Korean Job Discussion Forums

[da_moler]

I'm thinking of applying to pagoda. Their package seems pretty good. But I found some worrying information on Dave's about this company. Is it true that you have to pay the fees of any students who quit your class out of your own salary???? Does that apply to the whole of pagoda, certain branches...??? Is this common practice in Korea??

[gang ah jee]

Read the Pagoda employee handbook. Laugh. Then never have anything to do with Pagoda again.

[ChuckECheese]

Be a hero and take the plunge.

Let us know if they changed their ways.

[da_moler]

Thanks for the reply, but I heard that this rule was an ammendment to the handbook, in which case I suppose it wouldn't be in the handbook itself.

[ChuckECheese]

If you take the job there, all you'll be doing is screwing the FT who are working there.

If anyone of FTs refuse to sign the addendum, they'll fire them and hire you. And you'll be their next victim very soon. It's going into cycles.

[da_moler]

What's FT? Full-time?

[gang ah jee]

[ChuckECheese]

[mindmetoo]

A Pagoda story.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I've heard a lot of good and bad things about Pagoda. The bad things I've heard are enough that I wouldn't take the risk of working there. Any clause like that would be the clincher.

[Col.Brandon]

As a general rule it's a good idea not to work for Evil Morons�.

Looking back on my time there the only good thing that came out of it was that it makes me appreciate the job I have now.

Every time I feel like complaining, I remind myself that I used to work for an organization that made my life a living hell, and cost me a relationship.

Avoid Pagoda and Direct English like the plague!

[spyro25]

any chance of creating a customer form for students wishing to leave that would state the reasons why a student wanted to leave, that they could sign, meaning the teacher couldnt be held liable for the students wishing to leave?

/considering pagoda next year - as long as i don't lose too many students!

[rothkowitz]

DE(part of Pagoda) have all manner of things to make money in a less than honest fashion.

Main one they used a while back-and probably still do-is that if a student doesn't show,DE keeps the money and you get nothing/nothing that would gotowards overtime.So,was actually in their interest for students NOT to come.During December when heaps of students cancel would be a bumper time for them.

I always got the feeleing that they'd try to play teachers off against each other in terms of schedules.

Also,extreme pushiness towards students"You had 1 free class,now you HAVE to sign-up!!"Wtf??Good one.......how many people do you think you lse due to that?

I worked for YBM and they seemed straight up and down.Revolving split/block shift,no huge hassles.

How do they figure up these days?Anybody work at either place(not counting the numerous YBM franchise schools)?

[crazy_arcade]

first year in Korea, I worked at an elementary school and had a Torontonian co-worker that worked a year at Pagoda in Apkujeong. He was a whiner and would always say, "I worked at PAGODA the best most well recognized school in Korea!"......."I taught doctors and lawyers...I WORKED AT PAGODA."......"I WORKED AT PAGODA, I'M NOT STUPID, I DESERVE MORE RESPECT THAN THIS."

The guy was an idiot...hated korea and korean food and thought his pagoda experience made him king of the esl world. During vacation periods, he ate mcdonalds everyday and said, "isn't great we don't have to eat the damn awful korean food for lunch now!"

One day he said to me, "you know you should look into Pagoda you could do really well." I looked at him, laughed and said, "I only move up...not down" Never talked to him again.

btw...our elementary school was friggin' rad...leave and go to pagoda...what a moron.

[mindmetoo]