Korean Job Discussion Forums

[babtangee]

[chaq]

Thx babtangee

Much appreciated!

[Reena]

If you are willing to live outside of Seoul, I know of two places hiring in Paju City - and they need people a.s.a.p. You will be about 45 minutes from Seoul so its not too far away, let me know if you are interested.

[People's Front of Judea]

Hello Chaq. I hope the following information may help.

I have been teaching in Korea over 3 years now (a trifle for some and a long time for others) and in that time (2 years in Seoul and 1 year in a smaller provincial town), I have found what Ohfamous said is true. Though there may be a few ��non-white�� or Korean-descended teachers roaming around who have never been affected by the racial or nationality-minded "packing" order, it does exist for most hogwans and even some universities positions in Korea. Though this may be the norm for most schools which are more obsessed with chasing the almighty $$$WON$$$ instead of operating as something that even remotely resembles a school, you can find a good position, regardless of such packing-order silliness, as other posters have suggested.

I have worked in Apgujeong (Gangnam), Seoul for the past two years. The school I worked for (an "upscale" hogwan, ha ha) hired and continues to hire Korean North Americans. We usually had anywhere between 14 to 16 teachers. Half have been Korean Canadians or Americans. Some have been Chinese Canadians or Japanese Americans. The others have been Canadians or Americans from European descent. For what it's worth, I come from mainly British and German descent, with some Choctaw Indian (or Native American for the PC minded) thrown into the multi-cultural mix.

Anyway as I got to know some of my fellow teachers, I found that Korean North American (also known as Kyopos) ESL teachers seem to have many more opportunities in Gangnam than other parts of Seoul and outside Seoul. What I have gathered from listening to my fellow teachers of Asian descent is that non-Korean Asian teachers usually find jobs at the same places in Gangnam where they would find employment.

Though everyone's experience can be and will be different, it seems that the parents at two schools in Apgujeong (Shinsa Dong and Nonhyeon Dong areas) have no problem with Kyopo teachers teaching their children. Also, I have known 3 teachers who were Chinese North Americans, 1 who was Japanese American, and 1 who was Chinese-Malaysian Canadian, who had no problem getting work in Apgujeong. Sometimes, Kyopos are preferred by parents, especially at SAT hogwans and for private lessons (which are legal if you can get the F-4 visa and report extra income for tax purposes, but that's a whole other thread waiting to happen). Some of my fellow Kyopo teachers do quite well with jobs in Gangnam and private work. It seems this small, but existent, job situation applies to Asian North Americans as well. The irony, in my opinion, is that as open-minded as these schools seem to be about hiring Asian North Americans, I haven't heard of or met the first British or Australian Asian teacher at these schools. I guess they are racially PC, but hold nationalistic bias. Go figure!

Thus far, I only know of two schools for you to contact, but you could get more information about other schools and opportunities through Kyopos or Asian North American teachers working at these schools. The first is Jackie's Clinic ([email protected]) and the second is Sejong Language Institute ([email protected]). Jackie's focuses on the Elementary school level (which is hiring a teacher for March). I believe Sejong focuses on the middle school level.

Though many schools will claim the following even if they are located "in the Ghetto," these two schools actually serve the more affluent students in Gangnam. Most of the students are almost native speakers. Some are spoiled, yet most are very diligent. They travel frequently around Asia, to England, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Many of them have lived in these countries and some attend international schools (like C.I.S. and S.I.S.) in Seoul. So, these two schools have strong writing curriculums and the students do a lot of homework. The job can be a bit taxing as the teacher is expected to grade A LOT of work and teach extra hours during intensive periods, which can be kind of rough for some. Yet, it's a great job where, believe it or not, the teacher is appreciated moreso than not for the merits of teaching instead of how white your face is. The pay at these schools is above the hogwan norm (2 million won). Most teachers and I have made between 2.3 to 2.8 million won a month for the base salary, which depends on your experience and negotiating skills. Also, my counterparts who have taught privates (whether legally or illegally) seem to earn anywhere between 50,000 to 80,000 won per class (while many people seem to accept 30,000 to 35,000 won which is the minimum for some who I guess don't know any better or are in a financial bind, but this is yet again another thread for another time).

Chaq, if you want to send me a PM, I will be happy to give you the email of a friend at Jackie's, she's Korean Canadian, who would be a great point of reference. She has been here for 4 years (or longer?) and knows many Kyopo teachers and some Asian teachers in the Apgujeong area. Since you mentioned that who are somewhat broke, I assume it's not so easy for you to fly over and find a position (which would be the best way to do it). My friend could let you know about the Kyopo and Asian teaching community (which seems to be rather "church-going") in Gangnam and offer advice on what to expect and where to look for positions that favor Asian Canadians and Americans. She could tell you much more than I could.

I hope this helps. Good luck in the job search, and don't lose heart because you haven't received many replies. It seems to be the norm these days when applying from outside the country. Hang in there.

[chaq]

Took this post down, thought it was taking up too much space.

[chaq]

Hey guys

Thanks everyone for helping me out. The advice and feedback I received helped a lot. I've agreed to work for a school in Daegu. I'll be teaching adults, so it'll be a split-shift gig, so hopefully I'll be able to adjust. I'll be in Korea in about a months time.

If anyone wants details, PM me.

Chaq

[redbird]

While we're on a related subject, how difficult is it for people over 40 years old to find work? I'm in Chicago and thinking about flying in September to Korea, probably Busan.