Korean Job Discussion Forums

[UKKOR]

All I am looking for is a decent private school/Hagwons job that starts in 2015 in Seoul which provides accomodation.
I have literally been searching and sending resumes and interviewing with recruiters since October (so it's been just over a month now) and I am getting impatient.

I know Seoul is competitive but why am I only getting job offers from gyeonggido or part time places with no accommodation? I thought Seoul was supposed to have Hagwons stacked on top of each other?

[radcon]

infinity

[RangerMcGreggor]

Are you in Korea or outside?

[UKKOR]

Outside

[Guajiro]

[Sesame]

are people that crazy to teach in Korea? How pathetic. Korea sucks actually.

[basic69isokay]

Look, everyone knows Korea ain't paradise.
No need to shit on the guy.
The western economies are crumbling and many people 25-40 have huge student debt. So, it makes people desperate. Korean hagwon owners must be lovin it. But hey, we have only our own countries to blame.
To answer the original question, it depends on your age, gender, and looks. If you are 25, female, pretty, with all docs in hand, hmmm 2-3 days??
If you are 30+ male, who is not a skinny jean type of dude with greasy Korean style hair that takes constant attention hmm... for a hagwon in Seoul? I'd say give yourself 2-3 MONTHS. At least.

[EZE]

I'd say give Gyeonggi a chance. If you're in a town like Bundang or Anyang, the lifestyle is the same as Seoul anyway. I live out in a more rural part of Gyeonggi, but I can catch a bus and be in Bundang in ten to fifteen minutes or arrive in Gangnam in a half hour to 45 minutes. If you're in Seoul, it's still going to take a while to get to different parts of the city anyway.

I actually prefer rural/suburban Gyeonggi. Compared to Seoul and Bundang, the people are so nice out here, the students are less spoiled, and the grown ups act like adults.

[PRagic]

Take a job anywhere as long as the pay and conditions are decent, get in-country experience, and then start applying to positionsn in Seoul for your second year.

[Troglodyte]

I would suggest taking a job in one of the satellite cities along the metro (subway) lines. Even if you're way out in Incheon, you can still be in downtown Seoul (Gangnam or Itaewon) win an hour. Bucheon and Bundang are nice places. A lot of those cities have all the great stuff that you'd want in Seoul (malls, expat bars, concerts) plus less traffic, more green space, cleaner air (that's a relative term though).

If you decide to do that, just make VERY sure to get the location of the school and check it on Google Maps to see how far it ACTUALLY is from the nearest metro station.

But in terms of how long it takes to get a job in Seoul, I'd have to say it varies. It's just a matter of when something comes up and whether or not there's someone already in Korea who has applied or not. Lots of people want to work there and the good jobs tend to go fast to people who heard by word of mouth from a current teacher there.

[watergirl]

Hi
~i agree with many here~that the suburbs or satellite cites (see above person's recommendations) are actually better than seoul Not in any way country, or even suburb like back home. Very cityish.
It is a bad time right now. I have been applying and have experience and am in country and it has been worse this time. I think it's the time of year, but also, that many foreigners are in Korea looking for jobs.
Definatly, try the satellite cities. There is also a bias towards women and North americans, although of course, this can be overcome~it just takes longer.

[Chaparrastique]

[kingplaya4]

Yes the guy may have student loans, but how many is he going to be paying off with the present cost of living here and the exchange rate which is likely to worsen? I got here at a good time and I'm not even sure it's been a positive financially for me considering I'd have to start from the bottom if/when I go back home. I can't imagine starting out here now. I gotta think it must be rough even dating because almost all Koreans know we're poor now, unless you're good looking and like dating college girls.

[Ghost_Gorilla]

[basic69isokay]

While I understand your point, those jobs are mostly shite.
Trust me, half those CL jobs have been posted for months!
Nobody wants them.
But yeah, there are openings. You just have to accept less in return, or be patient.