Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oppa637]

eh, I'm from Houston. If you moved to Austin, you'd probably feel better.

[jfromtheway]

[luckylady]

[Son Deureo!]

I don't know what the "right" reasons to come are, but your reasons don't sound too different from mine. I had a career I was bored with (corporate paralegal) and was living in a city I hated (Seattle). I'd wanted to travel since finished undergrad 5 years earlier and I'd never managed to make it happen. A free plane ticket and a job doing something completely new on the other side of the world seemed like a lifeline. The chance to learn an Asian language seemed like an interesting challenge to boot.

An employment-challenged friend and I started looking for jobs together and we went for it. That was 10 years ago.
He left at the end of his first contract, I ended up making this a career. I'm still here with oodles of free time, challenging work on the side, a residency visa, chances to travel, and now a wonderful wife.

If I'd listened to the kind of advice you're getting on this thread I'd have never come. I had no idea what I was really getting into, but I have no regrets and wouldn't give up this life for anything. It worked for me, but it ain't for everyone. You'll never know if it's for you until you try.

[hiamnotcool]

[metalhead]

Not sure why the OP thinks besides Japan and Korea, the rest of Asia is a dump. Who knows, perhaps the OP ends up in a wonderful area like Incheon or Pohang in Korea, or worse, a small blue-collar town. Maybe even the coast, where the fish markets are, with their huge piles of trash on the docks, rats running around everywhere, the smell of foul fish in the air, people setting up at 2:30am and shrieking at each other - I know I'd rather be in a dump like Cambo than there.

Texas has a lot of good metal shows, especially in San Antonio. That alone gets the place a thumbs up from me.

[leilam12]

[young_clinton]

[sojusucks]

Bad reasons to go to South Korea:

1) Because soju is supposed to be cheaper than alcohol back home.
2) To enjoy the culture (who knew being a foreigner could be such a bad thing; and most museums don't portray us well with a couple of exceptions).
3) To save money (in the current economy with a very weak exchange rate).
4) Because you heard how good kimchi is.
5) Because you love eating rice.
6) Because someone on Dave's ESL Cafe said how great it is.
7) To experience and participate in the strong presence of prostitution -- many Koreans believe that STDs and AIDs/HIV are a foreigner-only thing and don't use condoms.
Because you want to become a serious English teacher -- only "edutainers" need apply. No prior experience ... no problem.
9) For the health care insurance. It doesn't really cover that much.

What else?

[ktkates87]

My reasons the first and second time were money.

The worst reason to come here I've ever heard was a coworker saying he "wanted to sleep with a woman from every country in the world." I think he managed about 4 nationalities while he was here.

[eventually]

psssh, i say do it. it's only a year. you only live once.

[Gorf]

Bad reasons:
-You like Korean culture

Good reasons
-You like having a job with a laughable amount of real-world application or useful experience
-You like saving money
-You enjoy being stared at and mocked by small children and old people
-You need a reminder of why having an office job that pays a livable wage is a better gig than wasting time at a dead-end job in a country of xenophobes

That said, I have a great job here (good money, 4 hours a day) but I still yearn for a REAL job with REAL challenges, incentives, and most of all, a country that doesn't demean me for being me.

[oppa637]

I've lived in Houston, Austin, Dallas, and now Seoul.

Honestly, I hate Houston and Dallas to no ends. I think its great for a stable and safe lifestyle. If you have a family, its quite ideal. As I yet to have a family, I'd rather enjoy myself and travel. The only only place I would want to live in if I were to stay in Texas or anywhere in central US would be Austin.

Personally, I dream to live in Miami.

As for Seoul, I think its a great place, exciting, traveling and seeing new things has its perks. But if you're coming here to "run away", I'm not sure I'd advise it as it could hurt more.

I think a lot depends on your personality.

[Tyshine]

Well I don't really like this country. It smells bad, its dirty, the food isn't very good, men especially older men spit everywhere while making some God awful noise, and I can't say I care for the culture or the education system. However with that said I am having a great time here and I might even stay awhile. It just depends on you.

[creeper1]

I think this Leila girl already hurt her chances.

IF I remember correctly she confessed on her visa application form to having clinical depression in the past.

It is by no means certain that you'll get an E-2 now.

So maybe you will have to go somewhere more undesirable

I'm in China now and I can't say it is a dump at all. Here in Beijing, the streets are cleaner than Seoul.