Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Skippy]

Well if you move on. I would count out ever signing up for GEPIK or any other public school again.

Overall until your visa is verified, stamped, and delivered and that fat guy at immigration or the woman at some country's Korean consulate sings, you can can move on. Just you might have to deal with some issues. If tickets have been paid, you might have to pay back. As above I am pretty sure if you burn that bridge with GEPIK and leaving, you will never AGAIN get another GEPIK job. Even other public school area might possibly ignore future applications. Hope you like hagwon.

Or why not make the best of the situation. With some proper planning and some political game playing you could get some great vacation time. You might have to work for it and maybe brown nose a bit, but you could have some time off that most hagwon workers would kill for?

Plus really? Are you surprised, that a recruiter misled you about a school? Did you remember who pays the recruiter? Recruiters generally do not work for you? Plus a recruiter can promise me a blow job and a kitten with a red ribbon in basket on my desk the first day. But unless it is stipulated in the contract it is all worthless or nothing. Recruiter told you what you wanted to hear. You signed contract with out checking that it was IN contract. I am really surprised that after being here over three years and you did not understand how recruiters work and contracts work?

Me I have never done public school, but even I know that each school is different. Talking to people, you can find someone whose school let them go away rather then desk warming, to others who have had to sit in the dark and cold, alone because their school was been a stickler about contracts. Still overall you have to see all public schools are the same. Generally depending on who is doing the hiring, public school office or individual office. For many people it is sign and cross their fingers they get a good situation. Sorry buddy, you did not get the plum job. Just cross your fingers tighter and hope it is not a complete lemon.

[YTMND]

[Skippy]

[YTMND]

[VanishingBoy]

Recourse? For what? You read and signed the contract in your home country, right? At that time, what did the contract say your vacation time was? And how did it magically change after you arrived here

as i mentioned - after reading the contract and noticing that it didn't jive with what my recruiter had told me, i asked her why this was. she said it was a standard gepik contract that all public school teachers in gyeonggi sign, but that each school had its own policies. i asked my recruiter many times if she was certain of this and she assured me everytime in no uncertain terms - don't worry, it will be as i say. with that, i signed multiple copies of the same contract. the recruiter admits to making a mistake and has taken full responsibility. she even said that she would help me break the contract. i don't want to run. if i can leave this job legally, i will. its a poor way to begin a relationship with an employer. yes, i could try to tough it out but i know the school would hold a grudge all year. i just dont know the best way to go about this. it seems as though i should wait for my arc.

[Troglodyte]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Weigookin74]

[isitts]

[isitts]

[VanishingBoy]

Wow. Thanks for all of the advice guys. I suppose that I left some things out of my original post. I should mention them now.

I took this job based on the vacation time because I'm expecting my sister to get married this year. Having missed numerous weddings while living in Korea, I was determined to find a job that would allow me to fly back home for the event. I'm bothered by this because I never would've chosen to live in Yongin. Admittedly, the school isn't terrible but I know that with my experience and references I could be making more money in a city that I like living in. Last year I was making 2.5 in Gangneung, living by the ocean and loving it. This position pays 2.3.

As far as this being my fourth year and I should know better goes - I can't deny that. Believe me - I feel pretty foolish about the whole affair. Contracts, paperwork, beaurocracy fly right past me.

I figure that I just got here. Do I really want to spend a year here when I could be earning more elsewhere? If, as some of you say, I'm unlikely to find more than 20 vacation days elsewhere - I'm starting to think that I should just suck it up and take the hit. Having never been duped by a recruiter before it really annoys me. A year is a long time. I suppose I'm fairly naive. I'm honest and expect others to be honest with me.

Thanks for all of the advice everyone.

[VanishingBoy]

Update - my principal spoke angrily with the recruiter today and the recruiter (apparently) agreed to take full responsibility for their mistake. My co-teacher, who seems like a saint, also said that they will reimburse my airfare should i decide to leave this position in search of another. I'm not certain that any of this is true but, perhaps foolishly, Im hopeful.

Again - thankyou all for the advice and information.

[isitts]

[isitts]