Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Lucas]

I'm sure this will stay nice and constructive for all of 5 minutes, but hey ho here goes.

1. Get a monthly pay stub from your school - if they say 'why' say because you need them for your tax records for when you go home. If they still keep saying 'well/ummmm/maybe' say that you'd also like to be able to keep track of payments ect - how much tax (or not you're paying) health payments ect...... They are really useful!

2. Before you move into the house, check that all of the old bills have been paid. Have the gas'elec/internet ect changed into your name.

3. When you go and set up a bank account, they'll give you a bank book too. This book can be used to keep a record of your spending. You put it into the machine and it prints out all of your payments with your card ect. This bank book can also be activated to be used like a normal card - you just put the bank book into the machine, put in your pin and you can take out cash.....

You should, where ever possible pay with your card, not cash. The reason being is that come next FEB your school should ask you for a yearly bank statement, which will detail how much you've been paid and how much you've spent - if you've spent over X amount with your card, you can get a lower tax bill.

If you've spent less that 'Y' you'll be facing a big tax bill come next feb.

- Clarify with your school if they'll be taking tax from your pay monthly, or in one lump sum next feb - if you get monthly pay slips you'll be able to see this anyway.....

Also whilst you're at the bank you'll be able to sign up to a free txt msg service, (assuming you have a phone by then) where you get a text msg every time you use your bank card to pay for something - stating the amount/time and place of the transaction. They sometimes set this up where you'll only get the msg if the amount is over 10,000 or something like that. Say NO - I want one for ALL card transactions. - It's free!

It's good way to see how much you've spent after a drunken night out!

4. If you want to save here in Korea, it is possible to open a 1 year savings account - although you'll have to do it at the very start of your contract, once you've got your ARC card. The ARC cards are for 13 months now, so as long as you go to the bank with at least 12 months still to go on it, you can open up a Korean savings account. You'll need to take your passport too + a Korean to help you.

The % isn't that great at the moment + you'll have to pay some 'foreigner tax' on the final payment, still it's better than sitting in a normal account and you can break the savings account at any time and they'll pay out the interest up to that point.....

5. Offer to pay into your schools monthly 'meal fund' - it's normally around 20,000 and this money is used to pay for meals/payments when someone dies ect.

Loads of people here on Dave’s will say ' hell no' or I don't get my 20,000 worth every month. Don't worry - often these people are social outcasts for other reasons, often they are blissfully unaware of why they are having problems at their school....... If you offer to pay the 20,000 fro the outset, you are more likely to be part of the 'group' Koreans have a 'group' mentality, often like sheep. You should be like a sheep dog, heard those sheep and manipulate them into giving you what YOU want!

6. 'Why? Why? Why?

It is normal to have lots of questions, but sometimes it's better just to STFU and go with the flow, esp if your co-teacher has limited English. For all you know, they have just found out about the changeeeee of plans.

NEVER Never lose your temper with your CT or other teachers (visibly) If you have a bad relationship with them, you'll be in for a long year they will invariably 'win' in the end! Koreans have long memories, if you wrong them - they will get revenge on you (often in a passive aggressive way!)

7. Try and have a little empathy - your CT may well have young kids/family commitments/sick parents/ @#$% of a husband (or wife) and then they are given you to 'teach with'

Sit down and ask yourself the question after the first few weeks - 'Am I making MORE work for my CT, or am I helping to reduce their work load?'

If the answer to that question is the latter, you'll be halfway through to having a good year!

8. Don't expect your CT to deal with all of the classroom management problems. You are an adult. Talk to your CT about this before you go into the classroom.

Point 8 leads on to point 9 - what a Korean says and what a Korean does, can often be two completely opposite things.

Just because they say that they'll deal with the bad kids doesn’t mean that they want to, or will keep doing it for the whole year!

Often the reasons kids behave badly is because of bad/boring/unstimulating/too easy work.... It is your (impossible) challenge to try and balance these things out.

Also you should bear in mind that Korean teachers are now evaluated by their kids and parents - this directly affects their careers! Many Korean teachers are now scared to punish kids as they want the kids to 'like them'

Depending upon your school, the kids may well have a say as to whether you get a new contract (assuming you want to stay another year).

10. Be careful about the materials that you use. Using the 'other website' for games and ppt's is easy - BUT for all you know the previous teacher may well have used the same ppt's + the Korean teacher may well be sick to death of 'bomb games!'

Also, check the materials you download before you use them. Sooooooo many of the materials from the other website have basic mistakes in them. You will be made to look like a fool if a 3rd g elem kid points out a mistake to you during class!

11. Don't go travelling around Korea for the first couple of weeks. Get settled in to your area/school first.

12. Do not tell any secrets to any Korean teachers, no matter how close you might think you are to them!

13. Have a backbone! Korea is not hippy liberal country - be prepared to be called out on stuff that people would just (normally) not say to you back home.

14. Don't be pathetic! Calling your CT or anyone to come to your house to change a light bulb is a pathetic thing to do! You are an adult, view it as an adventure. Life is an adventure!

Walk down to the local store, with the old light bulb an get a new one yourself!

15. Ask for a copy of the schools yearly timetable - have your CT email it to you, use Google translate to see what some of the stuff means.

Also, normally the most important stuff (holiday dates) are shaded in, so you know when your school hols are - such as school birthdays ect....

BUT - expect the yearly time table to change! Do not book trips, without first getting full and final agreement from your school and it has been put into the NEIS computer system and the local education office has signed off on it......

Have a happy year!

But if you're having a bad day, come to Dave's.

Dave's has an array of experts, ranging from financial experts, to lawyers, councilors and hedge fund managers.

[SeoulNate]

good advice for all.

On #4. though, if you are only planning on staying a year, the 3 month and 6 month CDs are more worthwhile as you will be able to start them more often and collect more cash out of them.

[World Traveler]

[Okie from Muskogee]

[yfb]

Solid advice for any first-timer. Great post OP.

[World Traveler]

[World Traveler]

Are taxes high in Canada and Europe? Yes. In the United States? No. Not unless you are a rich person.

[SeoulNate]

[Weigookin74]

[faeriehazel]

What do you mean you have to keep track of each individual purchase? If you use a debit card or sign up for the 현금영수증 thing, your purchases are automatically logged and all you have to do is print a statement at the end of the year. No need for you, the individual, to keep track of anything.

[World Traveler]

So when paying with cash just ask for each purchase to be recorded and swipe a card? Annoying, because it takes/wastes time, but I guess it is worth doing to save money on taxes? How much can one save by doing this vs. not doing this?

[schwa]

Many excellent tips there, Lucas, especially regarding workplace dynamics. All true in my lengthy epik experience.

Newbs: read the OP carefully, twice!

[dairyairy]

10- Don't use material from that "other" website. It's lame. Learn how to make your own lessons. If you don't know how to do this then ask around at orientation, especially with the experienced teachers.

15 is very good advice.

Also, be on time, even when you're sick. When you're sick it's better to come in and leave early than to not come in at all.

[PigeonFart]

[quote="Lucas"]
You should, where ever possible pay with your card, not cash. The reason being is that come next FEB your school should ask you for a yearly bank statement, which will detail how much you've been paid and how much you've spent - if you've spent over X amount with your card, you can get a lower tax bill.

If you've spent less that 'Y' you'll be facing a big tax bill come next feb.
[/quote]

Any idea what that "X" amount is...roughly?

[Lucas]