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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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 Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 12:20 pm Post subject: Should I just sell car and fly over? |
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I'm not sure which category this should go in so I picked general discussion.
I've been applying to jobs since August of last year, but not getting any offers other than one from an adult split shift corporate hagwon. I applied from August to December with my FBI document expiring around Christmas, got it again in February and been trying since last week of February with no offers. I completed 3 contracts in Korea with good references and no immigration black marks to speak of nor any incidents.
Most recruiters respond well to me, interview me, say it's all good, and then they always ask me my birthday which leads to being ignored or shelved. I'm only 40 years old and I'm healthy.
I imagine I could land a job quite quickly if I just fly over, but fear everything has changed about the job market for a middle aged man and know I don't have a stack of cash in the event I need to do a plan B or C. I'd prefer to arrange it ahead of time and get flown over as before, but it's proving difficult and too time consuming. I now actually regret passing over that one split shift job offer in Daegu last October. |
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War Eagle
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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Things are not the same as they were a few years ago, but there are no job shortages. I know many middle-aged men working here, but I personally don't know any on E2s who work with children. Hagwons prefer younger teachers, or more specifically younger-looking teachers, as they always have (this goes hand-in-hand with good-looking, slim, well-dressed, etc.), but will hire older ones if need be. They can just be a little more picky because of the number of applicants thanks to the economy/Facebook. However, if you're getting calls based on your photo, I'm not sure the problem.
Would it be easier to get a job if one were here? Sure. Would I sell my car and wage that bet that I will get one I like? That's a gamble you have to decide to take. Don't let Dave posters do that for you. Most prob know less than you if you have 3 years exp. And &hit happens. Can you afford it if things turn sour? |
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Dodge7
Joined: 21 Oct 2011
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| wow OP you are pretty desperate to come over here and be laughed at and have "HELLOs!" hurled your way by little boys and girls in and around town. Time to grow up Peter Pan, think about your retirement. |
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T-J
Joined: 10 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Dodge7 wrote: |
wow OP you are pretty desperate to come over here and be laughed at and have "HELLOs!" hurled your way by little boys and girls in and around town.
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Wow. That's just...sad. Do they really laugh at you? Do you want to cry? It's okay if you do.
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Dodge7
Joined: 21 Oct 2011
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| T-J wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
wow OP you are pretty desperate to come over here and be laughed at and have "HELLOs!" hurled your way by little boys and girls in and around town.
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Wow. That's just...sad. Do they really laugh at you? Do you want to cry? It's okay if you do.
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Sure i get random hellos, and you do too. Quit your lying. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:51 pm Post subject: Re: Should I just sell car and fly over? |
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| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
I'm not sure which category this should go in so I picked general discussion.
I've been applying to jobs since August of last year, but not getting any offers other than one from an adult split shift corporate hagwon. I applied from August to December with my FBI document expiring around Christmas, got it again in February and been trying since last week of February with no offers. I completed 3 contracts in Korea with good references and no immigration black marks to speak of nor any incidents.
Most recruiters respond well to me, interview me, say it's all good, and then they always ask me my birthday which leads to being ignored or shelved. I'm only 40 years old and I'm healthy.
I imagine I could land a job quite quickly if I just fly over, but fear everything has changed about the job market for a middle aged man and know I don't have a stack of cash in the event I need to do a plan B or C. I'd prefer to arrange it ahead of time and get flown over as before, but it's proving difficult and too time consuming. I now actually regret passing over that one split shift job offer in Daegu last October. |
Sell your car and fly over?
You'll certainly lose out on your airfare.
You may not necessarily get a better deal.
If you qualify for an E2 then I seriously doubt that 40 as an age is a significant factor. I am certainly much older than that and STILL regularly get job offers and I don't mean spam from recruiters. I also know of several hundred others who are in the 40+ category who have obtained jobs from abroad RECENTLY.
There is something there other than just age working against you.
I won't speculate as to what that might be.
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Dodge7 wrote: |
| T-J wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
wow OP you are pretty desperate to come over here and be laughed at and have "HELLOs!" hurled your way by little boys and girls in and around town.
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Wow. That's just...sad. Do they really laugh at you? Do you want to cry? It's okay if you do.
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Sure i get random hellos, and you do too. Quit your lying. |
Thanks for the responses. The first response is correct in that only I can answer this for myself since I'm older and more knowledged on the subject than many here. While there're still plenty of jobs for those in their 20's, I'm really wanting to know if the job market is really this sour on the ground over there as I'm finding it to be using our trusty fickle recruiters. It used to be easy to land a job online and fly over inside of 6 weeks indicating demand was high then when they didn't care as much about personal attributes like now. It's just nice to have a prepaid flight, a place of your own waiting over there, and then saving up money since you don't have to pay for the flight, your studio usually already fully equipped, and essential rides. I suppose the easy way is no longer easy.
If you get, "hello," many times over there, it's because they like you. All the other countries do not fly you over nor pay as much except a few in the middle East requiring a masters degree. There are tons of other countries to go teach in if you get bored of Korea or aren't happy there or feel humiliated. In fact, if flying yourself, it'd be cheaper, easier, and funner to go get set up Taiwan, Thailand, and many others.
I'm no longer seeing those $600 one way tickets I was getting in 2008, 2009, and 2010 to Korea. Heck, I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Paris for only $340 on Air Asia and then from Berlin to Miami for only $310 some 2 years ago. Airfares have seemed to doubled since... |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Just drive your car over. You could sleep in it until you find a job. If it doesn't work out, you can always drive back home. |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Stan Rogers wrote: |
| Just drive your car over. You could sleep in it until you find a job. If it doesn't work out, you can always drive back home. |
LOL. Can someone tell me where the land bridge is located? Surely there's one the American indians used since they clearly look Asian. |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:08 am Post subject: |
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| Don't sell your car numb nuts, you're going to need it when you get back home penniless because someone shafted you on your hogwan pay. |
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javis
Joined: 28 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| Dodge7 wrote: |
| T-J wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
wow OP you are pretty desperate to come over here and be laughed at and have "HELLOs!" hurled your way by little boys and girls in and around town.
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Wow. That's just...sad. Do they really laugh at you? Do you want to cry? It's okay if you do.
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Sure i get random hellos, and you do too. Quit your lying. |
He likely just doesn't care or take it personally. |
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[email protected]
Joined: 26 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:35 am Post subject: |
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| Same age here, was told by a recruiter that I might get lucky and land a job with some hagwon out in the country somewhere. Been looking since Aug with all docs and still got no call backs. Heh. |
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augustine
Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Location: México
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
| Don't sell your car numb nuts, you're going to need it when you get back home penniless because someone shafted you on your hogwan pay. |
I usually think Died By Bear's posts are irrelevant but he's right on target on this one. What are you doing, dude? You're 40 and begging for any hagwon job available? Do yourself a favor and get a real job, whatever it takes, in your home country. Don't create a future setback for yourself unless you're qualified. I don't understand this attitude. |
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toby99
Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Location: Dong-Incheon-by-the-sea, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:03 am Post subject: |
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| augustine wrote: |
| Died By Bear wrote: |
| Don't sell your car numb nuts, you're going to need it when you get back home penniless because someone shafted you on your hogwan pay. |
What are you doing, dude? You're 40 and begging for any hagwon job available? Do yourself a favor and get a real job, whatever it takes, in your home country. Don't create a future setback for yourself unless you're qualified. I don't understand this attitude. |
lol. This is right on the money. You must be in really rough shape if you're praying the gods to get a job out in buttram Jeollanamdo for the equivalent of 1800 bucks a month and a shoebox apt. Pull it together, dude. |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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| toby99 wrote: |
| augustine wrote: |
| Died By Bear wrote: |
| Don't sell your car numb nuts, you're going to need it when you get back home penniless because someone shafted you on your hogwan pay. |
What are you doing, dude? You're 40 and begging for any hagwon job available? Do yourself a favor and get a real job, whatever it takes, in your home country. Don't create a future setback for yourself unless you're qualified. I don't understand this attitude. |
lol. This is right on the money. You must be in really rough shape if you're praying the gods to get a job out in buttram Jeollanamdo for the equivalent of 1800 bucks a month and a shoebox apt. Pull it together, dude. |
Of course. We all were in need of a job before taking one since you don't just automatically have money in the bank unless inheriting something. 1800 bucks a month with full benefits is nothing to be ashamed of nor criticize. It's nearly impossible in the Midwest these days to get that and then affordable rooms aren't available anywhere in the states to allow mobility. Since many of you discourage more people coming to Korea, you guys just aren't happy with what you signed up for over there or are trying to protect your interests in that job market for you know you'd be lucky to get a part time $8 an hour gig back home. You also won't make the market any better for yourselves through discouraging people from coming to Korea since university career services all across the land educate so many grads on doing ESL as a more interesting and rewarding choice over a low paying job that offers too little to even afford minimally living in the states without roommates. ESL may not be good as a long term career, but you can't focus on long term if you don't have your bases covered from now through next year. If you stay unemployed and refuse to take risks, you will never rise out of a funk nor enjoy life in any meaningful capacity as it was meant to be.
If you find yourself unhappy as responses and attitudes of many foreigners in Korea indicate, go home and get a job as you told me to do or try another country. There's nothing wrong or shameful about wanting a hogwan job and wishing to leave the USA as our ancestors left Europe for it was crap 200 years ago. This is not a high flying market for white collar careers so accept what you can get. |
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