Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Just thought I'd check the site out make a few posts there today - posts attacking none of the members or administrators whatsoever - and they all got deleated and I got banned. Anyone know who runs the place? I'd be curious to see if it's someone whose fragile ego I offended here on Dave's, lol.

I even thought of the idea of donating to an organisation like that. They can certainly go f themselves now...

[BigBlackEquus]

What did you say?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I asked one poster if she was the same M_________ B_________ who lived in Abbotsford, BC. I made another about what you can do if you have trouble getting a LOR. And, thinking it was a cool site, I made a longer post to contribute to their 'good stories' about Korea thread. By back-clicking I was able to save it. Here it is - pretty damn offensive, isn't it.


I've been in Korea a year. There are things that piss me off, but there are many more things I love. I could easily see myself as the type who stays here for years (and never learns to speak the language, lol).

I came over because I couldn't think of anything else to do with my life after dropping out of grad school. I took the first job that would pay my flight. It started out OK, but I didn't realise how relatively crappy the hours were. My Canadian friend who had worked in Korea gave me the impression that most jobs involved working Saturdays. Things started to go downhill rapidly after a few months. One of the four foreigners at my hogwan went home after a year and didn't get replaced.

The hours really increased. I was up for it if the teachers got treated with more respect, but we started to see more and more of the idiotic and unreasonble side of the director. The way he treated Korean female staff was just awful. I started to see more of his deceptive side. At first, I had the impression that he liked children, but it soon became obvious that he was just sucking up to them because he liked their parents' money and really didn't give a damn about them or their education. He was just another money-grubbing moron who knew nothing about education or his students' best interests or how to build up a solid reputation for his academy, and whose only talent was BS-ing parents.

After six months and a few incidents I just had it and turned in a letter of resignation. I prepared for every possibility and did have to get nasty at the end. A couple of Korean friends helped me out. I showed him that I could screw him over far worse than he could screw me. I got released from my contract and paid out in full.

I got a new job easily. In fact, I got offered a number of *non*-hogwan jobs, all of which looked good in some respects. The job I took (teaching mostly high school and a little bit of middle school) I just love. The students are wonderful, I like my co-workers, I get paid more, get way more time off, and I really enjoy going to work. I've got my own computer and can do more-or-less whatever I want with my lessons and we really have fun. Initiative is rewarded, not punished, and the level of respect has increased 100-fold.

Changing jobs from one where I was employed to please customers (very idiotic customers ... i.e. well-off ajumas) to one where I teach students has made my Korean experience so much better. The country looks so much nicer and friendly and enjoyable working at a real school.

Have a fair bit of down-time today so I thought I'd contribute. If your Korea experience sucks because of your employer I hope you can make a move, too. Far too many private institutions can continue in their MO because of spineless employees or people who value a regular savings deposit over dignity and professionalism. Don't be afraid to decide that you deserve a better Korean experience if it's your place of work that's making this country suck. Korea can really rock.

[BigBlackEquus]

Maybe there was a hiccup in the system. It has happened before with these phbbb boards, and people/posts disappear. E-mail them and ask. I seem to remember one of the guys on there talking about a similar problem some months back. Could be wrong.