Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Canadian1987]

So at around 2010, a few friends and several acquaintances came back home to Canada from a year's teaching in Korea. They had nothing but raving reviews and many stories to tell--all of which seemed to be on the positive side.

I had just finished up my 2nd year of practicum and there were virtually no teaching jobs around my home. My friends were like, "dude, you should really teach in Korea--with your teaching experience and everything, you'd be at a huge advantage. None of us has taught before and it was a breeze for ya!"

In addition to this, I had made twenty some Korean friends, some of which I had tutored back home. We partied, bonded, and they taught me some Korean.

I felt like Korea would be a good fit for me...I was dead wrong.

When I arrived in Daegu to work for a terrible school called Poly, the school made several revisions to my contract, which included more hours, reduced pay, and a messed up severance.

After two days of working and no rest due to jet lag, the supervisor screamed at me with all the negative feedback she had received from the parents. It was only TWO DAYS!!

Everyday they would tell me what a horrible teacher I was and how lazy foreigners were. After one and a half months, they decided to terminate my contract and leave me out to dry.

I asked them how I would get to Incheon airport or Seoul and their exact words were "you'll figure it out."

It's also worth mentioning that, up until that point, I had not been paid at all. So for a month and half's work, I had not received a single penny from them.

I was fortunate enough to land a job in Seoul and move all my luggage from Daegu by myself.

Over the past few months I had to get my new school to talk to the Labour Board to get my money. I was lucky enough to get some of it back--still, it was short by a couple hundred bucks.

The new school I work for is substantially better, but they seem to retain some anti-western sentiments and continuously add more workload to the English teachers and then blame us when things go wrong.

Did something happen after 2010?? Why is my experience the complete opposite from my friends?

[Underwaterbob]

Since things were apparently fine until you came along, I can only conclude that you happened to Korea.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[plan b]

You had some awful luck with the first hagwon, but it sounds like you landed on your feet. Kudos to you for hanging in there. As for the anti-westerner sentiments, well Koreans love western culture..but seem to despise westerners in general

[Captain Corea]

[War Eagle]

Just after 2010 there was a huge change in Hagwon association policy backed by the Korean government due to some unruly weigookin behavior. Most of the changes were aimed at making it more difficult for foreigners coming to and working in Korea. Working hours became extremely long, workloads became unreasonable and wages started to drop. Foreigners were pulling midnight runs left and right, leaving their coworkers to the wolves to pick up the extra work.

Foreigners protested in the streets and at the Capitol, while media coverage continued to portray us as bottom feeding scavengers who destroy the city, rape the women and torture the kids. A few riots broke out, but the riot police quickly tear gassed the masses and continued to beat those who wouldn't succumb.

Since then, things around the country have been very, very different. And to think, that whole crazy chain of events was started back in 2010 by a few Canadian guys and their acquaintances. I can't believe it's been 3 years already.

[Airborne9]

[Canadian1987]

[/quote]

[Canadian1987]

[Weigookin74]

[Weigookin74]

[Captain Corea]

[Canadian1987]

Over the past few months I have been doing more research (as I should've done before coming here) and it seems to me that, while the public school pays slightly less, it seems to be the safer bet.

There seems to be a ton of "Hagwon Horror Stories," but relatively few stories about public schools screwing teachers over.

[robbie_davies]

[Canadian1987]