Korean Job Discussion Forums

[elksnitis]

I'm currently at a hogwan that I really love but cannot stand the 1.9mil. a month, so I won't be resigning when my time is up. I tried to do privates but was caught teaching a 1 on 1 businessman class only after 6 classes. I paid a 5oo,oooW fine and blacklisted. So, if I'm caught again I have to leave the country.

The point being... Since I don't want to risk being caught again, I need to work for a fixed high salary or hourly like the big institutions pay. I'm willing to work from dusk 'till dawn if the pay is right. I'll have my own place in Haebongchon so the housing won't be a problem. I'd like to work within a 30-45 min. commute from my house.

I've read other posts but don't know enough yet to understand what ybm ecc is, jongro3ga, ybm els, ... Please help. I've heard Pagoda is trouble as far as pay, Berlitz has screwed some people on their year-end bonuses, etc.

I'd like to know which schools have the highest pay, best working conditions and the most fair hours, etc. Please give me any info to specific school locations that you may have worked for and loved or hated, or that your friends may have worked at.

Please share your specific stories, warnings, suggestions and any other information that may help me. Please feel free to PM me or write me at [email protected] if you think Big Brother is watching.

Thanks for your help!!!

[Qinella]

[ontheway]

I think the OP meant "re-signing" as in renewing a contract. (Terminology commonly used in the sports world.) However, he wrote "resigning" as in quitting.

[Captain Corea]

You may want to add The Princeton Review to that list.
They have adult classes as well.

[elksnitis]

sorry, re-signing is what i meant but that's not the point...

do you know any horror stories about the big schools?

how about any good experiences at specific schools?

[bellum99]

How were you caught doing privates?

Number one biggest rule!!!!!!

1: Do not tell anyone...not friends, girlfriends and "nice" korean teachers.

People are strange....you got caught doing a one-one business person tutor. It seems almost impossible.....


About the question......The salary is about the same at all the big schools. Things are frozen it seems like. It went up over the years, but it hasn't gone up in a couple of years. There are too many cheap teachers here and they don't have to offer higher salary.
They changed the laws about how much a school can charge, so that means they make less money now than before. They can't pay more to the teachers.

[elksnitis]

I was caught in the Gangnam area crackdown, Star Tower to be exact. They nailed a lot of others in the Samsung, Yeoksam, etc. areas following teachers from the subway in the early AM. (This was really easy for them with me since the green line Yeoksam stop has direct access to the Star Tower building.) What the hell did I know, I'd been here for 2 months then...

So be careful and be wise when accepting a new private...

Back to the topic though...

I've received some PM's saying that YBM is the best because they don't bs their teachers and you have better hours.

Would you agree with this?

[bundangbum]

why not get two part time jobs or three. earn lots of money that way but you miss out on a free place to live

[joe_doufu]

I've never worked for Berlitz Korea but have worked for them in Hong Kong and in the USA. They are a very nice place to work but generally shortchange their teachers on pay.

[elksnitis]

bundangbum, like i said. i don't want to risk getting caught working outside of my e2 because next time i get kicked out. that's why i'm willing to work longer hours for a larger institution.

i just need some help and advice on what's out there.

so far YBM is up in the poll, but no one has really stated why....

please dive in...

[bellum99]

Here is an idea. Some small schools will allow you to work longer hours and you can tutor legally in the school. You may have to give the school a cut, but they might be willing to add that to your contract. I did this for a while and it is okay. You charge 40,000 and give the school like
15,000.

DO NOT OFFER TO GIVE THEM A CUT FIRST. LOCK THE HOURS THEY WANT IN THE CONTRACT, THEN TALK ABOUT THIS OR THEY WILL COUNT IT AS SCHOOL HOURS AND SCREW YOU. A REAllY DESPERATE SCHOOL WILL TAKE THIS...

[Sucker]

Just one point -

Yeeha is not a "big player". One company with a bunch of websites that are full of blatent lies.

They trick their full time teachers into teaching illegal privates (sending them to business classes off site), all the while telling them that it is perfectly legal (at least one of their teachers that I know of have been caught doing this).

They charge 90,000 for each 1 hr class and pay the teacher 25,000.

Part time teachers are not provided with visas or permission from immigration.

Teacher (and Korean staff) retention is a problem for them to say the least.

Several points actually.......

[Canucksaram]

How were you caught? Can you describe the situation so that others have a bit of a heads-up if they're next to be dealth an unlucky card?

[elksnitis]

thanks for the heads up on yeeha, cross that one off my list.

i've heard that berlitz does the same thing by sending their full-time teachers to teach privates all around seoul.

that's exactly what i'd like to avoid.

all legal now...


canucksaram, read my post above. i explained it how i was caught. the immigrations officials were actually nice and the "bodyguard" is the one that told me how they're doing it now, by merely following the teachers in the am from subway lines.

[ubum]

Sucker

Isn��t that legal as long as the school gets paid by the company and you get paid by the school. Who cares if you do your teaching at a business 1:1 or at a school with 10 students? As long as you are compensated for your travel time as part of your contract hours.