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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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basic69isokay
Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Location: korea
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 Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| bmaw01 wrote: |
You people are looking at China with those colored glasses. I'm sure you could find people on a forum for ESL Chinese teachers bad morning China.
My suggestion is to do a year, and you decide on own of you like the culture or not. You might want to stay for a while. Who knows? But, you will never found out until you do it. Take the chance.
You people are talking thru your own biographies. Just because you had a very negative experience in Korea doesn't mean she has to do the same. |
That's exactly what I said.
Do a year. See how you feel then.
I almost guarantee you wont "love korean culture " anymore haha.
Chinas not the only option after that, just a suggestion.
Others are thailand, vietnam, and taiwan as well.
To the guy who's married. Yea we're trapped BUT its for love not student loans or warrants or gambling debts, hey its not so bad eh? |
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watergirl
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Location: Ansan, south korea
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 6:11 am Post subject: |
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Hey, it's true that it is not really a goldmine of savings anymore.. There seems to be a lot more competition for jobs these days, public schools are cutting teachers, and Seoul is expensive. BUT, it is still quite fun, for a year or two, I think.. Actually, not so sure about the culture as well, to be honest.
But, I never did come to Korea for the culture. Sorry, that's a bit rude I guess, but I know the culture a bit from my home city as well. Still, there are many interesting things here, that people who have stayed on for awhile have gotten used to.
SLP...mmm, known as a chain hakwon that will work you quite hard, in general. BUT, it is an okay sign if people have resigned for more than 1 year. By the way, the people you work with is also a factor in whether you will be happy here for your first year. So, I can see them not wanting to Skype you, to be honest. IT's a bit personal and they don't know you, although I'd think face booking you would be ok.. so you might want to think about that..
IT'd be better to find a non-chain, smaller place where the teachers (at leaf one) have resigned for a year.
My first job, a hakwon, actually had a nice director, who was very lax, but some other foreigners who were not nice to me at all (another story anwyays), and I hated it there.
You will be able to find a better job later, by the way, but as you have no experience yet, maybe not your 1st year.
By the way, you're bang on about the pay. 2.2 is higher than average nowadays for new people.
If you have time, you might look a bit longer. I found my 1st position, actually, by a guy who put an ad on craigslist, bc (I think..?) he genuinely liked his school and so wanted to help them. In it he said, pretty good area, lots of foreigners, and really quite good, and he wss pretty right in his description. My first job there was really a good area etc.
In the end, I always go with my gut feeling actually, but everyone is different.
The think about SLP, is that it will be very regimented, have very long hours compared to some places. and extra work..like writing/make work sturr compared to other places. I think they have hours, such as 9-6:30 or 7, right? Longest possible shift. I wanted day hours myself, but really, the kindy jobs (and I actually like teaching the young kids) really are a lot more tiring than the 1-8 jobs (with older students).
Anyways, good luck..
So, if you can find it, going by a job that a foreigner has actually vouched for is good, bc, recruiters will NOT tell you the whole truth about the job. Honestly, they won't.. Now, talking to another foreigner working there will be honest about the area, and general things, but will also not tell you all the negative things about working there, as they will be worried you'll tell the owner etc.
I like to email them and ask if I can make a quick call to them. In their voice, you can pick up maybe what they're not saying, or see how enthusiastic they are. |
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Been There, Taught That
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Mungyeong: not a village, not yet a metroplex.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| jleblanc wrote: |
| Smithington wrote: |
| Your first day will include lots of men spitting, hacking, snorting, getting bumped into, people cutting in line, almost getting killed crossing the road, piles of trash everyone, bronze-age table manners, loud neighbors, unethical employers, and plenty of xenophobia. |
Weird. That sounds just like San Francisco except we have piles of human poop on the streets. |
Worked in Korea 4 years, carefully chose employers, never a rudely-intended comment, a lot of helpful people. You know, the culture of regular-people strangers everywhere. Never saw any of the cutting, killing, and certainly was never singled out for the culture nor country I came from.
Like they say, you have to choose your friends, even in Korea. I often chose shop owners and vendors, with whom I did business, who always had a reason to say a good word and have a smile. Also, young people who were aiming to study in a western country. Guaranteed positive experiences.
There was the yellow dust, though. But that's China. I won't go there if you don't. Never been to SF, just Monterey, which I loved.
In the end, it's attitude, and that doesn't come to you, it goes out from you. |
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jleblanc
Joined: 23 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Been There, Taught That wrote: |
| jleblanc wrote: |
| Smithington wrote: |
| Your first day will include lots of men spitting, hacking, snorting, getting bumped into, people cutting in line, almost getting killed crossing the road, piles of trash everyone, bronze-age table manners, loud neighbors, unethical employers, and plenty of xenophobia. |
Weird. That sounds just like San Francisco except we have piles of human poop on the streets. |
Worked in Korea 4 years, carefully chose employers, never a rudely-intended comment, a lot of helpful people. You know, the culture of regular-people strangers everywhere. Never saw any of the cutting, killing, and certainly was never singled out for the culture nor country I came from.
Like they say, you have to choose your friends, even in Korea. I often chose shop owners and vendors, with whom I did business, who always had a reason to say a good word and have a smile. Also, young people who were aiming to study in a western country. Guaranteed positive experiences.
There was the yellow dust, though. But that's China. I won't go there if you don't. Never been to SF, just Monterey, which I loved.
In the end, it's attitude, and that doesn't come to you, it goes out from you. |
So what you're saying is those piles on the street are actually piles of attitude and NOT poo? Fascinating.
Thank you! I'm here all week.  |
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Been There, Taught That
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Mungyeong: not a village, not yet a metroplex.
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:49 am Post subject: |
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| jleblanc wrote: |
| Been There, Taught That wrote: |
| jleblanc wrote: |
| Smithington wrote: |
| Your first day will include lots of men spitting, hacking, snorting, getting bumped into, people cutting in line, almost getting killed crossing the road, piles of trash everyone, bronze-age table manners, loud neighbors, unethical employers, and plenty of xenophobia. |
Weird. That sounds just like San Francisco except we have piles of human poop on the streets. |
Worked in Korea 4 years, carefully chose employers, never a rudely-intended comment, a lot of helpful people. You know, the culture of regular-people strangers everywhere. Never saw any of the cutting, killing, and certainly was never singled out for the culture nor country I came from.
Like they say, you have to choose your friends, even in Korea. I often chose shop owners and vendors, with whom I did business, who always had a reason to say a good word and have a smile. Also, young people who were aiming to study in a western country. Guaranteed positive experiences.
There was the yellow dust, though. But that's China. I won't go there if you don't. Never been to SF, just Monterey, which I loved.
In the end, it's attitude, and that doesn't come to you, it goes out from you. |
So what you're saying is those piles on the street are actually piles of attitude and NOT poo? Fascinating.
Thank you! I'm here all week. |
The wit and wisdom of. . . Fortunately for me, that part was about SF, not Korea. |
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Cave Dweller
Joined: 17 Aug 2014
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:02 am Post subject: |
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LOL at bronze age table manners.
| Smithington wrote: |
| Westerners who are gung-ho about coming to Korea for 'the culture' have no idea what they're in for. It ain't for the faint of heart. Despite what the tourist brochures and the OP's Korean friends might suggest "Korean culture" is very rough around the edges. Your first day will include lots of men spitting, hacking, snorting, getting bumped into, people cutting in line, almost getting killed crossing the road, piles of trash everyone, bronze-age table manners, loud neighbors, unethical employers, and plenty of xenophobia. If the OP decides to come to Korea she needs to come with both eyes wide open, otherwise she will be very disappointed. There are plenty of good things here in Korea, but "the culture" ain't one of them. |
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