Korean Job Discussion Forums

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

I have accepted a job in korea for 2.3m won per month (£1400). Is this the most private academies pay then? I'm also a qualified teacher and can work at International schools. I think I am only going to earn half what I could get at an IS. £1400 is just £16800 a year, an admin assistant's salary in the UK. Is this the most TEFL pays in Korea? The school have said they may offer me the head teacher's position with an increase in salary. What sort of salary should I ask for if they offer me this position?

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

Well I am still in the UK waiting for my apostille to come back from the FCO so I could ask them I suppose. I think they want me to get to Korea and see how I teach or get on first before offering me the head's position. I am late 40s with experience of teaching in the middle east and previously in Japan. I've also taught at high schools in the UK. This is an adult school though which is what I want now.

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

I have a CELTA. The BC are too fussy to get in. I've applied for some BC jobs from the UK and not even got an interview. This job is not split shift, it's 2 till 10pm with weekends off. The guy seemed quite nice when he interviewed me. One problem though. I asked them what books they use for teaching and he said they have resources but they don't really use a set book as it's boring to do that. So, I am not sure what they want me to teach exactly. It's up to the teacher what he teaches he told me. it's a bit vague. I don't mind preparing lessons but I don't want to spend hours doing it.

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

Yeh it doesn't sound too bad. I'm sure they must have a syllabus they want you to teach. Anyway, they're the ones paying the one-way flight plus free housing so it's in their interests to keep me once I get there. What's the situation with changing jobs on an E2 visa if you get fired or want to move on somewhere else after say 6 months or so. Can you do that or are you confined to the one employer? I prefer to stick with this job and get the head's position but just wondering in case anything happens.

Fox · Joined: 04 Mar 2009

JohnML · Joined: 05 Jul 2015

No it's not the most but it's a very average/fair offer even for someone with your qualifications. Also international schools suck ass in Korea, IMO it's one of the worst countries for anyone with a teaching cert to actually try to land work in and you are almost always going to be underpaid on what you're worth. You'd be surprised at the number of people as qualified for yourself working for the 1.2k-1.4k GBP figure in Korea.

Whereas a stone throw away in SE asia 2kGB-2.5k is pretty normal and it's cheaper.

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

Some international schools in Korea offer good salary packages e.g.

http://recruitment.branksome.asia/salary-package

I've heard Dulwich college in Banpo is on a par with this one too.

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

Those salaries by branksome are quite good. I might look into them once I get to Korea. I am registered with a teacher agency in the UK who get international school jobs and they sent me a primary music post yesterday in Shanghai paying between £35k and £50k before tax, salary depending on experience and I guess current salary. They won't send my CV off to them though until I reformat my CV properly. I'm secondary trained anyway so don't think I'd clinch it somehow. That's with free accommodation provided by the school too. But anyhow, I shall be content with this position at the moment as it's teaching adults. I was thinking of maybe doing some private tuition, piano or English, but I read it's illegal to do it in Korea so I don't think it's worth the risk. In China, lots of teachers do private tuition on the side with no problems I think.

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

So what sort of salary should I ask for if they offer me the head teacher's position? About 3m won or more?

greyhound · Joined: 10 Jun 2016

[quote="Fox"]

trueblue · Joined: 15 Jun 2014 Location: In between the lines

[quote="greyhound"]

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

I worked at an adult place for three years before, two of which I was the head teacher. I was getting 300,000 extra monthly for that. Heard the cheapies fazed that out about 1.5 years after I left.

Regarding the position you're looking at, it doesn't seem terrible, maybe. 2-10pm=40 hours. Most adult, and other, hakwons base the salaries on a 30-hour workweek, so you should think about that. If they give you an hour for dinner and maybe another for prep each day, then that's the 30. If they actually expect you to teach 8 straight, it's a rip-off for only 2.3. It's actually a rip-off for 2.6 if they make you the "head teacher", too. You MAY also have to deal with some less-than-happy co-workers/underlings wondering why you were given the head teacher position when they've been slaving away there for a couple of years already.

And, with the no syllabus thing, you COULD look at that as a very good thing...if you know what you're doing. If they do have students who are begiiners to advanced though, you're gonna have to get yourself a few texts for the lower-intermediates, and then download and print your own stuff for the upper-intermediate to higher levels. I like that kind of set-up as I don't mind planning the curriculum myself. Others hate it.