Korean Job Discussion Forums

[karl]

Right then!Two questions:what are the odds of getting my own unshared place in Korea?I've heard some absolute horror stories about people being saddled with complete psycho/sociopaths as their roomies!
I realize the rent is paid for by the school but is it still possible to get my own private room? i don't care if it's a broomcloset as long as i have my own bathroom and bed.Plus, i have heard some scary stories about Korean bedbugs!
The second burning question is about contracts:If a school fires me, am I then allowed to start applying elsewhere immediately? What happens if after one week,I decide that I've made a mistake with my chosen school? Does my Visa then become defunct?Is it odd to volunteer to work for a week to see if it is mutually agreeable for both parties?I have done this on occasion in my own country.I don't mind working for free for a few days before signing the contract to see if we're both happy. You can do this is China.
Any serious info is greatly appreciated

[Saxiif]

Getting a single isn't too hard. Plenty of school already have single apartments rented out so just try to find one of those.

As far as contracts go, if you get an exit order on your visa you have two weeks before you have to leave the country. Of course after you leave the country you can go to a Korean embassy/consulate in a different country, get a new visa and come back the next day.

[prosodic]

Why are you so worried about getting fired? Is it because you don't have a real degree but rather some online BA that took only four months?

Seriously, schools are hesitant to fire you because they put a significant investment into bringing people over. After paying over a thousand dollars to bring somebody over, a school doesn't want to fire the person right away. You would really have to screw up to get fired in the first few months. If they're going to fire you, it's going to be in month 5. That's supposedly the deadline for firing an employee without cause. If they fire you then, they get out of paying your return airfare or severance. That makes good fiscal sense to some schools.

If you are fired, you need to get a letter of release in order to get another job in Korea. Your visa is tied to the employer. As long as one visa is valid, you can't get another. Same thing if you decide to quit. You can't get another work visa until you get a letter of release from the first employer. Some employers get really upset if you quit and refuse to issue a letter of release on principle.

[prosodic]

[marista99]

Just look for ads that say "single housing". There's lots of them.

Although I don't know how many schools that offer single housing are going to be willing to hire you with your fake degree.

And could you PLEASE put spaces between your sentences? This is especially important if you're going to be e-mailing potential employers. No matter what their requirements are, they're going to want someone who knows the basics of English grammar and punctuation. This includes spaces after punctuation.

As for getting fired, you need a letter of release from your employer in order to legally get another job before your contract is up. Depending on the circumstances, this can be difficult, extremely difficult, or impossible to get.

I had a psycho roommate one time too, and it's no fun, but try to be flexible. Even if you get single housing, you could still wind up with a psycho boss, and one point of a contract is so that you can't quit if the job doesn't turn out to be what you expected. The employer will be paying for your housing and airfare and/or visa run, and he wants someone who's going to stick around and make it worth his while. If you were already in Korea you could try working illegally for a little while, but that comes with its own problems.

Bottom line: do your research, narrow it down to a few good offers, and flip a coin if you have to. There's no way to tell until you get there what it's really going to be like.

But don't do any of this until you get a real bachelor's degree, please.

[prosodic]

So, you wanna hear 'bout crazy roommates? There was this one guy I had to live with who was just nuts. I mean really bonkers. Don't get me wrong. At first, I thought he was just eccentric, kind've sleazy, and a little quiet. It's always the quiet ones who get you. Anyway, one day he starts accusing me of stealing his girlfriend. Really crazy stuff, you know. I mean, first of all, he was totally gay. Second, like, she wasn't even his girlfriend. They kind of hung out together for a weekend, never kissed, never held hands, nothin, and, like, later she told me she was just bored and that it wouldn't matter how bored she got in the future, cuz she was never hanging out with him again. Third, I didn't even do nothin with her. But anyway, he gets it in his head that I stole his girlfriend and gets crazier and crazier. He starts ranting at me all night, telling me how evil I am and stuff. It got to the point that I couldn't take it anymore. I was just about ready to ditch and find another place to crash, even if it was just on a buddy's couch, you know? Thank goodness he did me a favor and moved out before I got a chance to do it. It was bloody good after that. But it was hell because he was ranting at me all night for a couple weeks straight and I couldn't sleep and I was starting to think it was either him or me. And all over what, some chick that he hung out with for a weekend and she wouldn't even let him hold her hand or nothing? I mean, really. What kind of messed up crazy jacked up kind o situation is that, exactly? And him accusing me of stealing his girlfriend when I really didn't do anything whatsoever. I was the best roommate ever. I mean, I didn't even sleep with her until weeks after he moved out. I was totally doing the right thing by this guy and he has the nerve to rant and yell and scream at me for days on end because he thought I had slept with this girl he spent a couple days hanging out with and who wouldn't give him any play. And like I said, I didn't even bang her until long after he started accusing me of doing it. And by then it was like, well, what's the point of not banging her if you're just gonna think I did anyways no matter what I say. You know what I mean?

[captain kirk]

Depends on what kind of person you are, whether having a roomate is for you. If you like sports and hanging out with friends and can't imagine life without being social and connected to some people then having a roomie could work out, provided the roomie is the same, highly social type of guy.
But if you're one of the folks, like myself, who likes Korea because there's a lot of peace and quiet -solitude- then having a roomie is not part of your plan. And if the boss 'really wants' you to share to accomodate him, well, NO

[Grotto]

My first year in Korea.

Upon arrival I was taken to a fairly large 3 bedroom apartment where 2 women were living (i'm a guy) Okay a little wierd but I can handle it.

One was a 50ish woman who was very nice and we got along well. The other was a spoiled selfish black biatch who walked around with a 12 foot pole stuck up her ass. From day one I tried to be considerate as I wasnt crazy about living with two women that I didnt know and I am sure that they were somewhat put out with having a male roommate forced upon them.

TV...the black biatch would plop her fat ass down on the couch and watch TV. If you started watching the same show as her she would hold down the channel change button and constantly flick through the channels. I mean she did this for hours at a time just to piss me off.

Stereo...she had this big old stereo in her bedroom and if you were watching TV she would crank it up playing ghetto ganster rap crap so that the walls shook and you couldnt hear the TV. Her taste in music was crap...nothing but rap, dance and hip hop!

One night the older teacher and I politely asked her to keep the volume on her stereo down a bit as the noise bothered both of us(we had also had apartment security up a couple of times because of complaints from neighbors) and she went ballistic swearing at us and generally freaking out that this was all because she was black.

One night we invited some of the Korean teachers over for a spaghetti dinner as I used to be a chef and love to cook. We informed the 'BIATCH' about the planned dinner party. The night of the party we were all in the living room waiting for the food to finish cooking when in storms the 'BIATCH' the Korean teachers said 'Hi Cheryl' and she just blew past everyone with her nose in the air. The Korean teachers were upset and asked us if they had done something wrong. Why is she so angry with us?
Once in her bedroom she cranked her freaking stereo up and then 2 minutes later stormed out of the apartment with the music still blaring. Not one to violate the sanctity of ones bedroom I went to the circuit breaker and flicked the power off in her room killing the stereo. About 5 minutes later she comes storming back into the apartment...then swears and has a mini tantrum in her bedroom and they storms back out. At work the next day she tells all the other teachers that I went into her bedroom and went through her stuff, turned off her stereo and stole her money. Luckily two of the other teachers were there when all this crap went down and stuck up for me.

It all came to a head one night when I was home watching TV and she comes storming in. Blasts here stereo up to full volume with 'N' music and lights up a cigarette...oh yeah no smoking in the apartment school rules. So I turn up the TV trying to watch my program...she turns up the stereo...oh yeah her bedroom has a window that exits onto the balcony so she has the window open and is sitting on the balcony smoking and listening to her crap music. I've had alls I cans stands I cants stands no more I go over to the circuit breaker and kill her stereo again...'whats your effing problem?' she says...I tell her that her rude and inconsiderate behaviour will no longer be tolerated! I am through walking on eggshells to try and placate you Her reply 'you're a effing loser! you're here because you couldn't get a effing job in Canada '

I laughed if I am a effing loser what are you? You are here doing the same thing I am Oh wait....my degree is in education whats yours? Oh its in philosophy what a waste of paper A do nothing degree about how to think deep thoughts about being unemployed

Her reply 'you're fat!'

Yup I am, but so are you! Your ass is twice as big as mine you fat *beep*!

Her counter 'you're ugly too'

take a look in a mirror you black peice of crap, fat lipped banana eating, ghetto crack *beep*

Her reply..'you're mean' and burst into tears and ran out of the apartment.

The biatch didnt come back for 3 days And when she did she moved out After 3 months of hell I was free...free...free

The remainder of my year was so much better not having that spoiled little biatch in the same apartment. Oh yeah at work she still tried to make life difficult for me but my rebuttel was 'what was that? I'm sorry I dont understand ghetto monkey speak!'


I have insisted on single accomodations since.

[Harkkonenlad]

Grotto is my next door neighbour. Well...he comes over, and lends a hand to my dog in destroying my apartment. For a while he complained about the volume of my music, however Im half deaf and simply dont realise that im shattering glass on floor no. 14. Given a year of getting to know him Im suprised at his restraint in dealing with the "biatch". Grotto is sometimes surly but a generally nice dude. And despite all my drunken antics he's never thrown me off the balcony. And he's even assisted the police in finding my apartment for me. However, Im sure glad I am not his roommate, but I dont mind having him next door. However...I've learned the importance of locking my door. Grotto, your turn.

[Grotto]

Rebuttal!

Yes Harkonnenlad is my next door neighbor. I do go over and visit. I usually play with his dog...throw a tennis ball around..it wouldnt cause so much damage if there werent so many empties littering the place. Besides with a Caullker spaniel you have to expect some collateral damage.

Over the last year I have had the opportunity to meet several interesting people because of Harkonnenlad....the police several koreans and his drunken friends from Ulsan As he keeps himself medicated Harkonnenlad is a pretty laid back guy...like I mean comatose..barely coherent. Would I trade him>? Maybe for his friend Donna