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BlueFish
Joined: 23 May 2017
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 Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:47 pm Post subject: First Timer Interviews & Contracts |
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I am a first timer in the ESL field. I am starting to get interviews, hopefully to soon be followed by a contract.
As they say, you don't know what you don't know until you know.
Any suggestions on questions to ask during interviews? What kinds of questions should I anticipate? Are there any red flags I should be on the lookout for?
What should I be looking for in a contract? Any red flags to keep an eye out for? Is there any room for negotiation on salary or terms? I've heard people get cheated on the final month bonus because of the wording of the contract. I heard the wording has the base salary around 1.3m, with the rest of the monthly salary coming from so-called bonuses. |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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1. During the initial interview if you come across as demanding, picky or hard to work with you will 100% not get the job.
2. The questions they ask will depend on the person doing the interviews. If it is the hakwon owner that doesn't speak a whole ton of English you can expect questions about what food you like and almost nothing about teaching. If it is a larger school chain and the interview is coming from HQ, you can expect professional(ish) questions related to teaching experience and dealing with situations in the classroom.
3. Focus on passing the initial interview first and then worry about contract negotiations later. If they like you the first time they talk to you, it will be much easier to have some of those items dealt with later. |
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Patong Dong
Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut
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| Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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That's pretty sound advice. Ace the interview for any job and you've got some leverage.
When it comes time to decide, things I would want concrete answers for are school hours, salary (I've been mostly out of hakwans for awile so I don't know if that low base pay then throwing in bonuses is a more common practice.) It's a shady tactic. Definitely avoid places that are still trying to avoid proper pension or do the 50-50 insurance thing. Find out (get photos) of the apartment. Make sure that the vacation is 10 days on top of national holidays and you get 5 days consecutively when you take them. |
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Patong Dong
Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut
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| Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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That's pretty sound advice. Ace the interview for any job and you've got some leverage.
When it comes time to decide, things I would want concrete answers for are school hours, salary (I've been mostly out of hakwans for awile so I don't know if that low base pay then throwing in bonuses is a more common practice.) It's a shady tactic. Definitely avoid places that are still trying to avoid proper pension or do the 50-50 insurance thing. Find out (get photos) of the apartment. Make sure that the vacation is 10 days on top of national holidays and you get 5 days consecutively when you take them. |
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J.Q.A.
Joined: 09 Feb 2017
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 3:40 am Post subject: |
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| Patong Dong wrote: |
That's pretty sound advice. Ace the interview for any job and you've got some leverage.
When it comes time to decide, things I would want concrete answers for are school hours, salary (I've been mostly out of hakwans for awile so I don't know if that low base pay then throwing in bonuses is a more common practice.) It's a shady tactic. Definitely avoid places that are still trying to avoid proper pension or do the 50-50 insurance thing. Find out (get photos) of the apartment. Make sure that the vacation is 10 days on top of national holidays and you get 5 days consecutively when you take them. |
Here is the rub.
If one has a clue about labor laws and how both schools and recruiters like to play the "you're picky" game, it can be tough. Or, perhaps you you insist that you want those 10 WORKING DAYS of paid vacation (on top of national holidays)...5 consecutive days in both summer and winter...and NOT their scam schedule, or 8 days, INCLUDING weekends. Many will polarize it then call you "picky" and drop you...especially recruiters (scum).
Some recruiters even slight defend schools that do NOT pay into insurance and/or pension, or...get this...(this happened recently to me), will defend a school as to why they won't let you a current staff member...LOL.
Here...the more know, sometimes the harder things are. |
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BlueFish
Joined: 23 May 2017
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 5:08 am Post subject: |
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When is it appropriate to ask about things like salary, vacation days or insurance? When would you ask to see pictures of the actual apartment? How do they select an apartment for you? I thought 50-50 insurance was standard. Is it not?
Last edited by BlueFish on Mon Jun 19, 2017 11:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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J.Q.A.
Joined: 09 Feb 2017
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| BlueFish wrote: |
| Would it be considered inappropriate to ask about things like salary, vacation days or insurance during the first interview? When would you ask to see pictures of the actual apartment? I thought 50-50 insurance was standard. Is it not? |
It is only inappropriate for most hogwans/recruiers... |
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Patong Dong
Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry, I should've been clearer. A lot of hakwans used to not provide insurance and just say they would have to pay half of the doctor's visit fee. That's a scam and is a sure sign to avoid it. Some people from countries that can't receive pension lump sum payments may like to avoid health insurance because they also can avoid being put into the pension system, but I'd avoid a place like that.
As long as your requests are fairly straightforward it shouldn't be an issue. No one thinks you're coming over to not make some money and enjoy life outside of work. If a recruiter starts pushing you into a job you don't want, just cut them off. The workload and office politics at some hakwans can be enough to deal with. You don't want to be living in a dump stressing about money.
But, it seems to me that are less horror stories coming from hakwans in regards to non-compliance with health insurance and pension and pay issues. Try and go for one of the upper middle-class suburbs like Ilsan or Bundang where lots of students get sent to hakwans. |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| BlueFish wrote: |
| When is it appropriate to ask about things like salary, vacation days or insurance? When would you ask to see pictures of the actual apartment? How do they select an apartment for you? I thought 50-50 insurance was standard. Is it not? |
After you get the contract in your hand and after the initial interview. Don't sign the thing and send it back until you are happy with the version you have. Accepting a bad contract is the foremost reason for coming back to these boards to bitch (see other threads currently trending).
In addition, the person who is doing your interview is not guaranteed to know the exact details of your contract, which is yet another reason to avoid it during the initial interview.
At any rate, that means the process should go something like this:
1. Line up as many interviews as you can handle (do not just line up one and call it down
2. After you get accepted by one/multiple of the jobs, review the contracts and contact the schools to make whatever changes you deem necessary.
3. Accept best position
Never put yourself in a situation where you only have 1 option |
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BlueFish
Joined: 23 May 2017
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| Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:58 am Post subject: |
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Patong Dong thank you for clarifying.
Seoul Nate... So receiving a contract does not imply that you are accepting the positon? How much time is acceptable to request for thinking about it?
How do schools select the apartment? |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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| Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:06 am Post subject: |
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| BlueFish wrote: |
Patong Dong thank you for clarifying.
Seoul Nate... So receiving a contract does not imply that you are accepting the positon? How much time is acceptable to request for thinking about it?
How do schools select the apartment? |
The school will select an apartment for their teacher that is in their(the school's) best interest...some places offer key money and housing allowance, but that's not an easy choice to make/take if you're on your 1st contract here. If you are lucky, they have some money and provide you with a nicer place(newer nicer perhaps bigger place in an ok complex = not likely - esp if you want to reside in gangnam). However, do not expect that. Insist on a single dwelling at least. After that? Hope it's near your school, but really try to avoid living IN the school or the school building.
Sorry not speaking for nate, but the contact signing and sending makes a big difference. Once you sign and send back, most schools (90%) will begin the process of acquiring your visa issuance number, as long as all your other papers are in order. The school could accept a walk-in tomorrow and you're dropped, too. Having said that, don't stress it too much or feel that you have to sign immediately. Ask lots of questions, and do some research before signing anything. My recommendation, anyway. |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 12:15 am Post subject: |
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If you are going into an established school, chances are they already have the apartment contract and there won't be much/any wiggle room for you to choose the place. As a first year teacher there, you have two options:
1. Be happy with the place they provide
2. Take the 400/500$ that they offer per month for rent and provide your own 10,000-50,000$ for a deposit. Be aware, with this route, finding a one year contract (two years is the norm) for housing is extremely difficult with anything that isn't a complete hole in the wall. This also probably requires you to either have a friend to stay with when you first arrive, or come a month early to get it all sorted.
As far as the contract is concerned, most places are going to want to interview you and then, assuming you pass the interview, send out a contract for you to sign. When you get the contract in your hands (with all the correct information), that is the time to discuss various sections with your potential employer.
Edit- didnt answer the last question - How long you have to decide will depend on the school and the starting date for the job. Might be a few days, might be a few weeks. |
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Patong Dong
Joined: 06 May 2003
Location: On Nut
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| Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't suggest getting a photo of the apartment so that you could decide if you wanted them to get another one. Just that, for me, it's an important factor. I got placed in a dump in a seedy area at Anyang station and it made a big difference on my quality of life. In my opinion your living quarters are one of the big factors to consider. It may vary from person to person.
Also, my current apt. is a two year contract, but my previous two officetels were both one year deals. |
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