Korean Job Discussion Forums

ibanezhomie · Joined: 07 Jun 2012

So pretty much every job my recruiter presents to me is from about 2:00PM-10:00PM. I'd prefer to work a little earlier but I'm somewhat of a night owl so I don't mind. Does anyone have good reasons to advise against (or for) this?

YTMND · Joined: 16 Jan 2012 Location: You're the man now dog!!

It's all up to you. Public schools have earlier schedules and used to be more secure. Now, I feel private (hagwon) or public school positions are now equally successful or breakable.

If you teach from 2pm, you are likely not going to teach younger students (kindergarten to 2nd grade). Instead, you will be teaching 3rd - high school and possibly adults.

I advise against you looking at the time range and look at the total number of classes. You didn't note this and that is where the line is drawn to pay you overtime or work you like a slave.

The average is 25 classes, 5 office hours and schools like to get 30-35 now. Each class is about 45 minutes (40-50). You are likely to get 45-50 with middle school and high school students (or older).

With 40 hours a week, again ask about the classes. Get a current schedule to see what you have to teach before you get overtime pay.

Also, getting a current schedule will show if you work in shifts or blocks. I usually give the school 2 blocks each day with 1 hour with each block if they need to stretch my availability. If you don't box them in, do you want to teach 2-4 and then wait 3 hours to teach 7-10? Make sure the classes are together and not spread out giving you a terrible split shift schedule.

It's possible it will be scheduled week by week, but if the school follows the guideline I mentioned then you will be teaching with less hours doing nothing at the school or office. Some people are required to stay at the school, but in my experience I never had to. When I wasn't teaching the schools I have taught at never expected me to stay.

Other than that, it's just a "feeling". Recently, schools haven't been paying teachers 100% on pay day and putting off paying. Try to get paid before the 5th of the following month and wait 5 more days if really necessary. If you sign a contract that says pay day will be after the 10th of the following month of work, then you will be working about 1.5 months. If they take any security deposits from you, this could easily come close to 2 months of pay owed to you. Remember there is also pension and return airfare to factor into this, as well as severance at the end of the year.

Sign a good contract, like with any job, not just a 2-10pm one.

lemak · Joined: 02 Jan 2011

JustinC · Joined: 10 Mar 2012 Location: We Are The World!

You'll likely find convenience stores open all night, so you'll be able to browse the packaged foods and biscuits until your heart is content. For relaxation there'll be smoky PC Bangs and perfecting your night-time empty street shots.

YTMND · Joined: 16 Jan 2012 Location: You're the man now dog!!

Wangddaddy · Joined: 06 Jan 2007

Ibsen · Joined: 09 Dec 2011

I work from 3-10 and don't mind it at all, in fact I prefer it. It's pretty nice having the morning free. I can wake up early and take care of errands that need to be done while avoiding the large crowds of people, or I can stay out late the night before and wake up at noon and still have plenty of time to get ready for work. I also like the fact that I never have to worry about dinner since I either go out to the number of restaurants right next to my hagwon during my dinner break, or work through my dinner break to leave early and pick something up on the way home.

Also it sometimes gets lonely if you get off work early and just go back to your place for the rest of the day. If you're like me and you don't have a huge network of friends, or you're just too tired after work, you will get really bored sitting in your apartment from 6p.m. to whenever you go to sleep everyday. Coming home at around 10:30 only leaves a few hours before I sleep, enough time to shower, watch some T.V. or play some games, then knock out.

mnjetter · Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Location: Seoul, S. Korea

Definitely find out the course load first. Course load is way more important than overall schedule.

If your schedule says 2~10 and your real teaching hours are from 3:00 to 8:00, awesome. That's basically what I did for a year, and it worked fine. My prep time was pretty full, but manageable.

If your schedule says 2~10 and your real teaching hours are from 2:30 to 10:00, RUN. Your hours including prep time then would likely be more from 2 to 12 or 1am.