Korean Job Discussion Forums

[neverthelesser]

I'm about to be hired by what I'm guessing is one of the bigger companies in Korea. I won't say who, I'm sure they read these forums, but let's just say that I've signed and sent in their "Memorandum of Understanding," which includes the following details:

� 28,000 KRW per hour (guaranteed 24 teaching hours per week minimum)
� Airfare reimbursement of up to 1,000,000 KRW
� Up to 5,000,000 KRW key money deposit loan
� E-2 visa sponsorship
� 7 days vacation per year

It seems I'll get 2-3 days off a week, but it doesn't say anything about health insurance or a severance bonus equal to a month's pay that I see so often in other places. I'll be looking for an apt, since they don't offer them (I think I prefer it that way). What do you guys think?

[Young FRANKenstein]

[ttompatz]

[riley]

CDI will follow the rules, but the important thing to remember is that it's their rules! I found them to be both honest and cheap. They will nickel dime you.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Novernae]

[ttompatz]

[Louis]

It doesn't sound like you are getting any better of a deal than other more standard contracts out there. You need to some serious clarifying work to find out the truth of some of the devil details.

Are you new to Korea? if so you may not want to be bothered finding your own place.

[neverthelesser]

Thanks for all of the input, you guys... Yeah, it's with *ahem* CDI...
After all of the stuff that I've heard on Dave's, I'm still considering them, can you believe it?

Yeah, I do speak Korean, but I'll probably still get bent over anyways, given that I've never lived there, only visited several times, so I don't know how the system works.

Thanks again... I'll let you know if I can get them to clarify their contract further. Given that I have to pay for my own apt, it really does seem that the higher pay evens out in the end...

[babtangee]

It's only higher pay if that 28,000 won is per class, not per contact hour. I wouldn't take a job with a school that wants to pay me according to contact hours. Korean teachers don't percieve their schedule that way. It's a concept devised by hagwons to cut costs on foreigners. I don't know why people let it happen.

120 hours vs 120 x 50 minute classes = 100 hours.

That's 20 hours of work most experienced teachers wouldn't do (for free).

[braunshade]

Classes at CDI are 3 hours long.

[babtangee]

[manwonman]

24 hours a week (4 days * 6 hours) are the minimum. Chances are you can get more hours. I know people that work 7 days a week (by choice) on the hourly option. You can get paid above and beyond what most hagwons offer, but you will work!

They load work up on the monthly remuneration employees (to max out that 120 hours), but will gladly give you more work if you want more money.

Which is a better deal? It will depend on location of institution, location of house, distance between the two (if it takes you an hour each way to get back and forth from work, then those should be factored into your decision), and what the offer for monthly is. I have seen offers of up to 2.4 + housing for 120 hours of work. Calculate the 13th month into that (as well as half insurance, pension, etc.), and you might be doing better financially working the monthly option at a "branchise" instead of hourly at a branch. That o-baek manwon isn't going to do a whole lot for you in the areas of most of the branches (unless you're planning to work at Pyeongtaek or something).

just my 20 won on the subject.

[CBP]

If you accept that "contract," you're going to get screwed. And if you accept that contract, you're selling yourself WAY short. Don't be another sucker newbie who jumps at the first offer. You can do much better than that, unless you enjoy being taken advantage of, ripped off, and doing midnight runs.

[CBP]

(I'm starting to sound battle-hardened, and I'm not even in Korea yet! Yikes! Sorry about that!)