Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Us in DC]

I know that there are a bunch of threads about this in the FAQ section but they really aren't very helpful in answering my questions.

Most posters on this board feel it is better to go to Korea and look for a job beacuse I am less likely to get screwed. Agreed. However, the offers I am getting from recruiters on the internet are really crappy. They are either split shifts or the contract is shady. So how will I be in a better position to find or recieve better offers once I am already there? I don't want to take a job that says I may get a really crappy schedule one fine day if they feel like giving it to me.

The FAQ threads mention the Korean Harold and walking into Hagwon's and asking if the are hiring as two possibilities. Is there more I should know?

Are there good/bad times of the year to come?

Will I be in a better position to negotiate on the split shift and other issues if I am there and ready to start?
[/b]

[susans70]

now i am probably not the best person to answer this question for you - as i am in the same situation - but i will share a piece of advice that i got from a friend of mine who did this about a year ago. if you can afford the ticket yourself up front, go to korea and look from there. you're in a better position to pick and choose and be more certain you're getting on with a good school that's telling you the truth. if they lie about your apartment condition what else are they going to lie about?? easier to catch them in the lie when you can see the place in person before signign anything. he said to set up interviews, people to meet etc. when you arrive (look on the job postings here and just tell them when you're arriving) and then go from there. his experience - arrived on tuesday, had schools fighting over him by wednesday, was settled in a new apartment and working at a great job by friday.
little scarier though, i'm currently debating the same issue myself...

[captain kirk]

'Little scarier finding a job once here'.
The intercity bus service in Korea is top notch. The buses leave every ten or twenty minutes. It's easy to find the bus to your destination at the bus station. The buses are pretty cheap. You can relax on the bus and look out the window for a couple of hours.
When you get to the city where your interview is call the wonjonim and tell him or her you're at the bus station. They will come and pick you up.
It's not possible to make any mistakes. Just smile alot and look around. And when it comes to jumping in and maybe doing a class or two with the kids not to be shy and just horse around being teacherer like you're all at the park, not in a tense room doing a 'demo'. The latter is the hardest thing for me, relaxing at demos. And it's central. . Wanting the staff and wonjonim 'to like you at first sight' isn't something that can be 'control freakly done'. It usually just happens. What they really want to know is how you get along with the kids, whether you're shy with them or uptight, and they want the opposite. A relaxed person at ease with the kids (at the same time 'teacherer'). Attractive in a demeanour with kids way. Doesn't matter if you're old, fat, thin, pretty, whatever.
Kids, when they get a whiff of uptight tension, want to start messin' with you. They take insecurity and want to mold it into playground equipment. .
It's easy to take the 'like me' offering demeanour wanting a job from the management into the classroom at the demo and see a bunch of little 'adults' looking back at you. They're NOT

[crazylemongirl]

I got my current gig through a contact but I had been here a year before it came up. Honestly as a newbie I went with a recuriter just cause the idea of flying over here seemed so daunting and it was cool to have someone to help with all the paperwork etc.

However I ended up at a crappy school on bad pay. So I suppose I got what I deserved.

[CanadaCommando]

Yesterday, I got off the wrong floor looking for a bank...walked into a Hakwon instead. Tried to ask for directions. Secretary instantly took off and got the director. Took about 5 minutes to convince them I didnt want an interview...

Try some cold calls. I had a few buddies do that, and it worked well for them. Saves the owners recruiters costs and the hassle of advertising, and it gives you a good chance to set the first impression.

Good luck.

CC

[tomwaits]

I think there aren't any secrets here. The only difference is you will be available to start ASAP if something attractive is offered.

I am wondering the same. I am in China and thinking of another shot at Korea. I guess I will put out feelers online ans see what is offered. As for arriving a lot of it comes down to budget. Can you afford to wait it out for the right offer? Spending 100 US a day would not be unheard of looking for work. You will be unsettled and paying for PC rooms-laundry-cabs and subway-sitting in coffee shops etc. And the hotel of course. I know where and how to find a gooshiwon so that can keep costs down.

Schools can be hard to judge even in person. It's still a bit of a leap into unknown. Talking to teachers is not always the answer. At a school I spoke with teachers who said--"It's OK-a little hectic maybe but I like Korea..." Hectic? They were working splits Sats and doing phone work on top of it. It may have been their 1st job and they had nothing to compare it with. Ideally I would like to line up something that sounds OK and just get on with it rather than do the whole rent-run around thing. Good luck..

[Roch]

Has anybody heard about the impending demise of the Korea Herald and its hogwons at Myeongdong Station? The word on the street is that the company is almost bankrupt and is shutting down its language schools at the end of December. Is this true or a crock of baloney?

[Us in DC]

Thanks for the responses. However, I am really looking for techniques. For instance, cold phonecalls and walk-ins to hagwon's...okay but where do I get phone numbers and addresses? I found one list on another site with 20 listings and it was about 10 years old.

Is there any other way to do it, if not where can I get a list? Ultimately, recruiters are the gatekeepers to finding out who is hiring so I just don't know how to get past them.

[oneiros]

[CanadaCommando]

[the_beaver]

[ratslash]

technique number one - get your ass to whatever city you want to work in. DON'T try to find a job from outside korea. it will just end in tears. find somewhere cheap to stay. lots of hotels/guesthouses. when i arrived i stayed in a dormitory in the travlers A in central seoul.

technique one b - get a mobile when you arrive. you look more professional.

technique two - tour round the city and find out a place that you would like to live i.e. ilsan, bungdang etc etc or in the city centre.

technique three - get your walking shoes on and go hagwon hunting. find one that looks like a good one and go and speak to the director. be careful though, some of the best looking hagwons were the worst to work for, some of the shabbiest the best. don't judge by the cover.

technique four - practice your lieing techniques - not YOU, lieing, but how to spot other people lieing. for example, looking down to the right means someone is constructing information.

technique five - find a few hagwons you like and then hit them with what you want. negotiate.

also, people may contradict me, you could go with one of the big chains like YBM for your first year. i know people still get messed around by these chains, but i think it is less messing round than going with an independent.

good luck!

[Us in DC]

Okay. I can do all that. It is a little daunting but...btw how do I identify a hagwon. Is there a sign? Is there a certain look to the buildings? Do they look like schools in America?

[peppermint]

[cacheSurfer]