Korean Job Discussion Forums

[northway]

[KimchiNinja]

[swashbuckler]

[KimchiNinja]

[mscoop1085]

I'm 29 and my wife is 27. I had lived in Seoul the past four years and miss certain things about life as an expat. I moved back here to the US about 8 months ago and found a position within two months. I'm doing inside sales and making 40k/yr. gross. It's not the greatest position but entry level and I'm getting experience. Networking is really the key. It's not what you know but who you know. LinkedIn is a great networking site. My friend from University actually got me in with this company. My Korean wife also found work at a Korean company here in Charlotte, NC. She makes about 32k/yr. I made 40-45k/yr. in Korea including privates while my wife made around 24K/yr. We are able to save about 1,000 dollars a month right now. In Korea, we saved around 1.5 a month. I personally wouldn't try for the mega cities like NY or LA unless you have some connections there or family. Get a year or two experience somewhere else and then try NY or LA if you really miss the Seoul like atmosphere of a huge city. You can burn through your savings real quick in those places. Anyways, don't be scared of taking the jump back over if you feel that time has come. Take care and good luck to everyone all across the globe who has gotten to experience life as an expat in Korea.

[jsk]

I left Korea in '10, found a temporary gig that turned into a full-time position, married my Korean girlfriend and paid off my massive law school debt. I make more now than my wife and I made combined in Korea. Sounds like a rosy story but there are often times I wish I was back in Korea. Although the job politics, constant threat of getting fired/laid off, pettiness, and incompetent management seem to be universal truths in this day and age, whether you work in a hagwon or U.S. office, the reason I often think aboht Korea is I remember the fun weekends/holidays I had there, traveling, meeting new people, etc. Where I live now, its mostly swamplands and hillbillies for hundreds of miles around and we spend most weekends and evenings at home. We've talked about making a move near a major metro area but the job feelers I've sent out havent been successful.

I told my wife that if I get laid off or fired, I'd be up for going back to Korea, although I understand the job market there is even worse than when I left.

[northway]

[bmaw01]

I would tell anyone who wants to teach in Korea to only do it for 1-3 years max. The problem is you're not developing any marketable skills while working in Korea, unless you want to teach. I guess you are building soft skills that employers value. You can say that you worked cooperatively, etc.. Also, having overseas experience can be a plus as well. Still, only spend a few years and get out of there. It's going to be very difficult to return to America if you've spent a long time in Asia. I miss the transportation system, and the low cost of living.

I have returned and I'm currently working as a special needs teacher in New Jersey. My time teaching in Korea was valued and the school that I am currently working at found my time there to be very interesting.

[Yaya]

[basic69isokay]

[bmaw01]

As other people have stated the success you have when going back to America is going to depend on your skillset. I can't tell you how many people that I've met in South Korea who were communication, history, anthropology, and lit majors. The chance of them finding work in their field is going to be very difficult. On the other hand if you major in a field that's currently in demand you will not have much difficulty in finding work back home. How many people have I met in South Korea that had high a skillset? Zero. Why would they go to Korea when they could be making inroads in their career back home?

The sad fact is most people who are currently teaching in Korea are having a difficult time back home finding work. They are deluding themselves if they think the job market is going to miraculously improve, and employers are going to be begging for people to work for their business. Nope. Things are much different now.

[Adam Carolla]

[PRagic]

I second much of the advice outlined on the thread so far. By and large, the people I know who have made successful transitions back to the US and Canada have fallen into two categories:

1. Taught short term (1-3 years), paid off their student loans, traveled Korea and got in a big SE Asian trip on the way home. Took jobs in their respective fields (primary education, marketing, corportate communications, IT...) and worked their way up fairly quickly. Some moved back, did their Master's degree or other professional certs, and then entered the workforce.

2. Taught long term while building up their TESOL credentials. These people moved back into management positions in ESL programs at US and Canadian universities. These jobs DO exist. Check out the Chronicle of Higher Education's job portal sometime.

A third, though definitely thinner, category encompasses those who went back and got their Ph.D.s. They're now sticking it out in academe, not an easy slog these days in N. America.

[JMO]

[Lucas]