Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PatrickGHBusan]

First of all it is completely normal to feel the way you when faced with such a leap into what is for you the unknown.

You will need to accept a certain part of uncertainty with this decision and be ready to roll with the punches once you get to Korea. The greatest asset you can bring with you is an open-mind and a willingness to adapt and be flexible (within reasonable limits).

As for work itself, EPIK and Public Schools are an OPTION but by no means are they the only option out there. Hakwons can be a good job for a first time teacher but require more research and homework on your part in order to weed out the shady operators.

EPIK is government funded and thus more stable in terms of conditions and contracts. However, EPIK hires you as an assistant teacher working under a Korean full-time co-teacher. This can be great or it can be tough. You typically have less freedom in class and deal with far larger class size. Conversely, you will (usually) have better vacation packages. With EPIK you have very little control (read next to none) over where you end up in terms of placement (could be a big city, small city..)

In a good Hakwon (yes there are many), you will have more freedoom in class, see your students more frequently and deal with far small groups. On the flip side you will typically have less vacation time and might work longer hours (that really depends). With Hakwons you typically get to pick where you work in terms of location (Seoul, Busan...).

So, each option has its advantages and drawbacks. Up to you to figure out which one fits you best.

I know people who are very happy at their hakwon and people who are very happy in their PS jobs. The reverse is true as well. You can find numerous stories of horrid co-teacher experiences and bad stories of shady hakwons.

At the end of the day, you will have to deal with a lot of unknowns in Korea, including (if I read your OP correctly) learning to teach in a foreign setting.

As for your question on the over representation of negative views....yes those are vastly over represented but this is normal. People who are happy with their situation are far less likely to be vocal about it, much less to post about it. Unhappy people will on the other hand be more motivated to vent. What then happens is that you have to learn to take those rant-vent stories with a giant grain of salt. Do not take them at face value because often they are frustration filled and emotionally laced vent sessions (natural reaction). At other times they are fueled by culture shock, fear and anger at being in a setting one ends up being uncomfortable with. There are true stories but for each one, I would venture to say you will run into 5-6 fabricated or gross one-sided/exagerated ones.

Good luck and if you have questions feel free to pm me.

[Guajiro]

[Smithington]

Yes, public schools are better than hogwons.....but they can screw you over as bad as any hogwan can. I've worked for several public schools, some are good and others are worse than hogwans. I've had my overtime disappear into thin air month after month, hostile and unco-operative co-teachers, forty kids per class, etc etc. Both public schools and hogwans are run by Koreans, and they are not always the most ethical employers. My first public school was very good, my second was a nightmare. On top of everything else they stole about three million won from me by their cunning calculation of overtime. I guess the principle wanted a nice vacation somewhere.

Better than a hogwan. Yes. Problem free? Not by a country mile.

[isitts]

[Julius]

[Weigookin74]

[young_clinton]

[HeatherG]

I cannot seem to find the EPIK program's official website. A web search only turns up third-party recruiters. Do they only work through recruiters? Is GEPIK part of the EPIK program? I'm not picky where I go, but I would prefer a private school if possible. I'm also planning on looking at Korvia, especially if EPIK won't accept an online-only TEFL certification.

[Times30]

[HeatherG]

Thanks for the link and information. Do you know if substitute teaching counts as classroom experience? I'll definitely look into Korvia or other recruiters, if anyone has information.

Again, I would prefer a more urban area, but I don't really care where I'm sent considering from everything I've heard, it's not hard to get around in Korea. Are there any locations that require driving? I remember one program in Japan I looked at wanted people to drive to work.

[Rteacher]

It's been a couple years since I left Korea (where I worked from 2001-2010) but - unless you get a hot tip from someone working at/leaving a good hakwon about an unadvertised opening - I would go the public school route. It can also be very helpful (it was in my case) to go through one of the accredited recruiters selected for EPIK ( public school jobs anywhere in Korea), GEPIK (for public schools in the biggest province, Gyeonggi, including the area surrounding Seoul) and SMOE (for public schools in Seoul). Someone has already suggested Korvia, and their website seems organized and informative enough for "one-stop shopping".http://www.korvia.com/index.php/component/content/frontpage.html

I was part of GEPIK for 5 years (at the same high school), and I got along well with practically all the Korean teachers, kids, and administrators - largely by giving out lots of candy, fruit, and cookies, using lots of music (including K-Pop), internet resources, and movies (like High School Musical) to keep classes interesting, and showing interest in and respect for Korean cultural traditions.

Because the mass transportation system is very good, I never missed driving a car when situated within a couple hours of Seoul.

[Times30]

[Times30]

[HeatherG]

Not sure if this is the best place to bring this up, but I don't want to start another thread. My mom and grandma are worried that South Korea isn't safe due to things that have been on the news recently. I don't want to start a political discussion, but do you have any ideas for how I can reassure them (or at least get them to drop the subject)? If they bring it up again, I plan on saying that I'm still applying but will not go if I feel things look dangerous.