Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thomas pars]

Has anyone else noticed the terrible job offers as of late.

I have 5 years experience. And what are most hagwons/recruiters
offering? 2.1.

2.1! I haven't made that since my first year here!

When I tell them my current wage is 2.5 and expect that or more, I never hear from them again.

to be far there are jobs out there that pay 2.7 or more. But the working hours are about 10 hours a day!

Time to bail? Head back home and drive a truck?

Thanks.

[Zackback]

High influx of teachers so pay and standards are gonna be the pits. This is a business first and foremost. Learning and education don't even take a back seat but are relegated to riding on the back bumper.

[TheUrbanMyth]

Qualifications?

DELTA/CELTA/TESOL?


If you have one of these or more, that with your teaching experience should put you at 2.3-2.4 with a public school. (If you are in a rural area the bonus could bump you up to 2.5 million per month). A few extra classes (above 22 per week) and you could be clearing close to 3 million each month.

Or if you are licensed in your home country you could apply for an international school position.

[plchron]

remember the recruiters only handle the jobs that the hagwons have trouble filling. I know of great hagwons in my area that don't use recruiters because they don't need to use them. Word of mouth among friends and social networking are what will get you the good jobs.

[missty]

I totally feel you. I have 6 years experience and a celta, and this is the first year where I have had to really look a lot harder for work. I am hopefully now going with GEPIK, but it'll be a pay cut though. I realised that it was going to be really hard to find another job (I'm now with smoe) that pays what I currently make.

But yeah, 2.1? I didn't even make that in my first year here.

[Emark]

I agree with the OP. The list of available jobs are mostly kindie gigs.


The pay is about the same as 8 years ago when I started teaching. That doesn't reflect the sharp rise in the cost of living here in Korea. I know gas was around 900won and a Big Mac meal was 2500won back in 2004-2005. So yes, the salaries are not what they used to be. Even the 88manwon salary is a thing of the past for Koreans.

I remain here because the lifestyle and enjoyment of all there is to do in Korea. I suffer with my 2.3 but I work just 7 hours, teaching just 4 of those.

Peace

[Who's Your Daddy?]

Public schools seem to be the only things paying decently, and paying for experience.

Most uni offers seem like hogwons; max work hours, lowest pay they can get a warm body.

===
I have stopped looking at new job offers. A few years ago I would have considered making a switch (out of PS), but now none of the alternatives seem better.

[Dodge7]

lol you guys are giving way too much importance on your experience and what you think you're worth. 2.5 plus housing is the MAX any hogwon should be paying you. If you don't like the offers, yeah, it might just be time to go home and drive a truck because there's 10 more applicants behind you ready to work for less.

[fustiancorduroy]

Don't work with recruiters. Apply to schools directly. The good schools generally don't use recruiters and often pay more.

Also, what experience and qualifications do you have? If you have a relevant degree, in education or English, and a CELTA along with years of experience teaching higher level students while developing your own materials and improving your teaching methods, you may want to look into hagwons that focus more on test prep. They are located mostly in Daechi-dong and pay way more than 2.7 million won a month. Heck, my academy recently hired a woman with only two years of experience for 3.2 million won a month plus housing.

Look harder. There are good jobs out there for good teachers.

[WadRUG'naDoo]

There are other countries. Christ, my job in Shanghai pays me 44,000 won/hr as per XE currency converter. Well, 3.1 million won/month and then the aforementioned rate for any hours over 69/month plus bonuses. And that's for teaching at one location, kindie and elementary. If you want a job where I work, PM me. We need teachers and it's an easy job.

Saw an ad today for a Korean school in Shanghai that pays 3.8 million/month.

Move on.

[luckylady]

hope you have your gas mask - the cloud should be there soon


http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=220905

[youtuber]

I made 2.2 back in 2005.

That alone is enough to keep me away.

I don't understand what the draw is any more.

[bobbybigfoot]

It's getting tougher out there.

Our school now only hires teachers with three years experience or more and they start at the bottom at 2.3 million. Six years ago, they hired newbies fresh off the plane and paid them THE SAME money. (Actually more because they used to offer re-signing bonuses. That's been cut.)

And it's NOT hard to fill these positions. Imagine, guys with 5 or 6 years of experience accepting jobs that pay 2.3 million and doing it with a smile on their face!

[Binch Lover]

Like in most industries, the best jobs are not advertised. You've been here for 5 years. Do you have any friends in the ESL industry? Where do they work?

To be honest, I've only met a handful of people who worked at hagwons for more than a year or two. I can't understand why people would go from one year contract to one year contract, living in employer accommodation and putting up with the hagwon bs, unless you're making at least 40k an hour.

Do you think that this is a long term career for you? If so, do you have any sort of qualifications that can allow you to move up the job chain? If not, then I would suggest you're wasting your time playing roulette every year applying to jobs online, never knowing if you're going to end up at a crappy hagwon which is going to screw you over.