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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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whatthefunk
Joined: 21 Apr 2003
Location: Dont have a clue
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 Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Go to Vegas. Spend all your money. Rack up a huge debt. Huge. Were talking thousands. Fake your own death. Im imagining a car explosion or a cadavar with matching dental records in a river. I can arrange this. I have the right connections. Jump a cargo ship. It doesnt matter where it goes. Do you have any experience with pimping? I hope so cause you will need it. |
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Pulgasori
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: En Route to Daejeon
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Sure....but what's in it for you? |
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whatthefunk
Joined: 21 Apr 2003
Location: Dont have a clue
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Whats in it for me? Everything, man...everything. |
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mithridates
Joined: 03 Mar 2003
Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:06 pm Post subject: |
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No, you're not crazy. Assuming you are interested in picking up the language and enjoy the country enough, a high-paying job in Canada pales in comparison. Myself, I couldn't be paid enough to take a job in Canada (except maybe, maybe one that lets me leave the country all the time, or something to do with space). When people are telling you to take the hotel job, just for a while, they are forgetting that most people who take a high-paying job end up doing silly things like buying cars and taking out mortgages, that's okay because I'm getting a promotion soon, nope, looks like I just got married, she wants kids and I'm okay with that, oops, now I'm 45...
But that's just me. I prefer freedom to money, a challenge to sameness and lethargy, etc. etc.
A bit of advice though! I recommend you go over on a tourist visa, find a goshiwon to live in for a month and do some searching yourself. Don't sign up to a school before you see it in person. You don't want to end up bitter and regretful. "I passed up a $60000 a year hotel job for this????" is the last thing you want to say.
http://www.taxtips.ca/tax_rates.htm#BCTaxRates
However, according to this site you would be paying about 31% in combined federal and provincial taxes, so your take-home salary would be a little over $42000. Compare that with an english teaching job - if you play your cards right you should be able to find one that pays 2 million a month, which is about $26000 CDN a year, minus 5% (? or was it 3?) gives you $24700 after tax...
but that's not all, the room is also free. Most rooms cost the hagwons about 400 000 a month, so add another $4000 - $5000 on top of that, and you are at somewhere close to $30000. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:35 pm Post subject: Re: Would you call me crazy if: |
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Did that. Taking a break from high tech for a couple years here. Loved Korea as a tourist but came here understanding it was going to be a bit different than spending two weeks as a tourist who sleeps every night in a super deluxe hotel.
I think I made a point some place else that your fresh out of college BA student looking for a good paying ESL job to pay down student loans and credit card debt has to now content with older, established people taking a break from their middle class incomes. We're not so fussy about the almighty won. We're happy to work for less in return for a nice apartment and a nice place in Korea to set down for a couple. |
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Pulgasori
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: En Route to Daejeon
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like you understand where I'm coming from from your own personal experience.
While the 'In person' route is obviously much safer (and I would definetly do it if at all possible) I just don't think it will be financially feasible for me. I'll likely have to rely on a recruiting agency/company. I've been looking around at many of these agencies, some I've heard good things about...others I'll be sure to avoid.
And you're bang-on with the taxation spin! It was probably misleading to throw the '60k' figure out there. Add on the fact that the cost of living is probably lower in Seoul than here on the Left Coast...and the gap in earnings ought to shrink even further. |
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Pulgasori
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: En Route to Daejeon
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:43 pm Post subject: Re: Would you call me crazy if: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
Did that. Taking a break from high tech for a couple years here. Loved Korea as a tourist but came here understanding it was going to be a bit different than spending two weeks as a tourist who sleeps every night in a super deluxe hotel.
I think I made a point some place else that your fresh out of college BA student looking for a good paying ESL job to pay down student loans and credit card debt has to now content with older, established people taking a break from their middle class incomes. We're not so fussy about the almighty won. We're happy to work for less in return for a nice apartment and a nice place in Korea to set down for a couple. |
Money isn't my top priority either. It's on the list, but not in the top 3.
Maybe a difficult question to answer, but if you (those who've taught ESL in Korea) had to guess, what would you estimate the average age of today's crop of ESL teachers to be? I'll be 22 upon graduation, presumably among the younger bunch. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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| mithridates wrote: |
However, according to this site you would be paying about 31% in combined federal and provincial taxes, so your take-home salary would be a little over $42000. Compare that with an english teaching job - if you play your cards right you should be able to find one that pays 2 million a month, which is about $26000 CDN a year, minus 5% (? or was it 3?) gives you $24700 after tax...
but that's not all, the room is also free. Most rooms cost the hagwons about 400 000 a month, so add another $4000 - $5000 on top of that, and you are at somewhere close to $30000. |
I know RR is going to come rushing in posting a link saying Koreans are all making 3.5 million won a month and still killing themselves in record numbers in spite of it.
When you work in other factors like cost of living back home, what a one bedroom apartment would cost you in Toronto or Vancouver, transportation issues ($2 a subway ride in Toronto vs 90 cents in Seoul), etc and how much you can actually save a month living a reasonably sober life style (head out for beers once a weekend, see a couple movies a month, eat out 3 - 4 times a week at a local restaurant, buy a new piece of clothing once a month) you can save roughly $1,000 a month. To afford a one bedroom apartment in Toronto and bank 1G a month would mean having to gross roughly 40-45k a year.
So yeah. 60K a year is a great wage but you might end up finding you can save more money here, simply because of cost of living and you're not surrounded by friends who are always dragging you out for $20 sushi dinners, you're not eating $9 lunches 5 days a week, you're not paying for gas/car insurance, and you're not paying $1,000 a month for a one bedroom apartment. |
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Paji eh Wong
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:58 pm Post subject: |
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My fear would be complatency with the hotel gig. Getting a little too comfortable with what I already have, passing up on what 'may be'.
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Korea's good for that at least. There's little career advancement and most Koreans don't want you to stick around here for the long term. Come to Korea, you sound like you'll regret it if you don't.
ps. No offence, but what kind of four star hotel puts a 21 year old graduate into management? |
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krats1976
Joined: 14 May 2003
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| Pulgasori wrote: |
Also, I may not have been clear in my OP, Hospitality/Tourism management isn't my area of specialization, and isn't a sector I envision myself working in several years down the line. I'm looking to find my way into the field of negotiations/labour relations.
The plan is:
-Pay off Student Loan within 1-2 years. (teaching in Korea may come in handy here)
-Complete IMBA back in Canada (international Master of Business Admin)
-Find Gainful employment either domestically or internationally. |
I'd say the hotel job would be a better first step for these goals. You will get some good business management experience which will be helpful when you're applying for grad school, and which you won't get teaching English here. You seem to be looking for a cultural experience, which is good, but I'm not sure if teaching English in Seoul is the way to go about it. I had a hard time really connecting with Korea when I lived in Seoul, partly because I had no time or energy after "teaching" (*cough* babysitting) munchkins all day, and partly because traditional Korea is harder to find in Seoul. I'm doing much better now that I'm out of Seoul and in a real school.
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It's a demanding job, both physically & mentally. |
As will be teaching English. Add to that the frustration of dealing with directors & parents whose vision of the "education" the hagwon provides--or should provide--is quite different from your own. I also got really frustrated (as I know other have) by the "treading water" feeling I got teaching in the hagwon. I felt like I was simply putting money in the bank (then making it disappear really fast), and not moving forward personally or professionally.
Anyway, it's always easy to give advice when it has no bearing on your own life, but I'd say take the hotel job for a couple of years, build your resume, go to grad school, then move on from there. That's, what 4-6 years of your life? Yeah, that sounds like a lot, but it's really not, especially when you're only 21. |
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Pulgasori
Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: En Route to Daejeon
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 8:19 am Post subject: |
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ps. No offence, but what kind of four star hotel puts a 21 year old graduate into management? |
None taken at all. 
Actually, the manager of the whole hotel is 21 years old herself....of course her father owns the hotel, but still. She's in the same program/classes with me at University, (how I got hooked up with the interning gig in the first place).
I've done a very good job thus far, from all accounts. The other 2 subordinate managers (with a combined 20+ years in hospitality) often turn to me for advice, how to handle situations.
The owner has taken to me quite well, that helps I'm sure. |
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rNS
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Macheon Dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Excuse my ignorance but how much is 60,000 canadian Dollars in US Dollars, UK Pounds or Won?
The answer to this will aid my enjoyment of this thread no end....... |
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Koreabound2004
Joined: 19 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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I highly doubt that someone who is 22, hasn't even graduated, would be offered a position paying 60k, and a manager at that....of a big hotel. Come on now brown cow.....
And if by small chance you were, you would sure as hell take it over an uncertain job in Korea paying 1/3 of that.... |
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Swiss James
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| rNS wrote: |
Excuse my ignorance but how much is 60,000 canadian Dollars in US Dollars, UK Pounds or Won?
The answer to this will aid my enjoyment of this thread no end....... |
it's almost 26k in english money. I reckon you should definitely take the hotel job, it's good money, and would be very handy for someone who wants to travel. |
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Rather_Dashing
Joined: 07 Sep 2004
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| Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| 60k a year in Canada? That's more (after tax and cost of living included) than you'll be making in Korea. If you go to Korea, you're going there for the culture and the pussywillows. Consider yourself lucky to have been offered that much, most Bachelor students get 35-40k a year jobs just graduating. |
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