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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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 Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
| Good for you OP, have fun in China. The culture is better, food and people don't gawk at you and as xenophobic as Koreans are. Just what I have heard. Korea is going down to the pits soon. |
I have been there as a visitor only (for work) and the staring is far, far worse Dodge. In one of the smaller cities we visited, people took pictures of us as we walked by. |
In China, people took pictures with me. They wanted a picture with an American to show all their friends as a status symbol. Being Western there is like being a rock star. People love you.*
*(May vary place to place, location to location) |
Which was the same in the 1990s in Korea...and the wheel goes round and round. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:13 am Post subject: Re:Earthquakes post on Korean Job Market |
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| Skippy wrote: |
Criminal Records and changes, well we can thank Christopher Paul Neal the pedo freak for that and the typical knee jerk reaction to news many Koreans show. |
I don't think anybody really objects to a national criminal record check, certified degree, or even transcripts.
What I object to is having to supply them over and over , year after year, even if I haven't left the country. And even if I do take a holiday- that does not automatically indicate that I have likely suddenly decided to become a criminal.
The simple fact is that the regulations are ridiculously excessive and were a result of years of falsified xenephobic media portrayal of foreign people. |
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Snowkr
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:09 am Post subject: |
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"let me say that if you think you were screwed in korea, that was just some heavy petting. When you get wcrewed over in China you will undersstand deep penetration. it is the wild west for sure and that means lots of oppurtunity and also dangers. Be careful and do lots and lots of homework before attempting to take on Big Red."
I agree completely with this post. There are many wonderful advantages to living and working in China, but it does not begin to exceed Korea. Yes, I've worked in both. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Snowkr wrote: |
"let me say that if you think you were screwed in korea, that was just some heavy petting. When you get wcrewed over in China you will undersstand deep penetration. it is the wild west for sure and that means lots of oppurtunity and also dangers. Be careful and do lots and lots of homework before attempting to take on Big Red."
I agree completely with this post. There are many wonderful advantages to living and working in China, but it does not begin to exceed Korea. Yes, I've worked in both. |
^ Agree with this to some degree. The key for me was securing a job working at a Korean school that is supported by the K gov in a fairly desirable city in China. And yes, I've worked in both places as well. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| The Urban Myth, it's only a matter of time before EPIK cuts their pay scales like GEPIK did. What will you do then? Heck, maybe public school jobs will be cut/phased out completely. Or maybe you will be replaced by someone younger, prettier, and cheaper than you. (Maybe you will be replaced by a female.) To claim (with certainty) the job market in Korea is not going downhill is pretty ridiculous on your part. |
Someone care to fill me on what GEPIK did? They cut wages? No wage cut for EPIK out here in the provinces. No hikes to the scales since the recession began. So, with inflation, in effect, a type of pay cut. ANyways, all EPIK has done, so far, is cut a week of vacation off renewal time. Not sure the total amount of vacation time GEPIK or SMOE gets. It had been almost 6 weeks a year with EPIK in total. next year, it will be almost 5 weeks a year, in total. I'm at the highest scale for provincial EPIK minus the rural bonus. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:17 pm Post subject: Re:Earthquakes post on Korean Job Market |
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| wonkavite62 wrote: |
I understand what you are saying about the Korean job market. It is true that there are more unemployed Americans and British people than there should be. That is influencing the market. But the biggest change was, I think when Lee Myung Bak and his fascists took over and started introducing all sorts of silly bureaucratic rules and restrictions. They went really over the top in 2007. That's when things got more complex, not 3 years ago.
I know what you say about China. There are some reallly good jobs in that country, because I have done some of them, and they were fulfilling. BUT look at this. Before I came to China, my employer-a university- said I had see a doctor and get the Foreigner's physical before I left home. It's a very detailed procedure and in 2010 it cost me 380 pounds, and now its 500 pounds .
There was only one place that would do it. I then had to pay for my flight to China. The school paid a flight home and back to China at the end of the contract.
Recently I have been finding that recruiters who post university jobs say the job is gone, but wouldn't I like something less attractive instead? Sometimes they just ask questions. Korea has some pluses. Remember that some schools will pay for accommodation and my flight into Korea The good jobs are worth having |
I thought it was Lee Myung Bak who pushed for all these hiring of foriegners and wanted to promote English. What rules do you mean? |
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wonkavite62
Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:32 pm Post subject: Declining Korea and Visa Rules |
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You thought Lee Myung Bak pushed for more foreign teachers in Korea. Well, maybe he did. But here's what I observed. When he came in suddenly the visa ruled enormously tighter. Friends who had taught in Korea before and after the change commented on it.
Before 2008, there were no apostilles, and if a criminal record check was asked for you just got a letter from the police. Application forms were a bit easier, and it was not so easy to be rejected because of minor glitches.
It was easier even to get SMOE jobs. About a year before Lee Myung bak left office, public school jobs were drastically cut, as I read in Korea Herald.
Even if that president encouraged more people to come to Korea, he also discouraged many people.
I'm excited about coming to Korea, but there are also disincentives. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:33 pm Post subject: Re: Declining Korea and Visa Rules |
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| wonkavite62 wrote: |
You thought Lee Myung Bak pushed for more foreign teachers in Korea. Well, maybe he did. But here's what I observed. When he came in suddenly the visa ruled enormously tighter. Friends who had taught in Korea before and after the change commented on it.
Before 2008, there were no apostilles, and if a criminal record check was asked for you just got a letter from the police. Application forms were a bit easier, and it was not so easy to be rejected because of minor glitches.
It was easier even to get SMOE jobs. About a year before Lee Myung bak left office, public school jobs were drastically cut, as I read in Korea Herald.
Even if that president encouraged more people to come to Korea, he also discouraged many people.
I'm excited about coming to Korea, but there are also disincentives. |
I thought the drastic cuts of SMOE and GEPIK were because of Liberal left wing parties coming to power in regional elections? As for the ease of jobs, isn't that more to do with the "Great Recession?" I remember in 2007, criminal record checks and degree verifications started being asked for after that Canadian pedophile who worked here and went to Thailand to play. (What's his name again?) But, what about hakwons? Has he put more cumbersome regulations on them reducing jobs for foriegners? That's what I was trying to find out and what I am ignorant about. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Read the signs - Korea is on the decline, don't waste yo |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Julius wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Now you have to have all your expensive documents - and many good teachers are finding that paying a lot of money for apostilled documents won't even get them an email from a recruiter let alone a phone call. This is happening both outside and in Korea. |
Thats it exactly.
Recruiters and employers know that everything is now in their favor.
Thats why conditions are twice as bad as ten years ago and wages have not even budged in the same time period. |
You are correct. Look at this. This person's first contract was for 16 hours a week. How many places nowadays are offering 16 hour work weeks for newbs? None. Hagwon teaching hours have gone way up (which hurts the market for us even more if you think about it; the longer the hours people accept, the less jobs there are to go around. 학원s can hire half as many people as before and get the same number of working hours).
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| My first contract in Korea (back in 1995) was for 16 hours a week BUT spread over Monday-Saturday |
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Sixteen hours began in 95 with the influx of Canadians. Before that it was 12 hours. |
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Seoulman69
Joined: 14 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Tue Apr 02, 2013 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Possible war, stagnant wages, worsening conditions. Why would anyone still choose Korea over China, the middle east, or Europe? |
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Charlie Bourque
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| Seoulman69 wrote: |
| Possible war, stagnant wages, worsening conditions. Why would anyone still choose Korea over China, the middle east, or Europe? |
Middle East: Most decent jobs require a B.Ed + experience. Recent graduates usually don't have either. Also, visiting Saudi Arabia isn't exactly high most people's bucket list.
Europe: Most jobs either pay poorly (read:volunteer) or pay well but require a combination of accreditation and experience that most recent graduates don't have.
China: The wages are still a smidge too low for most people and the government's infrastructure is less than desirable.
I think Korea is popular because all you need is a degree in basket weaving and a TESOL. Also, given the popularity of Korean pop culture, Korea is seen as a trendy place to live for a year or two.
Personally, I think China will be the place to go in 5 years, when wages catch up to Korea. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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Could be a good experience and something new. Just do yourself a favor and try to get a place that's not down stream of pig farm!  |
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wonkavite62
Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.
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| Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:24 pm Post subject: Reply To World Traveller |
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I of all people should know that China has its blessings. When I taught there I had great classes  and happy students. Korea has advantages too. I have to point out, though that if people are comparing China and Korea, the pollution in China is definitely worse. I did enjoy my time in China, but pollution in Zhengzhou and in Beijing made Seoul's pollution seem almost non-existent. I sawa thick seething grey pall even before the plane landed in China. In Zhengzhou the pollution was yellow, varying in intensity and sometimes letting me see a lot of blue sky. Beijing's pollution was grey. It affected my breathing and I noticed it more. In May, there was a thick, poisonous evil smog, making me really uncomfortable, even indoors. So when wind blew it all away, revealing faraway buildings, hills and trees I had not suspected existed, I was incredibly thankful.
Clear days in China's cities do happen. But I don't think South Korea gets the really bad days. |
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