Korean Job Discussion Forums

[arna]

my partner and i both recently completed our CELTA training and, our korean students being so lovely, thought we might give Korea our first shot at the OS tesol experience. What doesnt seem lovely are the institutes we can expect to work in......

I have done the working traveller thing OS before; and I've found myself in some pretty hairy situations before so i know how important it is to bone up a little on what we are getting ourselves into. But what strikes me as incredible, and disconcerting, is the sheer volume of negative experiences most users post concerning tesol in Korea.

Now i dont mind working with difficult people or in difficult environments but what really gets me down is dishonesty, unprofessional and disrespectful conduct- there is little worse than being caught in such situations esp. when isolated in a foreign country. :S

The apparent myriad of personal opinions and the volatility of the industry suggests to me the futility of asking for recommendations of that 'perfect' hagwon where not only are contracts met but colleagues are friendly.

INSTEAD I ASK; is there any hagwon, agency, or chain of education provider in Korea that is reputable for meeting certain standards? eg: honouring contracts, respecting its employees, and seriously delivering a real education........

thx for listening

[ttompatz]

Pick 2 out of the 4 that you are looking for and you have the average.
If you are really lucky you can get 3 out of 4.
I don't know of anyplace that will give you 4 out of 4.

Having said all that, I must admit that I am a newbie here in Korea (only 4 years in Korea to date). Maybe someone on their first contract can give you a rosier picture.

With all of that, the real truth is not in your contract but in your relationship with your boss. Work out a contract that you can both live with, develop a good relationship with your boss and you can have a good experience here in Korea.

[JacktheCat]

You have a CELTA, why are you looking at hackwons?

There are tons of public/private schools hiring at the moment for the coming school season at the end of February. And your CELTA will bump you up to Tier 2, or even Tier 1. Public schools have their downsides, but worrying about whether your employer will honour the contract is not one of them.

[arna]

Well i suppose we were looking at hagwons because that is where we expected we could most realistically find work. We both have the CELTA but little or no practical experience.

But if this is not true then first let me clear something up (because to be honest we hadn't even properly researched the formal education system; hagwons appeared to be the first step). So the hagwons are private learning INSTITUTES, run as businesses and are, more or less, unregulated private providers.

1. Public and private SCHOOLS i assume are both closely monitored by the government to meet national standards of education and working conditions?

I suppose the downside would be a required 40 hour p/wk presence for comparable pay? Well I'd be willing to do that anyday if it didnt mean the split shifts, rotating rosters and fluctuating hours that seem to be the hagwon norm .

Thanks for the replies.....I'll start looking into that straight away!

2. Would it be true to say that, with a CELTA and bachelor degrees in hand, we'd be crazy to take the hagwon risk?

3. BTW Mr. Cat i assume the 'tiers' you site involve renumeration but could you clarify the tier 1 and tier 2 in more detail for me?

P.S.( i may as well ask while i start looking into that area now)

4. does anyone know of a good site that advertises school appointments?

5. and how, in a job advertisement might I be able to distinguish a hagwon from a school (eg. should i look for some 'mark' from some governmental 'board of education')?

[joe_doufu]

Well, I picked a hagwon that had been around for 20 years because I thought "that sounds reliable." Turns out, the owners sold it to one of the teachers after I'd signed my contract and before I'd arrived in Korea. So I found myself working for a brand new business run by inexperienced management -- a business the previous owner had wanted out of! So even if you pick a reputable hagwon, there's no knowing it'll stay that way.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[mindmetoo]

[JongnoGuru]