Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sadsac]

Been looking for a new teacher now for 2 months and there doesn't seem to be anybody out there. Has Korea reverted to the bad old days where people just don't want to come anymore or has this whole sealed transcripts garbage been the final nail in the coffin for ESL in Korea? Oh for the heady days of more teachers than jobs.

[inkoreaforgood]

Currently, there is a special crack team of CIA agents who intercept potential English teachers on their way to Korea, and 'convince' them that other locales would be more appropiate. Many are diverted to China and other places in Asia, with a few never leaving their home country. My understanding that the next step in this covert war is bringing the fight here.




Actually, I think more people are getting the word about Korea via the internet, and deciding that it's not worth coming here. Good for us old hands, I'd say!!

[schwa]

Glancing at the jobs board, theres a lot of stuff on offer. A fair number of those jobs look same-same or worse. Maybe jobseekers are becoming more selective. Maybe your school needs to up its ante.

[TheUrbanMyth]

It's the winter term for schools in the West. Once the end of summer comes and the new crop of graduates starts looking for work there will be a flood of 'fresh meat' heading this way. This has been the cycle every year since I got here.

[UncleAlex]

Sadsac, I've heard about the CIA involvement,too.
Apparently, all the ideal candidates who schools prefer
to hire are being recruited by the CIA as vital assests
in the mule operations into North Korea. The pay is much
better and work hours are more flexible;one does not have
to face emotionally charged children in the spy business nor
worry about being paid on time. And,of course, the CIA is not
so fastidious about sealed transcripts. There is no Letter of
Release to haggle over, but one has to worry about
quitting the agency under pain of death.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think the phrase is 'extreme prejudice'.

[sadsac]

Thanks guys, I truly appreciate the humor. Our offering is not to shabby and the hagwon is one of the better ones. Maybe if I offer the CIA hit team a bribe they will send one my way.

[bellum99]

Are you offering reasonable amounts or looking for the cheap teacher?

[UncleAlex]

With all these foreign teachers being whisked away by CIA recruiters as
soon as they arrive here and disappearing under an alias, it won't be long
until all their mothers band together and demonstrate in front of the Korean
consulates in English speaking countries demanding to know the whereabouts
of their sons and daughters. Seriously, if there is a teacher shortage here, it's probably
because of the low pay, heavy schedules, poor housing, neglect, and abuse we
pedagogues have to suffer here.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Where have all the teachers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the teachers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the teachers gone?
Wongjas screwed them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

[sadsac]

Nice bit of poetry there Bum. You missed your true calling.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The figures from the Korea Times cited in another post (the one by RR about salaries) says:

10,822 ESLers in 2003
12,000 in 2005

If teachers are harder to find, it is presumably because demand is rising faster than supply.

[jinju]

[sadsac]

Jinju, check your inbox.

[Hyeon Een]

Yeah what are the offers?

I got emails from people saying they work for the 'good' hagwans or some other such garbage.

The hagwan may be beautiful and the children angels, but if you want me to work SIX days a week then you can get to f... You might feed me delicious western food, but if you're wanting me to teach SEVEN classes a day, or do split shifts you can certainly P.O. . You might even be working at a hagwan with an offer like this, and think its awesome, but chances are its not. You're just being misled. You work at a crap hagwan. Sure you might get paid, but its still crap.

Its funny because lots of people diss the 'unigwans' for not being real uni jobs, but most of them at least offer 4-8 weeks vacation for 20-25 hours a week. i.e. a hell of a lot better deals than almost any hagwan out there.. yes.. even the 'good' ones.

I won't be taking another hagwan job unless they seriously offer some real money.

-Happy at a unigwan (20classes, 6weeks - ain't a uni but it sure as hell aint a hagwan)