Korean Job Discussion Forums

panchotino · Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Location: scotland for now.

alreet!!
now that i'm nearly ready to apply for korean jobs i'm wondering where i should go.if anyone can be bothered to leave any suggestions (sensible ones) i'd be greatful.obviously it's 'horses for courses' so i'll give you a rundown of what i'd ideally like.
i like the cafe culture, sitting outside on a terrace with a bottle of wine and some nice company.i'm from the u.k but am easy going and could make friends with a fart as we say in newcastle.
cinema- just for once a week mind
the sea side-been looking at busan, seems nice maybe a paticular area of the city
social life is rather important at weekends as i do like a pint of shandy now and again
i wouldn't mind taking up a martial art as long as it isn't tae kwon do.
i'm not a big fan of smog either!!
motown!!none of this modern dancy stuff that you young'uns are in to.
i realise that transport is good in korea and i did consider jeju island although busan seems good but is it really smoggy?
also if anyone knows of any web sites that detail the different places i'd be happy to research myself it's just you are all so experienced!!and i'll buy you a drink.cheers now!!

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

You might not be able to be as picky as you would like. I would imagine you'll have a little more trouble finding a job than a North American would. Judging by your writing and since you say you are from the UK you probably have a heavy British accent. I never understood this, because I kind of like the British accent myself, but Koreans tend to find it difficult to understand. So therefore, Korean employers tend to favour North American accents...so that will play against you.

It's kind of hard to recommend a place, but if the night life is as important to you as you say, I would say Seoul. But it's smoggy. I've never been to Busan, but I imagine it's pretty good there too....but it's also a big city and I imagine it would have smog too. Plus there are beaches there...although I've been told they're quite overcrowded in the summer.

Jeju Island would be an interesting place to go for a vacation, but I'm not sure I would want to live there for a year. I think the poster Van Islander lived there...maybe he could tell you what it's like.

kangnam mafioso · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: Teheranno

choose seoul -- those small korean towns can be a bit ... dodgy. you can get a spot-on lager shandy at geckos garden at the weekends. busan wouldn't be a bad second choice though, mate.

good luck.

David76 · Joined: 15 Jun 2003 Location: U.S.

Sure you can sit outside and drink; South Korea has a strong drinking culture. But you might find yourself sitting outside a Family Mart (24-hour corporate cookie-cutter deal) and not a cafe, though. Consider it a cultural experience.

Forget about the nice company -- it is not realistic unless you happen to be quite lucky or one of the problem types and can get along with your own kind. Even if you can make friends with a. . . . it might be more interested in stabbing you in the back than in making friends with you. There seem to be a lot of unreliable foreign types here (yes I am being critical, but also honest). Instead of looking for a social life perhaps your free time would be better spent on yourself, trying to become the person you want to be.

If you like the Spice Girls you just might like K-pop! If you don't expect to have the means to download your favorite music once you get here, consider sending some to your future address by post before you leave.

For what it's worth, I am not the big city type. I suggest being wary of the Seoul metro area (even Koreans tell me they think no one enjoys living there) and all other major urban centers. If you happen to like crowded urban areas then it might be for you. It might take some time to find the right page, but check out Wikipedia.com for population densities of secondary cities. The air quality is not what I would consider good, even in smaller cities. Something to keep in mind, but don't let it scare you. Perhaps ask potential employers about what floor you will live on and how long it takes to get to work.

The UK might be about the warmest place in the world for its latitude and South Korea the coldest for its latitude. The Seoul advocates often fail to mention, among other things, the bitter cold. Go for a southern destination. Don't think it will be cold outside and warm inside -- during winter I wear a parka and a stocking cap in the classroom and still shiver in the evenings.

Good luck!

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Yeah, it's more like sitting outside Family Mart on a plastic chair binge drinking soju with very noisy company.

As for the accent, Koreans find educated people from the South relatively easy to understand. A lot of Northerners have problems, and I would imagine that this is especially the case with Geordies.

My main question for the OP, however, is why exactly are you coming here? Do you really want to *teach*? Do you want the challenge of working with rowdy children / overworked teenagers / demanding adults / lazy uni students? From your post I gather that you might be happier working in the UK and saving up your money for a long stay in Thailand.

Panic Button · Joined: 15 Jul 2005

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

I think Big Mac is jealous cause he has never gotten with a chick that has a sexy English accent.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

panchotino · Joined: 16 Jan 2006 Location: scotland for now.

at last i've found two lovers of the toon.panic button, so glad you posted.it's good to hear from a fellow north eastener.i've lived away for a while now so my accent is not that strong now unless i'm drunk.let me know if it's ok to pm you and ask you a few questions about general stuff also if you want a nostalgia trip if yu've been away for a while.i've read what all the posters have said and i've taken it all in.the reason i asked about the socail thing is not that it is the most imporatant thing, in fact i prefer a restaurant or cafe to a busy nightclub.think panis or jesmond for those that know.thats why i looked at jeju city and may find busan a bit hectic to live in but good to visit once a month for a mighty session.obviously it is possible for people to take a lend of you but i am naturally a suspicious person and have more aquaintances than friends ( part of my job ).i'm just looking for a bit of an experience, the chance to pay of some debt and who knows i may even like it and stay in the profession.i'm open minded and have no commitments other then 200 quid a month of loan repayments!!i'm 27 so i best do it sooner rather han later!!be good all and thanks for the rplies.

Panic Button · Joined: 15 Jul 2005

No worries, good to see another Geordie coming here...

Feel free to PM me any time.