Korean Job Discussion Forums

[super gyopo]

Hello all,

I have been offered positions at both YES Youngdo and POLY in the southern part of Seoul. Where should I go? I am content on the locations, so don��t need advice in that area. What I would like to know is what it really is like working at these places. Of course the respective HR people have said that they are the best, but I know that work at any company is not always as great as the HR department makes it seem.

1. Are they really professional?
2. What is the turnover like? Are people quitting often?
3. Are managers smart, logical, fair?
4. Is the curriculum really that great? How much time will I spend working outside of actual teaching hours? (i.e. prep time, meetings, evaluations, etc) 5. Should I try to negotiate for more money?
6. How will I be treated while I am there? Will I be treated as a monkey, doing their bidding with no input on my part?
7. Finally, do they see Gyopos in a different light and/or expect more from them?

Any and all information on the two schools or others (CDI?) would be helpful!

Lastly, I did a few searches but the info seems old. I hope to get up to date information.

Thanks!

[own_king]

The info in this thread might help with POLY:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=52415

[riley]

I worked at both and actually found YES more demanding as far as time goes. It was partly because of the 3 hour classes at YES and that POLY kids are really great.
But, as I said before, it really depends on what POLY school you work for. I did hear about the insane amounts of extra work some POLY schools made the teachers do.

[midgic]

Based on my experience with both places:

1. Are they really professional?
I found both places incredibly slimey and unprofessional.

3. Are managers smart, logical, fair?
The managers were morons, phony, unprofessional, dishonest, incompetent suck-ups...

4. Is the curriculum really that great? How much time will I spend working outside of actual teaching hours? (i.e. prep time, meetings, evaluations, etc)
The curriculum was actually decent but some of their highly-touted "in-house" materials were poor and full of mistakes.

5. Should I try to negotiate for more money?
Sure.

6. How will I be treated while I am there? Will I be treated as a monkey, doing their bidding with no input on my part?
This is the absolute worst part about these big chains...do their bidding and you'll have no problems...teachers have zero input...experienced/qualified teachers are given zero respect.

[seoulsista]

Did you do a search for postings related to Youngdo on this site? There are about 5-6 postings that will give you an idea of what it is like.

[vox]

A close friend of mine just opened a Poly school. Became a friend after working together for a year. PM me with the director's name. If it's the same, I know you'll be treated fairly because I was treated really well. Actually the admin support, general competence and interpersonal skills were amazing to be honest, especially compared with stories of other hagwons.

[ilovebdt]

[vox]

There are many stories in the world of going into your own business.

Some people do sour, yes. That doesn't apply in this case. By the same token, practical precaution is good, but glasses, be they rose-coloured or s**t-coloured, should be removed.

I'd suggest the OP take it all with a grain of salt, but any information or real experience with specific staff should be heard. When I read the many embittered posts on this board about Korean hagwon deception, and stories of belittling anti-foreigner sentiment, then contrast it with the memory of how truly supportive my Korean staff were to me in my first year, I realize I was really very lucky, and those kinds of people should be well-spoken of and referred and green-listed. But they shouldn't be matched with everyone. Some ESL teachers can ruin a good situation. http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=316&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=freakiest&start=270

OP can still PM if you want.

[jacl]

I would avoid anything with "Yes" or "Kids/Kidz". For that matter, anything with a "Y" or an "E" in an acronym. Oh damn! My school has an "E". Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[Big T]

I read over your email about working in Korea for Yes Youngdo or Poly. Both schools have their merits depending on what you're looking for...I have friends in both.

Yes is a good schools which my friend really enjoys working at. The kids there are smart and the people are fair. From what i'm told Poly is more work. Ask to speak to teachers at the school they offer you a place at and get the real story from them. That's the best way.

[super gyopo]

I am a bit disappointed with the lack of information regarding my post. I thought I would get a ton of replies. I guess I underestimated this website. I thank those who took the time to help a guy out.

[jacl]

[chinook]

I worked for a Poly school for a year.

You will work at least 8 hour days, if you work afternoons. If you teach kindie in the morning the days are really long.

I would second the comment that the ciriculum is good, but Poly made materials are often full of errors and often way above the level of the students, but you must finish all the pages in the books somehow.

They paid on time and were fair that way. I wasn't a huge fan of my director, but there were no huge issues.

PM me if you want more info.

[bellum99]

Every school has the potential to be heaven or hell. There are so many factors involved...just remember that if it's good, then be happy and don't rock the boat much...and if it's bad then it will stay bad. No one here can tell you if a school is good or bad because the school is different for each person.

The way to tell if it's a good school is this:

You get hours you can live with and a salary that is enough. Housing is fine. Vacation time is clear and upfront. They consider the contract important and try to follow it.

By this logic...Poly and YES are usually okay schools to work for.

[riley]

Bellum99 hit it on the head. That is the way to determine if the school is going to be a B level school.
Oh yeah, Chinook, thanks for reminding me about that POLY made stuff. It was pretty bad and had a hell of a lot of mistakes.