Korean Job Discussion Forums

trying2getthere · Joined: 10 Oct 2010

Thanks everyone for the comments. Yes, I have heard all of this about the dogs before. Like I said, we've researched the pro/cons and the logistics of bringing our dogs, and are definitely doing so.

So I guess the consensus is that we should take what we can get?

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

For about the hundredth time: yes, Koreans eat dogs, but they're not going to kidnap yours and cook them. The ubiquity of kennels and dog-meat restaurants, and the displays of cruelty toward animals you'll sometimes see has nothing to do with your pets' safety.

Without knowing any details, I'd say take the offer you've got if it will give you shared housing and if the reviews from current teachers are okay. As another poster said you can always look around for something better, if need be, after your first year.

The topic of life in Gwangju comes up really about twice a week, so run a search here for more information. It's a perfectly fine city, and really Korea is a small country so it's not like you're ever far from anywhere else. A search for the hundreds of threads on Gwangju will tell you about what there is to see, eat, and do there. Facebook, too, is a good resource for connecting with other teachers outside of Seoul.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

eslwriter · Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 3:14 pm Post subject:

Here's an observation.

Sometimes, people who come to Korea with fixed ideas set themselves up for a rather rude awakening.

When I see people using words and phrases like that's not negotiable, or we want this and that - and have not even arrived yet - I start to wonder if Korea is the right place for them in the first place.

Korea can be a lot of fun but to succeed you have to mold with the Korean form; this country doesn't bend over for any foreigner.

BTW, bringing two dogs without suitable housing already established is insane. (ps don't believe what the recruiter or school owner tells you about housing. You won't know what you got until you got it.)

Hawkeye Pierce · Joined: 22 Jan 2010 Location: Uijeongbu

Actually, there were two statements there:
1) Cave men ate dog meat. (The more aggressive ones got killed off and didn't get to reproduce.)
2) Most of the rest of the world has abandoned the practice. (As noted in your wikipedia link.)
Both are factually accurate, and facts are stubborn things.

I suppose that some people in some places in the world are so poor that they must eat anything to survive. However, in South Korea most people who like to eat dog meat do it for other irrational purposes, i.e., the belief that eating dog meat increases their sexual stamina, or some such nonsense. If that weren't bad enough, they further believe, again without any scientific proof, that torturing the dog before they kill it is even better for the aforementioned purpose.

It is truly a barbaric practice, and if I were the kind of person who ate dogs which had been tortured, then I might think that people who thought it so were arrogant. However, expressing that opinion doesn't change the factual statements which I made.

I do note that you do not dispute that cats are boiled alive here and used as an alleged treatment for arthritis. There is no scientific proof for that idea either, but the belief still remains with some here in Korea. The people who boil cats alive may think that people who condemn that practice as mistreatment of an animal are arrogant as well.

Chollian · Joined: 12 Oct 2010

[quote="eslwriter"]Here's an observation.

Sometimes, people who come to Korea with fixed ideas set themselves up for a rather rude awakening.

When I see people using words and phrases like that's not negotiable, or we want this and that - and have not even arrived yet - I start to wonder if Korea is the right place for them in the first place.
[/quote]

What an incredibly stupid comment to make. There is nothing wrong with having expectations. Some people want to work with certain age groups while others want to accomodate pets. The OP has not exactly said anything that could be regarded as uppity. You act as though people are devoid of other options yet we know China is right next door.

You might be too afraid to try other things but don't act like everyone else is dependent on Korea. In the meantime please carry on taking one for the team. Rolling Eyes

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

youtuber · Joined: 13 Sep 2009

Leave the dogs at home. Your neighbours will hate you from the incessant barking and the little buggers will trash the apartment because it is so damn small and they won't get enough exercise.

Your building may not even allow dogs - that is not negotiable. You don't even own the apartment and you aren't paying rent for Christ sake. Best be leaving your dictating attitude at home.

And yes it is a tough job market. The supply of teachers ridiculously outweighs the demand thanks to our Yankee friends.

trying2getthere · Joined: 10 Oct 2010

Thanks everyone for all the comments/ suggestions. I believe I got the info I was looking for.

I'm sorry that this thread has dwindled into a discussion about whether or not taking dogs to Korea is good/moral/possible. That wasn't really the point of my post, but thanks to all who weighed in on that as well.

Hopefully other first time teachers out there who are looking can take from this what I am: yes, the market's pretty bad, and the more "snags" you have the less likely a job offer will be.

Cheers!

P.S. I was trying not to make any remarks but I just have to respond to you, youtuber. I'm kinda insulted that you think all dogs are incessant barkers and that you think I'm an incompetent dog owner who doesn't know how to care for my pets (i.e. not getting them enough exercise). Don't wanna be snotty or anything, but not all dogs and dog owners are the same. I'll leave it at that. But thanks much for confirming that you also believe the market to be tough. I appreciate it!

emmajuno · Joined: 11 Sep 2010

I'm not sure you really need my input but I'll share it as it's relevant.

The job market seems from my experience to be very, very tough. I have just graduated from a non-english related degree and have no TEFL but I am young, single and female with english tutoring experience and a second language (japanese) which should up my chances. I joined one agency to begin with and was offered 3 interviews in 3 months. The first one was in Jeonju which I turned down because I wanted to be in Gyeonggi and I didn't want to teach kindergarten. The second place didn't call me and after that I signed with loads of agencies but still only received one further job offer in Iksan which I took partially out of exasperation and partially because the pay was good and my boss seemed truly lovely.

I've sent my visa docs off and thought I was starting at the beginning of November but am starting at the end. I started my job search at the beginning of August. I think you're lucky to get a fairly major city especially with the amount of stipulations you have. I'm not telling you what to do as I'm not a veteran of the esl market like some but my experience of not taking my first job (which started at the end of august) is something that I'm starting to regret as it has taken me so damn long to find anything else.

[edit]- I started searching in July!

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

The thing you should be regretting is limiting yourself to one or two recruiters.

Hit them ALL. Take a look at what is offered and make a choice from there.

Recruiters are like used car salesmen. You walk on the lot, take a look at what is on offer. If they have nothing you like you move on to the next one. Repeat till you find what you want.

IF you haven't found anything in a month, repeat the process and check the "car lots" again to see what is new.

In spite of the massive influx of displaced Americans jumping abroad to escape the crashed economy at home there are still lots of jobs out there in ESL land.

Korea uses up 25,000 teachers each year (based on immigration numbers for E2s currently issued). You can add just about as many positions in Japan, 10,000 more in Thailand and here is the big one; SAFEA is predicting a demand for over a 1/2 MILLION new teachers in China over the next decade.

ANYONE who takes more than 6 weeks to find a job in ESL in Asia should seriously take a long, hard look at their application package and see what is wrong with it.

.

emmajuno · Joined: 11 Sep 2010