Korean Job Discussion Forums

Alias77 · Joined: 28 Aug 2006

I've been fed the line from my recruiter that you can wear t-shirts and jeans to work, but I read some things that imply that Korea is very image conscientious.

If working in either a Hagwon or Public School - what kind of clothing should a guy expect to wear?

ChuckECheese · Joined: 20 Jul 2006

Other teachers (including Korean) and I wear casual. And on some Fridays, I also wear jeans knit or casual shirt, but never wear t-shirt.

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

in a public school, I would count on at least a button up and not jeans...at the LEAST.
That said, in my school, I can get away with my properly sized jeans and a clean (decent) t-shirt every couple weeks. There are a couple teachers who where that a few time a week.

crazy.

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

Canadian Club · Joined: 12 Aug 2006

At my hakwon, it's casual... at any rate, I'd bring the jeans/t-shirts that the recruiter/interviewer told you about, plus a suit and a couple of button-down shirts.

We dress casually... we also all teach kindi, so nice clothes wouldn't be appropriate given the things that happen to a kindi teacher's clothes on a regular basis. I think that if I were teaching high schoolers, then I would dress more formally.

Oh, and you may be be wearing sandals/slippers in class.

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

it's better to overdress than be underdressed - this is good advice for just about anything anywhere.

Peter Jackson · Joined: 23 Apr 2006

I usually wear a dress shirt (long sleeved) and trousers. I wear a tie if I feel like it but most others do not. I am the only foreigner at a public school.

I wore a shirt and tie to my last hagwon gig too. No one ever told me to but Asians in general base a lot on appearance.

I find I have a hard time teaching now without a dress shirt as I need the pocket for pens and misc junk.. Smile

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

something dressy is alway good, but don't be afraid to mix it up and try something a bit unusual sometimes.

For example, this is the photo that I included in my resume for my last job. I got a lot of positive responses, so I must have been doing something right.

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Way back in the day when I came to Korea my owner (I know how that reads and that's the way I want to phrase it) told me to wear jeans and a t-shirt and also to not shave too much, so that's what I did.

As I moved up the ladder I went semi-formal (what Koreans called 'casual' at that time) and wore cotton pants with either sweaters or dress shirts.

Now I go all out and wear double-breasted suits every teaching day.

So, your recruiter could be right. It kind of all depends on where you work and/or personal preferences.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

This has always been good enough for me:

Seriously, dressing for success is all well and good but if you're going to be teaching kinder and/or elementary school kids don't wear anything you're not afraid to get ruined.

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

If the kids have to wear a uniform (such as a middle school or high school) wear a suit. Or at least pants, shirt and a tie.

If I worked at a hagwon...wear a box or a garbage can. Nobody will notice or care.
Koreans respect people more if they are dressed up. "If you look like the part, you must fit the part."

Boodleheimer · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:40 am Post subject:

lace thong. victoria's secret catalogue, page 31. the rest is optional.

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003