Korean Job Discussion Forums

[flip ant]

So, I was cruising along pretty good with this recruiter. I got the contract, gathered all of my documents together and shipped them off to Korea. As soon as I emailed the recruiter that I had shipped them and sent him the tracking number, this is a part of what I received in an email:

[insamsaram]

I'm going soon too. Though (and because) I have no personal experience there, I feel more comfortable going there first and finding my way around...then looking for jobs where I can interact face to face. Maybe there are ads on boards near campuses etc... other than just internet ads.

[keithinkorea]

That sounds very dodgy indeed. If they were originals things could get complicated. The school should pay the fee! Obviously recruiters play a role in many people getting their first job here, but the schools should pay.

It almost seems like extortion. 'We have your documents, (you have to pay us or you'll lose them)'. If they never told you anything about the 30% thing then you are possibly getting ripped big time and this is not the usual practice. Sounds like a scam to me.

Tell them you've spoken to teachers in Korea and this is a very unusual thing. Hint that you'll blacklist them if they dont drop the fee.

If you're new to the 'Korean game' then maybe they saw you as a bit of easy extra cash.

Check the ESL law website. There are some warning about 'lost documents' there.

Hope the situation resolves itself.
Good luck.

[flip ant]

No, nothing original. Notarized copy of my degree, transcripts, etc. but nothing that I'm afraid to lose.

The more I think about this, the angrier I get.

[peppermint]

A 30 percent commission from you is highway robbery- the school pays them- NOT YOU!

To hell with thtreatening to blacklist them- do it.

[prosodic]

Yes, name the recruiter right now.

By the way, I'm assuming you sent the documents to the school and not the recruiter, right? If so, you might as well just proceed and let the recruiter try, and try, and try to get that 30%. There's no reason to blame a school for a recruiter's misdeeds.

[flip ant]

After I fired off an email to the recruiter, this is the response I got.

[maxxx_power]

It's not normal. Tell them to go *beep* themselves and find a new recruiter.

[prairieboy]

Here's some advice on how to handle this situation so you can take it or leave it, the choice is yours.

If you know the name of the institute/school/college and the phone number then why not just contact them directly and sidestep the recruiter.

His story of how teacher's prefer public school and college jobs over private jobs may be true but teacher's paying the fee is not very common in my experience.

Tell him no and contact the school directly. You may be pleasantly surprised.

That's just my advice again so if you thinks it's helpful then use it if not then don't.

Good luck in your job search.

Cheers

[chronicpride]

It is true that Uni's and many public schools don't pay recruiting fees. If he's lining you up for a hagwon gig and feeding you that line, then he is feeding you crap, Otherwise, this isn't the first time that I've heard recruiters doing this for these type of gigs.

Try to go around him if you can, but if not, you have to decide how much you want this job.

[Gord]

If the job was a generic job, then the current market average is that the school pays the recruiting fee. There is no advantage to you in paying for the fee when you could get the same job from elsewhere while someone else picks up the tab.

If the job was not a generic job and provides a number of benefits over a generic job, then it's a simple matter of deciding if it's worth paying a finder's fee which is the way the world works normally.

The email suggests that you are getting a job that is desirable and above a generic language academy job. I would pay. By paying, you get pushed above everyone else who refuses to pay such a fee and is probably the primary reason why you even have the job offer before you now.

If you don't want to pay, then you can toss your name into the hat with all the other people who want an above average job but refuse to pay an agent's fee. Though your chances of finding what you want would now be greatly reduced.

[sadsac]

In nearly 4 years I'v never heard of a teacher paying commission to a recruiter. This person is just double dipping. I doubt if you will be able to reach a compromise with this recruiter. Prairieboy'sadvice is valid and you have nothing to lose. Good luck.

[turtlepi1]

I had found a Canadian recruiter that also did this...they are quite upfront about it on their website. If they place you with a private school there is no recruiter fee (well..it is paid by the school) The universities don't pay recruiters so they charge a portion of your first month's salary for placing you in these positions.

I actually would be willing to pay the fee to a legitimate recruiter if they were able to keep me out of the private system.

There isn't much dodgy about a recruiter wanting to be paid for finding a job. On the other hand if you guys didn't talk about it upfront or when he told you it was a university posting rather than a private school then that is dodgy...

(mind you I think it is illegal in Canada to take money from someone for finding them a job. I suspect they circumvent that by collecting the money in Korea.)

Good luck.

[chronicpride]

[Michelle]

Chronic Pride, (and I don't mind replies from other teachers on the board), don't you think we should refuse these deals and not set a precedent?

I certainly would not like to have to pay this commision for all university gigs in the near future if I don't have to. One recruiter finds out the others don't have to pay.

There are usually a few deductions at first anyway. They already look in country and wefly ourselves over to secure these jobs usually. Last job didn't offer the full airfare unless I stayed 2 years.

What's wrong with a university or college posting on Dave's anyway and avoiding the fiasco?

Next they'll be charging the teachers on a scale depending on how they advertised for them?

Anyone agree or am I moaning and whining too much?