Korean Job Discussion Forums

IwalkAlone · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Location: Daegu

Not sure if you did this for the present school, but talk to actual foreigners working at the school before signing any contract, or before even reading one. Many times the contracts are written in english and the employer only has a vague idea of the clauses. Actual teachers can tell you things such as class loads, financial stability of the school, any scam techniques that were tried, and more importantly to you, the number of foreigners working at the school.

krissy123 · Joined: 19 Jun 2006 Location: Suwon, S.Korea

Hi, thanks for the words of advice! So I moved out of the apartment that day and told my recruiter that I didn't want to work there.
Anyways, eventually we reached an agreement that if I pay for the flight, then the director will cancel the visa application (which has gone as far as immigration giving an issuance #) Immigration told me that the only way I can stay teaching here is if my director cancels the visa...but then my recruiter told me it will be hard to get a job after as cancelling a contract will look bad to future employers (even though this is their fault!)
So, I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this...cancelling a visa at this point, and trying to get another job after? Also, who would have my documents at this point? If it is immigration, and I asked them for them, they would give them to me right?
The director and recruiter have both been so difficult and childish through this whole thing that I barely even want to pay them for the flight...but I suppose I need the visa cancellation? I just want to know what I need to do to be able to get another job, and promptly...thanks for any info!!

joolsd · Joined: 18 Jun 2006

Hey
when ever I apply for any job I always ask for an email of other teachers that work at the school that way you are sure to get an overall opinion of what the place and director is like to work for.
Be good to yourself
Jools

cypher · Joined: 08 Nov 2003

I can only imagine how upsetting and stressful this must be.

I don't know how it works once you've got the visa issuance # but given how they've dealt with you so far, I would not repay all the airfare up front, not until your visa has been cancelled and you have your documents back, either from the school or from immi.

Regarding finding another job, your recruiter is still BSing. You won't have problems, especially since you're already here. I'd suggest ditch that recruiter too.

braunshade · Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Location: Somewhere better!

Yeah, make sure you take care of YOURSELF first before you fork over any cash- otherwise you WILL get screwed. Koreans are like that.

You can easily find another job......go with another recruiter or dont use one at all!

Everything will work out.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Pak Yu Man · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Location: The Ida galaxy

Find another job ASAP and ge the new school to pay back your old school. Tell your old school that they'll get their money when you get a VISA. Drop a hint that this school might be a liar and you'll never trust Koreans again. That'll shut them up.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Jinju wrote:
You are basing your opinion of a country based on what a hagwon director does? Does that mean all the people back home wherever you are from are liars because used car salesmen lie? Hagwon directors and owners are pretty much the Korean version of used car salesmen back home. People lie all over the world. lawyers get paid a lot to do it for a living.

Sadly, my opinion about Korean 'lying' is not only based on Hagwon owners' behavior. Last year I spent over 900 hours interviewing Koreans (Kids, Adults, Korean Teachers, Businessmen). (I came to Korea to learn about Confucian culture.)

My Korean experiences, and interviews, show me that lying is endemic in Korean society. Lying is an 'accepted' behavior here, on all levels of society.

Some of my Adult students warned me about Korean 'lying'. They say because they are Korean, 'lying' is not a problem. Koreans 'know' when other Koreans are lying. But 'Foreigners' do not. That is why we Foreigners have problems.

I notice that students lie a lot. My Korean-Teacher students also say that the kids lie a lot (understandable as they are powerless in this hierarchical corporal punishment society). My girl students tell me they "lie every day" (to keep secrets). Some say their mothers lie to protect themselves from their husbands.

One of my Businessmen students even said that he lied to his wife in their marriage negotiations. (He wonders why she makes him sleep on the floor in another room!).

I have travelled and studied extensively in Asian societies (my life and hobby). For me, Koreans do not lie anymore than people in other Asian societies. Lying (especially for advantage) is a survival strategy in Asian societies (save face, cheating for financial advantage, to avoid punishment, distrust of 'strangers' (Asian and Foreigner). I think lying is a daily reality in Asian societies, especially Confucian societies. I think lying is so endemic in Asian societies that many Asians do not even know when they are lying. They just say, and do, what they can get away with.

And, I agree some Western business practices are based on lying, half-truths, and 'lying through ommission'. In my Psych classes the first 2 rows were packed with Salesmen, Insurance and Real Estate people, learning how to take advantage of human gullibility. This is interesting. These