Korean Job Discussion Forums

wonkavite62 · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.

I have recently been getting lots of e-mails from a recruiter who has lists of jobs. He keeps sending me e-mails and instructing me to call him (i.e. he won't call me). Well here's one of the jobs he sent me. It was marked in BLUE in the e-mail, because it was urgent and had to be filled immediately:
The 8 jobs ( Blue ) are really urgent, can you apply or introduce me your friends
thank you so much in advance
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM in INCHEON CITY
Starting Date: March 1st
Working Hours: Monday to Friday 12pm - 5:30 pm
Salary: 2.5 mil - 3 mil won without housing
Standard benefits: bonus, 10 days paid vacation, 1/2 medical insurance
In my reply to his e-mail, I pointed out that if the after-school company thought it was going to fill that job immediately, he/she was in for a rude awakening! I have seen some offers like this-and with lower salaries. You do not have to apply. I won't. I found a job with a free apartment.

SeoulNate · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Location: Hyehwa

huh?

It means 2.5 w/ housing

or

3.0 w/o housing

FastForward · Joined: 04 Jul 2011

Are you saying 3.0 without housing is a terrible deal? The hours are short and the 3.0 without housing is the standard.

isitts · Joined: 25 Dec 2008 Location: Korea

isitts · Joined: 25 Dec 2008 Location: Korea

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

Well, I think op should clarify some things.

SeoulNate brings up a good point. One, granted, I didn't see at first. If that is what the place really is offering, it makes it a bit better.

However, depends on who's applying I guess...and is the housing at 2.5 reasonable? 3.0 at 5 hrs, if it's only that, guess it might be more like SIX CLASSES, is 30Gs per hr. Not really the norm in, esp, Seoul. Most places in Busan, looking for an F5 these days, are still offering 35. Not all, granted. But many.

wonkavite62 · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.

The ad says that the salary is between 2.5 and 3 million won, and that there will be NO housing provided. (It did NOT say 2.5 million won with housing, 3 million without). The reason why I think it is not a good deal is that there is such a thing as key money in Korea. I have had to pay key money in Japan and it is a big shock when you have just arrived in a foreign country, and it can amount to thousands of dollars. I also know that some of Chungdahm's branches don't offer apartments, and so people have to pay a lot when they arrive. YBM doesn't offer apartments either. I know some employers may offer a loan to cover the costs, and maybe Chungdahm does so. There's no indication of this in this case however.
It's not such a good deal.
I looked at the Korea Bridge website. I found public school jobs offering 2.1 million won thereabouts and NO accommodation provided. Once again, I do have to ask the question: How much money will I have to pay when I move into the apartment?
Bear in mind, I'm thinking of the average teacher. Not you people on F-2 or F-5 visas who are maybe married to Koreans and have been in Korea 10 years with an apartment shared between husband and wife. That's not the average teacher.

denverdeath · Joined: 21 May 2005 Location: Boo-sahn

wonkavite62 · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.

But generally in Asia it's more complex if you have to find your own apartment, and it's partly because you can't predict your start up costs. The after-school program would be acceptable to someone who is in Korea now and has been there several years having received all the money they are entitled to. But if I was in that position, I would want an estimate.
But a lot of teachers are just starting, or have returned after a gap. They shouldn't pay ent. The Busan public schools I mentioned are mean and nasty. Only a fool, or a very desperate, naive, inexperienced teacher might accept them. And they shouldn't accept them.

wings · Joined: 09 Nov 2006

I find it strange that people want a job that comes with housing. I would never take a job that provides housing. Is it a pain to find your own housing? Yeah, a bit, but if you are an adult it is well worth it. Instead of living in a tiny one-room and having to go through your school for everything, you can find something that suits you, and you won't have your school interfering in your personal life.

There are a lot of short term rentals in Korea. Stay in one of those until you find someone who is leaving Korea. Take over their place, buy all their stuff for super cheap, and voila. You are an adult, with a job and an apartment that are not linked to each other. At the end of your contract, if you find a better job, you can change jobs without having to uproot your whole life.