Korean Job Discussion Forums

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I'm sorry for taking J.B. Clamence's comments personally. Upon reading his post again closely I see that he didn't say anything to imply I'm a slacker for liking less formal environments. I overreacted.

Actually I really appreciate the advice I've been getting lately from the people on Dave's. Thank you J.B. Clamence! Your posts have been very useful.

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Back to the topic. I am realizing that it would be a bit more helpful for my resume to teach the credit course. It would probably help even if I want a non-teaching job someday, because a "real" uni job requires more responsibility than an institute job.

As for getting another teaching job in Korea, I don't know how much better of a university job (in terms of benefits) I could get with only a BA. There are posters here who have jobs with 4 or 5 months vacation, and at least one poster has a job like that with only a BA, but I think it is very hard to get more than two months vacation and stay close to 2.0 (+ housing) without an MA. OK, now maybe I sound like a slacker, but I think vacation time is perhaps the biggest reason university jobs are so highly coveted.

Now consider this. The institute job would be less helpful on my resume. I also would have to commute every day. However, I would get the same vacation time, it has the same 9-5 hours, and it is in SEOUL. I don't think offers like that are easy to find.

The competition for both credit and institute university jobs is more fierce in Seoul than anyplace else. This winter I sent out a lot of applications for both university institute jobs and credit course jobs all over Korea, and I didn't even hear from most of the uni language institutes outside of Seoul. If I want to teach older students in Seoul with vacation time, this might be the best offer I'll get without a couple years more experience or an MA.

2 months vacation, 9-5 hours, university students, Seoul

To me that seems like a sweet job offer.

After reading comments, listening to friends, and thinking, I would choose teaching credit courses over an institute (mostly because of my resume). But would teaching credit courses in the other city enable me to get a job teaching credit courses at a university in Seoul next year? I doubt it.

I'm excited about the idea of living in Seoul, but of course, it's possible that I wouldn't like it. But if I take the institute job, at least I'd get the experience of living in Seoul this year, which could help me learn more about myself than going back to the other city. Maybe the life experience would be good. I'm still young and free, and I've never lived in a huge buzzing city before.

Hmm... At this hour, the thought of going back to the other city doesn't seem so bad, though. I can imagine enjoying myself there this year. How ironic.

I'll think this issue over a little more. Deciding is the hardest part! Feel free to give more advice.

[Kwangjuchicken]

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I'm curious...

Would some of you say that getting a 9-5 job at a university language institute in Seoul (with two months vacation) is as hard as getting a credit course position somewhere else (with two months vacation)? Seoul is more competitive, right?