Korean Job Discussion Forums

peppermint · Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 7:57 pm Post subject:

I've heard that Pagoda has started adding very unfavorable clauses to their contract, and the pay was never very good there to begiin with.

elksnitis · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Location: Itaewon

from what i've heard it's not legal. the reason is is that when you teach at your school or hagwon, the gov't. knows what kind of tuition is being paid and can look at the schools books.

but, if you go and teach off the reservation, the school can take cash from their students, or just simply place that money in an acct. that has nothing to do with the school. so, they pay no tax and you take the same risk teaching as if you would by teaching privately on your own.

that's what i've heard and it makes sense...

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

yuo can only teach privates at the school that holds your visa. Working anywhere else and doing anything else is illegal.

ontheway · Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:12 am Post subject:

One of my coteachers, a great guy from South Africa, investigated this. He explained to me that hogwans can have a certain number of outside teaching contracts within specific limits and guidelines.

My personal experience leads me to believe that it is legal to teach for your hogwan at outside locations. I have done it many times at many locations. This includes contracts at Korean government institutions where the contract was paid by checks issued by the Korean government to the hogwan. The department heads I taught were on specially approved programs allowing them to study during regular business hours. When I changed hogwans, they tried to keep me on with a contract at my new job (but their new schedule and mine no longer fit).

Of course, I suppose it could be possible that the government itself might set up and pay for illegal English classes!

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

While a hogwon may be able to contract out services, your ability to provide said services are another matter. Just because the hogwon (actually ANy business can pretty much do this) signs a contract with so and so company for extra classes (on or off site) does NOT mean you can work those classes.

You need specific approval for any off site work.

ubum · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Gwangju

Well, I��m not convinced that it is illegal or legal yet. This really should be on a post by itself.

Good luck with your next job; I don��t have any experience at a hagwon, so I can��t help you out there. But you should look at into some in-house language programs. I work for a well known company and its cake, 2.300.000/month.

ubum · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Gwangju

Or if you��re willing to work your bum off like you said, pay attention to the hours or your next contract, try to get them all morning or evening, and make sure they owner is cool with you working somewhere else too. That way you can legally get a second job and not have to worry about privates.

Col.Brandon · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Location: Seoul

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Canucksaram · Joined: 29 Apr 2003

Hi, elksnitis.

I read what you wrote about being followed, but I did not phrase my query as well as I should have.

How did they *find* you teaching? Did somebody ride up an elevator with you?

Were you "busted" waiting for an elevator?

Did you go to your teaching area as normal and then get "walked in on" by Immi?

Were you grabbed when leaving?

What did your student say, if anything? (E.g., "Hey, this is private company property. Do you have a warrant, officer?" or "Hey, this is my friend from (insert place name). We're just talking about stuff, not studying English," and so on.)

Smile

elksnitis · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Location: Itaewon

col.brandon, the school i work for fortunately has an "in" in immigrations as i was told by the owner. apparently my hogwan owner goes way back with some top cop and after some backslapping,etc, i was out after 8 hours of detention. they own various restaurants and the husband even owns a smaller pharmaceutical company, so in my case i got extremely lucky and just got a big slap on the hand....

there were three of us total in that office that day. one guy was married to a korean but didn't bother to get the proper paperwork, so he was also fined the same amount and allowed to stay. another guy was unlucky and was detained and deported.

i'm not sure if they are really cracking down in the gangnam area only or all around, but from what i've heard, this is the area that they are concentrating on now. of course all of this happened in july, so it could have changed by now.

but, it all goes to show that personally i'd rather work harder legally and stay around, vs. risking it with privates (outside of tutoring kids at their home of course) and possibly being detained and deported. that's why i'm trying to find out the ways in which these larger institutions operate.

i completely agree that the school owners don't care too much about the teachers getting caught since the benefits for them faaaar outweigh the risks. paying 500 bucks if they are caught is nothing when you consider that they've made thousands upon thousands for every dollar paid in fines.

having said all that, let me get back to my quest.... can you recommend a specific school, like YBM Gangnam for instance? or just a high paying hogwan or anything else interesting. my contract is up at the end of february but i'm trying to plan now so there are now surprises... i've heard of inhouse english teachers that work directly for certain larger businesses and teach all of their employees.

can anyone tell me how they were able to acquire their inhouse position, and if it's financially mroe rewarding than working for a YBM or Pagoda?

panthermodern · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Taxronto

where is the "None of the above button" ...

lastat06513 · Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject:

Hey.....

I'll add my 3-cents worth on this

I wouldn't concentrate on any of the "big-boy"; They're all schmucks anyway and most of the people that work at those places are schmucks too since they are the ones not qualified enough to get a decent job.

The best way to go is to try to get one of those public school jobs (minus Hamilton, of course)

I did one of those jobs last year and it was sweet!!!!

1. 4 hours a day
2. 2.2 million won a month
3. company and school holidays

There are alot of companies like that, so you really don't need to bother yourself with the "Big baby" academies

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Given a decent hagwon job is between 1.9 and 2.1 (if you can really show you're worth it ie can speak Korean), if you're actually happy with your current situation, then it seems a bird in the hand situation. Why risk a nightmare for an extra $100 a month?

elksnitis · Joined: 16 Feb 2005 Location: Itaewon

I have a friend that works for Berlitz and she makes anywhere from 2.4 to 3.0 a month, depending on the workload.

Another guy I know is at Direct English and makes closer to 2.8 each month.

I work at a good hagwon but they only give a raise of 100.000 for each additional year you sign on for. So I'd be re-signing for 2.0.

Again, given the fact that I can't risk being caught for anymore privates, I think it's a decent idea to try to work for a larger company like a YBM.

I had considered a public school for the small work load but the money is just not there...

Why does Direct English have a bad rep.? I've heard from a guy that works for the Apgujeong DE and the Shinchon DE and they both liked it.