Korean Job Discussion Forums

dodgybarnet

Just been offered a tasty position, but the only downside is that it's split shifts (7am-10am, then 5pm-8pm). From my reading I realise that split shifts really get you down after a while and I'm wondering if there are people out there who actually enjoy them?

I'm thinking the Siesta option is a cunning plan - surely if you get your 8 hours kip every 24 hours then all will be good? It's gotta be said that I'm not a morning person at all (afternoons are only just bearable).

Hmm... teach adults with split shifts or teach spawn-of-satan kids in a single shift. Tricky.

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

Those sound like reasonable split shift hours.

If you live really close you can stumble into work without getting up so early. Breakfast at 10:00.

dodgybarnet · Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:15 am Post subject:

5 minutes on the subway so not quite perfect there. I'm yet to see the apartment and stuff so there's still decisions to be made.

It's funny, I went to the interview with no intention of going for the job (because of the split shifts) and was just there to get some practice at interviewing. Thing is the school was nice, the boss didn't resemble Ebaneezer Scrooge at all, good pay for a newb like me, teaching adults... By the end of the interview I start thinking... "hey, this is quite a good gig..."

We'll see what happens I guess.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

You'll have to sacrifice the typical ESL lifestyle of late nights out on the town.

You might feel you're missing out on the socialising all the hagwon teachers are doing.

SarcasmKills · Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

I did split shifts when I first came to Korea and actually preferred it..

It made me be productive during the day... grocery stores are empty... only a few ajummas in the gym...

Of course you still had the choice of napping when needed..

Going in 3 hours spurts is a breeze.. of course, I was never one who had a problem with getting up early... can't say the same for most of my ex-co-workers...

Sure, you might not drink as much.. consider that a bonus... money-wise and health wise.. us split-shifters still got our groove on often enough.. and it made you appreciate weekends that much more..

Of course, now that I have a uni gig, I'd never go back to split-shift... but it wasn't that big of a deal for me at all

dodgybarnet · Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:43 am Post subject:

Hagwoners socalising? I thought that was just heavy drinking to get through the job! Laughing

Late nights on the town are what the weekends are for I guess! Wasn't expecting to go mad during the week anyway.

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

Split shifts may work for you. Don't know until you try and if not, quit. Most teachers quit. That's a LONG day! You'll burn out as time goes on. It goes to show you that schools in korea are not for education, they are a business. My thinking is that the school owner does not care about its teachers or quality education. The pay would have to be over 2.0, I'd say 2.3/2.4. How many students are in the class and how much are they paying? 10 students paying around 130.000, 5 classes a day.... That's a chunk of change! 1.3 million just for ONE class!

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

The split shift used to work well for me when I lived in Kwangju. Woke up early, taught, went home and slept, taught my evening classes, went to hapkido, went home and slept. Save a good deal of money doing that.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

you wake up go to class...have brunch catch a movie, go for a swim/hit the gym take a nap.

only 3 hours at a shot....long days but much less stress I would guess than a kiddee hogwan.

If you dont want it i'll take it Wink

Skarp · Joined: 22 Aug 2003

There is no way to enjoy a split shift. It's a trade off - splits = adults.

So - take your choice....but splits are bad news for your overall Korea experience - you will do little else but work - plan - sleep.....

repeat ad nauseum 10 times a week...

Also - splits cut heavily into your private teaching time - so can be costly.

Anyway - try it - it maight be worth it for you.

Skarp

VanIslander · Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 4:46 pm Post subject:

A 7-hour break inbetween the split shifts seems great, and is, as long as the vast majority of it is a break.

I personally would emphasize that I need at least 6 of those hours to be mine. Otherwise you might be expected to talk with coworkers after your morning classes, maybe eat a meal with them, have a meeting, expected to prepare lessons at a specific time, or some other requests that could bite into that chunk. You already will lose an hour in transit unless you hussle out of the place at the end of your morning classes and zip back right before your late afternoon classes.

Korean employers are famous for tweaking work schedules, adding a responsibility or two, or making other adjustments.

Be clear and firm, yet soft and indirect, in stating what you need.

Sounds like a good situation.
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Wait! How's this for an idea? Why doesn't one foreigner teach the 7 a.m.-10 a.m. classes and another foreigner teach the 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. classes for a million won each?

I would gladly work three hours in the morning, finish by 10 a.m., for 1.0 mill, and supplement my income through a two-days-a-week part-time position elsewhere. That would be perfect.... only, I wouldn't break my contract and go up to Seoul.

If the split shifts start to get to you maybe you know somebody who'd like to take on half the work for half the pay. Your employer may not be too keen with it, but if you prove to be a valuable employee and you bring someone else to the table, maybe your offer would be acceptable.

Have any teachers ever divided up a split shift job?

I'd do it next year, gladly (in Busan though).

Universalis · Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Location: Seoul

Seeing as how it's looking more and more like I'm going to have to get a hagwon gig to prop up our ailing business, I'm dreading the thought of going back to working split-shifts.

For starters, it's physically gruelling... some may have no problems living a work/sleep/work/sleep 24 hour cycle, but, in all honesty, I think it's unhealthy. At least to me, anyway. Back at my old job a few years ago, I found my self in a vicious circle where a good nap in the afternoon made it difficult to sleep at night, meaning I needed a longer nap in the afternoon, and so on...

My old job finished at 9pm, and classes started at 7am. SO I would get home at 10pm, spend an hour or two to unwind, and do my best to get to bed before midnight. On a good night, I would be asleep by 12am, but would have to wake up at 5:30 for the next day. That's 5+ hours of sleep a night.... not nearly enough.

It's a terrible schedule... I'm not looking forward to it at all.

Brian

Wishmaster · Joined: 06 Feb 2003

All the jobs that are available in the ROK and you are considering working split-shifts? You'll burn out. You can take all the siestas you want but you'll still be tied to that school for damn near the entire day. Again, as long as the foreigners accept what the employers want, things will never change here. Get some stones............

dodgybarnet · Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 3:08 am Post subject:

I'm with Grotto on this. I think split shifts can be good because a fair percentage of the teachers I've met so far just stay in bed all morning then go off to the school. At least split shifts will get me arse out of bed.

I kinda did split shifts before when I worked for a year in a Hostel in NZ. The hours were all spread out which meant that you could go to the gym when it was empty, go to cafes during the day, sit in the sun... and all the other positives mentioned by previous posters. Only difference was that the shifts were spread between 8am-9pm and you did 40 hours a week. This potential job is up earlier, but only 2/3rds of the work hours.

Screw it - If I do get offered the job I think I'll go for it. As numerous posters have said in a variety of threads -> there's no such thing as a perfect job and everything is a compromise. For a newbie like me I'll be happy with getting a 95% good job. In a few years when I know the deal I can get a better position.

We shall see...