Korean Job Discussion Forums

Jeweltone · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Location: Seoul, S. Korea

Ajou sent me a contract, UNBIDDEN, as I never applied to their program. Hmmm.....After laughing hysterically at the terms of the contract, I angrily deleted it...I wish I hadn't in retrospect; it was a good laugh.

In the contract, they stated that you got ten paid vacation days, but if a class was cancelled for any reason (university students decide not to show up to class, school activity, etc.), the cancelled days would be deducted from your vacation days.

A friend-of-a-friend had gotten the same contract last year it seems. I didn't quite believe his story until I mysteriously got the same contract.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Yeah, but people continue to apply for work at these schools. Nothing will change. At the best, things will even out. At the worst, things will get even more pathetic than they are now.

As long as these universities are allowed to hire BAs simply looking for more vacation time, the conditions will continue to deteriorate. 10 days of vacation is still more than given at institutes. Now even the 'big names' are jumping on the bandwagon and lowering the employment terms. The gig is just about up, it seems. Time to jump ship.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Got to give it to Pusan National. They have been consistently cheap over the years, and they're not about the change now!

Current position: 1.8 for 14 hours (they say 9, but figure it in an odd way)

Wonder why they are recruiting this close to the wire? Hmmm. Because everyone balked at the last minute (or jumped ship) for a better offer.

SNU, CNU, PNU...all of the national universities are officially crap places to work. Congratulations.

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Yet another national university position

20 class hours per week, Monday through Friday.
2,000,000 won per month for Master's in TESOL/ Linguistics/ English Literature
Overtime: 20,000 won/hr (can be 6 or 8 hrs/week).
This will be allocated at the discretion of the Director of the Language Education Center.

Vacation: guaranteed six weeks' paid vacation (spread throughout the year)

Korean Job Board
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

What do you expect? This uniwon only advertises three weeks before they want you to start. That is really professional!!!

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

20,000/hr. Ha ha. Bunch of rip off artists.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Oh, don't get me started on the 'overtime' issue! What a joke across the board!

Even at a crap salary like 2 million/month for 80 hours (20/wk), that averages out to 25,000/hour. How do these school justrify paying people LESS for OVERTIME???? Shouldn't rates reflect time and a half or double time hourly rates?

I love how the logic favors the house here. They should run casinos.

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

I've only had one job like that. Couldn't believe it. Signed the contract and immediately went outside with some of the other teachers (old and new) to set up the semester schedule. The senior teacher just says, 'Oh, and we all have that extra class this semester.' I said that I didn't want the class (the university wanted too many contact hours to begin with), but he said that it was mandatory. I brought this up with the department, but they insisted that I teach the extra class. What a joke.

There are definite warning signs that make me avoid a job:

1) Mandatory overtime
2) Mandatory camps
3) Madatory teaching outside of department for-credit courses (e.g. an affiliated elementary/middle school or institute).
4) Overly standarized programs (same books, same chapters, same tests...)
5) Overly vague terms pertaining to the generation of course or textbook materials
6) Programs that employ a majority of BA holders

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

Woo Suk university. That one wins. That's not even a university. It's a Hogwon with a uni name.

I did a summer camp there (thought it was a real university) and did a bunch of overtime...I got screwed royally.

If anyone applies there, you're gonna get screwed.

Oh and that dumb biatch Brenda...I asked her if it was a university. She said yes. I hope that place goes under.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

I think they have been mentioned on this and other threads a bunch of times. Yeah, the work conditions don't resemble anything a real university program would tend to offer. Actaully, I've been here going on 14 years and I had never even heard of the place.

Glad you posed your experience so others can avoid the place.

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

From a university job advertisement:
Teaching hours: 30 hours per week
Monthly Payment: 2.1M-2.2M
10 days paid vacations
posted in August 2006
http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Brutal. Is that a departmental position or a UNIWON?

Just saw yet another 20hr/wk, 2.1 million, short vacation job postion as well, and this close to the beginning of the semester. You have to teach elementary school kids all the way up to for-credit classes. And that is a NATIONAL univeristy! What a joke.