the local pc bang. This will help you acclimatize to Korean culture. Are you becoming a bit full of yourself because you now have a uni job? Becoming boastful and proud? Again, we're here to help. We believe that once you realize you're actually working at the FLTTC - a sleazy hogwan scandalously situated on a university campus - you'll be humbled. Constant criticism, and the open disrespect we show for you, will also knock you down a few notches. Use this newfound frustration, anger and humiliation to seek deeper spiritual meaning. When you leave HUFS - quite possibly by midnight run - you'll have grown as a human being.
Do you have a Masters degree and three years' university teaching experience? Want to make 2.24 million won a month? Is an unfurnished dormitory room just the pad you've been looking for? Split shifts your thing? If so, you're the kind of person we're looking for. Apply to HUFS today! We promise to make your Korean experience a memorable one. |
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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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I think that since Koreans can't really do sarcasm or irony a native teacher can tell the truth about a nasty job and show it to wonjanim and he will actually think it's a recommendation.  Foreigners out there reading the 'recommendation', however, can read between the lines and get the real message. |
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JustinC
Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| purplemonkey wrote: |
| Quote: |
The jobs that people actually accept here are a continued source of amusement for me. If I worked at a horrible hagwon (which I don't), my "testimony" would go something like this:
"I'd like to introduce you to the school where I work now. The accommodations, while extremely small (to be honest), and having some issues with wind and rain whistling through (to be honest), is quite pleasant on sunny days, as part of the roof is missing, allowing the sun to shine in, not unlike the Pantheon in Rome.
The schedule, to be honest, changes often. This is the price you pay for working in such a progressive, fast paced environment. You'll rack up an enormous amount of overtime hours. I keep track of them with scratches on the bathroom wall. Why, I should be able to retire when I return home. The boss says he'll put the check in the mail the day I leave! Oh, I quiver just thinking about it.
The location, to be honest, is not the greatest for living, as there are no shops, and nothing to do, but you can find everything you need for a happy life at the local Mini Stop. As the school is perched on a peak next to an oil refinery, transportation can be difficult. However, with even a light snowfall, you can get most places by toboggan. However, if you work here for a couple of years, the boss will give you permission to pay for your own apartment, minus a 100,000 housing allowance.
Shared laundry facilities with the brothel next door. Take showers the natural way, with a punctured emart bag filled with water you boiled on the stove. |
Love it, I'll try and continue:
NETs will also be given the opportunity to receive the benefits of the hakwon boss' financial planning skills - for a small fee! By avoiding dodging schemes life the national pension fund or medical contributions you'll be safe in the knowledge that your boss is not only your spiritual guide but also your trusted money manager.
The students are a teacher's dream - after working here you'll find your next teaching assignment (be it in Northern Colombia or Central Iraq) a breeze. Your coteachers will also have the utmost interest in your wellbeing and won't be afraid to discuss your circumstances with each other to ensure you're feeling at home in the Korean cultural landscape.
You'll also have ample opportunities to learn the fine distinctions in kimchi and rice as you develop the nuances of your palate through minor variations of this Korean culinary art.
You'll also have all the holiday time you need whether it be one day or even half a day and we won't charge you for the privilege! You'll also be made to feel at one with the teaching community and given a first class opportunity to brush up on your Korean listening skills by attending regular meetings, team work sessions and edicts delivered by the boss himself.
Worried about making mistakes you aren't aware of? Don't be, your coworkers will dutifully search for areas of improvement in your job performance and won't hesistate to inform the team so that you'll have the added benefit of accountability without the tiresome self-monitoring process. This will happen automatically, so you won't have to worry about a thing!
Have you ever wanted to teach only idioms for a full week or impart the joy of phrasal verbs for days on end? Well with our spontaneous parent feedback system you'll find that you'll be given opportunities to do just that. Western schools may call this "ridiculous" or "indulging in the gravely irresponsible" or even "bordering on criminally negligent education al practices" but here in Korea we're not beholden to draconian Western dogmas like "consistency" or "leadership" that holds back education. That's why our students spend so much more time thoroughly learning the English language, whilst other countries bypass at least 5 years of necessary instruction.
=-=-=-=-
Ok, so I changed voice somewhere in there, but it's a lot of fun trying to paint the typical Korean NET problems to sound like planned benefits |
=D> (is an applause emoticon)
Fantastic writing, man. With a little brush up I reckon you could get it published somewhere online (no sarcasm intended). |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Smithington wrote: |
| No but, unless I'm wrong, at least Wonderland provides airfare (HUFS does not). Wonderland also provides a furnished accommodation. (HUFS provides an unfurnished dormitory room) |
Wonderland tried to get me to pay for my airfare to Korea and get it reimbursed later. I wasn't going to risk it, so they paid for my flight to Korea. However, it took months for an Australian co-worker to get reimbursed on his flight to Korea and an American co-worker didn't get reimbursed on his flight despite finishing his contract!
The Australian guy paid for his flight out of Korea since he pulled a runner. I pulled a runner three days later. The American finished his contract one day after my runner, leaving just one foreign teacher on the staff, a teacher who Wonderland acquired when it bought another school.
The apartment was furnished, but the bed smelled strongly of urine, the refrigerator had living and dead insects in it, and maggots in spoiled meat. There were tons of empty cans and bottles, used condoms, and a world of other "furnishings" I had to get rid of in order to make the apartment livable.
Furthermore, you'll have to deal with your utilities getting cut off. Wonderland requires you to turn in your utility bills, and they deduct the money from your pay to pay the bills...except they don't pay them for three or four months, resulting in utilities cutoffs. My gas was cut off twice for this reason. |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:58 am Post subject: |
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| sbp59 wrote: |
| Zyzyfer wrote: |
There's potential in an "old-timers first hakwon" thread. Mine wasn't really a horror story, but I would definitely never work at that kind of place again.
- had to work Saturdays
- 1.8 in 2001 (granted, not in Seoul)
- no actual vacation
- farmed teachers out to various places and pocketed the earnings
Fortunately the majority of the Korean staff were nice. The owner's son was pretty useless, though. Housing was shared, they basically had two big apartments and threw three teachers in each one. I had solid roommates though, so it was tolerable. |
Sounds brutal. |
That's nothing.
The standard salary was 1.1 to 1.3 million won per month in the late '90's, which was not bad considering that it was still a developing country and that the won was at 730/US dollar.
However, the won took a nosedive during the Asian Economic Crisis, which started in late '97. We thought it was bad when it hit 1200 won/US dollar...But then it kept depreciating until it bottomed out at 1900won/US dollar (You can imagine that some guys in the USFK were partying pretty hard in those days. American soldiers with large shopping bags filled with clothes was a common sight in Itaewon). Hagwon jobs had suddenly become less lucrative than a minimal wage job back home.
To add insult to injury, the local media got very xenophobic (anything so that the local corporations and the government wouldn't get blamed for the mess they had created). The IMF and foreign investors bore the brunt of it, but there was no shortage of stories about how hagwon teachers were earning a fortune and transferring all the money abroad--thus worsening the local economy in the process. If only it were true. In fact, most of us didn't get paid regularly, if at all, which is why many pulled a runner.
On the upside, when the economy started to slowly recover in 1999, there were far more jobs openings than people willing and available to fill the positions. I took a job that paid me considerably more than my previous one.
Last edited by 12ax7 on Thu Jun 14, 2012 12:47 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Troglodyte
Joined: 06 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| jrwhite82 wrote: |
That is a good one.
I thought you were going to link to this one: http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=51594
To be fair it is a position for someone willing to do missionary work (I think). So the salary would usually be a bit lower. But this was the part that made me laugh:
| Quote: |
Korean W1,500,000 p.m. (W500,000 p.m. enough to live in Korea. Salary may be paid incrementally during the month because of shortage of funds. ANCA now registered as a mission so finances may improve as churches begin supporting this ministry.)
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Sounds like you might not get paid at all! |
It could be a missionary position, but it sounds more like the teacher will be on the receiving end of the doggy position. |
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Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Cheju Do 1993:
shared ONE room with another teacher with only a sink and a small fridge, and a two burner stove.
No hot water...no shower...we took showers outside with a bucket - you know the deal.
Outhouse was downstairs shared with the family who lived downstairs. It didn't lock properly, had a window so everyone could see you do your business and had bugs in the summer that I still can't come around to identify.
My roommate was from a small dry town in Arkansas (Are you reading this Jeff) and he had never touched a drop of alcohol until he came to Korea.
Guess how long that lasted.....
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about two weeks. lol |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Troglodyte wrote: |
| jrwhite82 wrote: |
That is a good one.
I thought you were going to link to this one: http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=51594
To be fair it is a position for someone willing to do missionary work (I think). So the salary would usually be a bit lower. But this was the part that made me laugh:
| Quote: |
Korean W1,500,000 p.m. (W500,000 p.m. enough to live in Korea. Salary may be paid incrementally during the month because of shortage of funds. ANCA now registered as a mission so finances may improve as churches begin supporting this ministry.)
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Sounds like you might not get paid at all! |
It could be a missionary position, but it sounds more like the teacher will be on the receiving end of the doggy position. |
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