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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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 Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 11:49 pm Post subject: problems with couples! |
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how do couples work the job/living situation apart:
can one person get away with working at one place, getting housing paid for, then the other person getting housing allowance, saying they are living with a family member (or other excuse), then keep the money and live with the other person? I have heard couples can work this out somehow.
Has anyone done this? Does the person getting allowance have to prove they are staying with someone they know to the employer?
also, where does one specifically search for goverment/university jobs? is there any websites that can help filter those choices out?
appreciate it!!! |
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Homer
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:20 am Post subject: |
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Well you could "get away" with it.
However, if the school finds out (either one) you might end up being in a pile of dung.
They could, with reason, ask the teacher to pay back the housing allowance he or she received.
I think it would be better to simply turn down the housing and live together without taking a housing allowance by lying.
What if the school requires proof of payment for rent?
What if the school who provided accomodations has a policy against having a non-employee live in the accomodations they provide for their employees?
This seems like a very bad way to begin your time in Korea.
University jobs: Try the job board and the universities themselves.
Note that Universities tend to recruit new teachers in Novemer and December for a March start (some start looking in January however).
Also many universities don't advertise at all, mine did not and prefer face to face interviews.
Government job: You mean public schools?
If so...they hire in the summer and early winter (before school begins). You can find work in P-schools through programs (EPIK) or by applying directly to Schools or School Boards. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:35 am Post subject: Re: problems with couples! |
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| MollyBloom wrote: |
how do couples work the job/living situation apart:
can one person get away with working at one place, getting housing paid for, then the other person getting housing allowance, saying they are living with a family member (or other excuse), then keep the money and live with the other person? I have heard couples can work this out somehow.
Has anyone done this? Does the person getting allowance have to prove they are staying with someone they know to the employer?
also, where does one specifically search for goverment/university jobs? is there any websites that can help filter those choices out?
appreciate it!!! |
One of you gets a position with housing. If you get a job in a public school and are legally married you actually get a larger apartment (even if only 1 of you is working at the school).
The other just accepts a position and declines the offer of housing and takes the extra 300/400k housing allowance. Housing is your option.
The person taking the allowance does not have to prove who is supplying their housing. The school will probably be happy that they don't need to keep their key money tied up.
The school year here runs from March to December.
Public schools will take the winter break from Dec 22ish - Feb.
Uni's will break from mid-Dec until March.
If you are looking for a uni position, they will start their recruitments in about 6 weeks (early-mid Nov.) for March 1 positions. They typically post until the 1st week of Jan. but the good ones go early. Unigwans recruit like hakwons but their hiring is still focused on Mar. and Sept starts.
Public schools usually do their recruiting for the new term starting in Dec/Jan for March 1 positions. These are best obtained through recruiters line worknplay.co.kr, netkorea, engkorea.net or direct through the government websites:
Seoul Metropolitan office of education http://etis.sen.go.kr/
Gyeonggi provincial office of education http://gepik.ken.go.kr/
English Program in Korea (EPIK) http://epik.knue.ac.kr/
Last edited by ttompatz on Fri Sep 29, 2006 5:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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cubanlord
Joined: 08 Jul 2005
Location: In Japan!
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:43 am Post subject: Re: problems with couples! |
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| MollyBloom wrote: |
how do couples work the job/living situation apart:
can one person get away with working at one place, getting housing paid for, then the other person getting housing allowance, saying they are living with a family member (or other excuse), then keep the money and live with the other person? I have heard couples can work this out somehow.
Has anyone done this? Does the person getting allowance have to prove they are staying with someone they know to the employer?
also, where does one specifically search for goverment/university jobs? is there any websites that can help filter those choices out?
appreciate it!!! |
If each person signed a contract (i.e. not the same contract) and each contract had the stipulation, "apartment paid for, yada yada..." then technically they owe you either 2 apartments or 1 apartment with housing allowance.
It really depends how much of an ass you want to be? Do you take the nice guy route, or do you try and nickle and dime them for as much as possible? |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Also you can try Incheon Public Schools (http://www.ice.go.kr/eng/) as well. I know of a couple from New Zeland who both got hired by the public school system and they recieved a larger place.
I started my job in June and my school was able to find a 2 bedroom apartment for us (I'm married to a Korean) even though it was just myself working for the school.
A lot of people will say Incheon sucks, but it really isn't that bad depending on the area. |
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dodgybarnet
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Location: Directly above the centre of the earth. On a kickboard.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:23 am Post subject: |
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My Fiance and I are doing this just fine.
Her school provides housing (we chose a location directly between our two jobs therefore having equal commute time).
My school provides housing allowance, which we share.
Clearly, if you're the one getting the housing allowance you can tell your significant other whatever you want as to the amount of housing you're actually getting. "Sure honey, they're only providing 200K housing. Bummer huh? Here's your 100K... la la la la...
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SeoulShakin
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Or you could both just ask for the housing allowance, and find a place together on your own. Then you have double the money to find a nice place, or you can keep half the money as extra income without having to hide anything from either employer. |
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Kimchieluver
Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| If you consider what Seoulshakin suggests, be prepared to lay down at least 5 - 10 K in deposit money. |
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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| Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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ttompatz:
Is recruiting a good idea? I am definitely curious about them, but I always read negative stuff about them in general. I am sure there are some good ones, though. I have been looking on all different websites, and keep on finding some kick ass jobs...then I find out I have to contact a recruiter and get sad.
Has anyone had experience with a recruiter?
Good ?
Bad?
Can anyone recommend a respectable one that they know of? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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| MollyBloom wrote: |
ttompatz:
Is recruiting a good idea? I am definitely curious about them, but I always read negative stuff about them in general. I am sure there are some good ones, though. I have been looking on all different websites, and keep on finding some kick ass jobs...then I find out I have to contact a recruiter and get sad.
Has anyone had experience with a recruiter?
Good ?
Bad?
Can anyone recommend a respectable one that they know of? |
For most of the good jobs here, hiring is done by personal relationship. It is who you know and not what you know. Since you are NOT here and have no contacts here and no relationships in the industry here it will be difficult to obtain a decent position without a recruiter.
Recruiters are nothing more than a headhunting agency. They are an introduction.
New teacher, meet school.
School, meet new teacher.
Thank you, pay me. Goodbye.
The problem is that most young college grads (who compromise most of the job applicants here in Korea) do NOT understand what a headhunter is and lots of unmet expectations occur.
Recruiters are fine for what they do.
What they are NOT is your babysitter when you get here. They will not help you when the crap hits the fan. They cannot help you with contract conflicts after the fact. They have no power or authority to interject when cross cultural conflicts occur. Most of them are unfamiliar with the labor laws in their own country.
They are paid by the school to find a suitable candidate to fill a position.
They work for the school. They will get you the introduction.
You have your foot in the door.
They send you an offer.
You say, yup, looks good, lets see the contract.
You get a contract. Have a good look at it. See if you can come to terms that are acceptable to you that will be accepted by the school.
At this point, the recuiter is nothing more than a translator.
When it comes to contracts in Korea it is good to remember (quoted from the Canadian embassy website - http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/korea-en.asp )
Koreans see business less as a legally based interaction than a relationship. Consequently, there is a much weaker sense of law in Korean business relations than in international business. For many Koreans, a contract is part of the symbolism involved in beginning a relationship, and "beginning" is the important word. The contract thus is only as binding as the personal connection. The American website has a similar booklet about teaching in Korea as well.
BEFORE you sign on the dotted line, follow through with some due dilligence on your part. Check with past/current staff about conditions at the school.
Now that you are happy, sign the contract and the recruiter finishes his job by taking care of the paperwork here in Korea to complete the visa confirmation process.
At this point, most recruiters are done. If you are lucky, they may pick you up at the airport and take you to meet your new boss. If you are not quite so lucky, you will catch a bus from the airport to your town and get met there.
There are a few recruiters that I have dealt with. I have personally dealt with www.eduorange.com/, www.worknplay.co.kr/, www.netkorea.co.kr, and www.engkorea.net with good success. I have no complaints with any of them. Other people's experiences may vary.
I hope I covered most of it. There is NOTHING wrong with using a recruiter. You will have to weed out the crap offers from the good stuff, but that is YOUR job. There job is just to send you offers and find warm bodies for their clients.
They are like a real-estate agent. They find warm bodies and show houses. They are paid for by the seller. They get a commission based on maximizing the profit for the seller. You are the buyer.
A recruiter is the agent. You are the buyer. He gets paid by selling you a school but his fee (profits and return business from the school) is based on maximizing the profit for the school.
Send your particulars to as many recruiters as is convenient, sift out the sand and find your pearl. |
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seoulsista
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| If you accept a job and tell them "Look my boyfriend/husband etc. has an apartment, I want to live with him I will take 400,000 won housing, thanks," and they need you, they will give it to you. There is nothing unethical about it. They get their teacher you get your housing allowance. Done. |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:25 am Post subject: |
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Yep..there is nothing unethical about it as long as you let your school know.
If you take the alllowance under false pretense then ethics come in. |
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks ttompatz...I was looking at worknplay jobs, but like i said before, was turned off by them being recruiters, but i will look into them and the sites you listed.
My boyfriend and I have some friends in Bundang teaching now, and they have said the same as everyone has been saying about recruiters: they can be good if you negotiate everything with the school.
So, how do the logistics of that work: let's say we talk to recruiters, one finds us jobs...will they offer us options of jobs to take? or does it work where i say " i want this, this, and this," and they match me to a school.
do i just request the contact #/emails of the schools when they tell me which one/ones they can have me hired at? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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| MollyBloom wrote: |
Thanks ttompatz...I was looking at worknplay jobs, but like i said before, was turned off by them being recruiters, but i will look into them and the sites you listed.
My boyfriend and I have some friends in Bundang teaching now, and they have said the same as everyone has been saying about recruiters: they can be good if you negotiate everything with the school.
So, how do the logistics of that work: let's say we talk to recruiters, one finds us jobs...will they offer us options of jobs to take? or does it work where i say " i want this, this, and this," and they match me to a school.
do i just request the contact #/emails of the schools when they tell me which one/ones they can have me hired at? |
Send a BRIEF resume (1 page is lots) and a cover letter to as many recruiters as you can find. Include a flattering photo of yourself. If you want to work with kids, include a photo of you doing something fun with kids.
You will get flooded with offers.
Most of them will be hakwon chains.
Wade through the chaff until you find one that suits you.
Tell the recruiter that you are interested in that position.
They will then contact the school and try to sell you to the school.
If the school is interested they will tell the recruiter OK.
The recruiter sends you a copy of a contract.
Review and negotiate the contract.
The recruiter will be the translator here.
When you get a contract you can live with, e-mail the teachers at the school and check out the current conditions.
If it all looks good, then you sign the contract, send your documents to the recruiter and thus begins the visa application process. |
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:59 am Post subject: |
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yay! thanks ttompatz...
btw: My boyfriend and I got offered the job at YES for 2.4, but they wanted us the sign the contract in 1.5 days, which we both thought was very sketchy. I mean, I understand they want to get the visa process rolling, but being that eager to sign us made it look kinda shaky.
We both agreed we want public school jobs, so I think we are going for it.
I also didn't want to jump on the first offer that sounded good, and actually I am glad we got the experience of the interview, and what to expect the next time.
I did hear that the YES schools offered the best housing, though. |
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