Korean Job Discussion Forums

[amberflannery]

HELP!

I'm new to this whole thing and I was certain I was gonna be ok with YBM, but now people are putting doubts in my head. I haven't gotten a contract yet so no big deal... but can anyone offer up some good schools to work for? I dont have a teaching certificate and am not TESL certified. Also... is kindergarten really that bad? I majored in history so no experience. I feel so overwhelmed. Some pointers would be appreciated and esp. some school reccommendations in Seoul (as my best friend lives there). Thanks everyone.

[soviet_man]

Regarding YBM:

If you go down that road (and I'm not saying you should) this is what to ask for: Block shift 3pm-9pm, above 2.2 mil, with housing, with airfare, located near a subway station (preferably within the green circle line) and no weekends.

If you don't tell them directly and specifically what you want - you will get lumped with whatever junk the last guy turned down.

But most YBM jobs will fall well short of that minimum (split shifts, low pay, long hours, housing deposit deductions, sometimes shared housing).

To that extent, most YBM ELS, ECC and PSA divisions + their franchises are usually bad.

However - editing textbooks at YBM (or something like that), head teaching positions, the YBM Cabin Crew Academy, perhaps even YIA may, or something in HR - may well be ok (in as much as you could probably tolerate it for months rather than weeks). It is a very large company.

[Homer]

The is a big gap between franchise (most are bad) and company schools (many are good first jobs) within YBM.

The demands outlined above are reasonable but will depend on your experience and qualifications.

YBM tends to pay a little lower than the avg wage but there are benefits to that. Most company run schools are fair, well organized and live up to their contractual obligations. For a newbie with no experience this can be a good first job.

You also should be as specific as possible about where you wish to work.

Split shifts vary from place to place and sometimes are no real split at all.
I worked at an ECC way back when and my "split" was basically non-existant. I taught kindergarten from 10:30-11:15, was off until 3 and then worked until 7:30pm.

I used the time to go to the gym or to just relax.

If you do not teach kindergarten you basically start at 2-3pm and are done between 7-9pm.

The schedule is sometimes heavy but this is outweighed in many cases by a well run school with a decent curriculum (for a hakwon that is).

Up to you.

[Hotpants]

If you followed half the posters' sentiments on this board, you wouldn't want to step foot on an aeroplane headed in this direction!

Sure, some jobs are a bit 'rough', but just make sure you have a legal one. Don't sign a contract which is vague and with clauses you don't agree with. Don't start a job without an E2 visa in your passport.

Private franchise institutes can be hit or miss. Either way, you should expect a lot of hard work, but if you can take it, after a year or two, you'll be able to seek out a more comfortable position if you decide that teaching is for you. Franchises can sometimes be a good way to start out because they have a large support network and more established curriculum than some of the smaller places. You'll be more likely to get exactly what's on your contract. Don't just look at Korea, though. There are some decent jobs going elsewhere which you might like.

As for kindergarten. It's only hated by those who are unaccustomed to young kids. Love young kids (up to 30 screaming infants!) and you could do fine. If you do find a kindergarten, make sure your schedule runs in the 9-5 area, then you can enjoy time to yourself in the evenings. Some advertised kindergarten jobs actually don't just involve teaching kindy, but have some extra classes shoved into the evenings and weekends. Too much of a hassle imo.