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Advice for MA grad with work experience- any advice?
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Chet Wautlands



Joined: 11 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz wrote:

You'd be better off heading for China and finding a decent position there (lower living costs, more varied cultural experiences and potentially as much pay with similar benefits).


Hello Dr. Ttompatz!

I've seen you and a few others say that there are opportunities available in China that pay quite well. Are these jobs being posted online or are they largely found through connections?

I'd like to try working in China at some point. Thailand looks nice, too!
Cool
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bobbybigfoot



Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz wrote:
bobbybigfoot wrote:
You have a masters and you are considering 2.0 million a month?

*shaking head*


Doesn't have a masters yet (and won't have completed the requirements till next summer and won't have the parchment till next fall) so won't have it when s/he wants to get to Korea.

Claiming a masters at this point would be like me asking to be called Dr. Ttompatz even though I am only ABD.

.


Her post states that she in fact has a masters.

Quote:
What I bring to the job market
-MA in Applied Linguistics
-Two years work experience in Japan, but no work experience in Korea.
-American accent, 26 year old female (makes me sad this matters, but it does)
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

z3371538 wrote:
I'm a she and you would have known that if you read my post Confused I will have completed all my classes in early June (which is the summer!) and have the degree in early August (also the summer!) Rolling Eyes


Most people have time to make a baby before you will have your master's conferred. Calling a turnip a rose doesn't make it so and being ABD doesn't make me a Dr. so I guess you have some time to wait.

The rest still holds.

You won't get a job in a uni from abroad with just a BA (masters not conferred) - 100% certainty. It might be possible if you were actually IN Korea with documents in hand,

You can get a job in a hagwan.

You salary will be what you can negotiate but:
not having any time in Korea and
with an excess of US refugees here and
with 700 more NETS in SMOE who won't be getting renewed next term

your bargaining ability isn't very strong.

bobbybigfoot wrote:
Her post states that she in fact has a masters.

Quote:
What I bring to the job market
-MA in Applied Linguistics
-Two years work experience in Japan, but no work experience in Korea.
-American accent, 26 year old female (makes me sad this matters, but it does)


Ummm no... she doesn't have it and won't have it till next summer...

z3371538 wrote:
When is best to time for applications? I will be done with classes for my MA in June, but wont have my diploma officially until August. I am willing to fly to Korea to do interviews, but I need to know that I will be able to find a job.


.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chet Wautlands wrote:
ttompatz wrote:

You'd be better off heading for China and finding a decent position there (lower living costs, more varied cultural experiences and potentially as much pay with similar benefits).


Hello Mr. Ttompatz!

I've seen you and a few others say that there are opportunities available in China that pay quite well. Are these jobs being posted online or are they largely found through connections?

I'd like to try working in China at some point. Thailand looks nice, too!
Cool


Jobs in China are found by searches. Start by googling SAFEA and working your way out from there. Private universities pay the best but even though government universities don't pay so well there are lots of opportunities to improve your income potential on and off campus providing you are decent in the classroom.

Basic run-of-the-mill jobs in Thailand abound. For something better you need to network. 1st year you can usually expect 35-45k baht. 2nd year and your earning potential is limited only by your classroom presence and network. 60-75k jobs are there. If you hold home country teacher certifications there are jobs up to about 100k baht.

.
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Chet Wautlands



Joined: 11 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz wrote:
Chet Wautlands wrote:
ttompatz wrote:

You'd be better off heading for China and finding a decent position there (lower living costs, more varied cultural experiences and potentially as much pay with similar benefits).


Hello Mr. Ttompatz!

I've seen you and a few others say that there are opportunities available in China that pay quite well. Are these jobs being posted online or are they largely found through connections?

I'd like to try working in China at some point. Thailand looks nice, too!
Cool


Jobs in China are found by searches. Start by googling SAFEA and working your way out from there. Private universities pay the best but even though government universities don't pay so well there are lots of opportunities to improve your income potential on and off campus providing you are decent in the classroom.

Basic run-of-the-mill jobs in Thailand abound. For something better you need to network. 1st year you can usually expect 35-45k baht. 2nd year and your earning potential is limited only by your classroom presence and network. 60-75k jobs are there. If you hold home country teacher certifications there are jobs up to about 100k baht.

.


Great info. Thanks again!
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nathanrutledge



Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh

PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm going to add a little to the Doc's comments.

Yes, the market is tight. Yes, you only have a B.A. and 2 years of experience. But all hope is not lost.

First, there are a FEW - very few - universities that will accept someone with the promise of the MA finished by the time you start work. Vast majority won't, but there are a few,

Second, there will be a big run of uni jobs near the end of July/beginning of August. There always is. Something happens at the uni - bunch of people quit, management changes schedules, adds more students, whatever. So, there will be some uni openings at that time.

Third, you're in Japan. Not Canada or England, but right next door. Depending on where you are and where the Uni you apply for is, you can hop a ferry, interview, and go home the next day.

Don't misunderstand me - you still have a snowballs chance in hell, but where ttom says 100% no chance, I'm saying 99% no chance. If you have a standout resume, and you have networked and know some people, and if you can get over here for an interview and knock their socks off, you might be able to land a uni job. It's a lot of ifs and I'm not betting on you, but stranger things have happened.
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isitts



Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

z3371538 wrote:
When is best to time for applications? I will be done with classes for my MA in June, but wont have my diploma officially until August. I am willing to fly to Korea to do interviews, but I need to know that I will be able to find a job.

The won is weak, but most jobs in Japan dont offer any benefits and the market is very very saturated. Everyone and their mom wants to live in Japan.


Well, what are you doing in Japan now? Are you just taking classes on a student visa or are you teaching, too? If the latter, when does your contract end?

If you want to work at a hagwon, they're always hiring. So no worries there. But with so many people moving into Korea, the salaries offered have gone down considerably. And if your ultimate goal is to get a university job...that's what everyone wants. And there's fewer of those jobs than public schools or hagwons. Kind of an uphill battle.

If I had a masters on the way, I'd wait til I had that and apply for jobs that paid for it. Maybe United Arab Emerates. May be other countries, too. Have you asked around on Dave's International Forums?

What are your time constraints? I mean, why do you need to find work in Korea before you have your masters? By the way, Taiwan doesn't cost that much to start up. Some schools pay your key money. My flight was reimbursed, and rent isn't that much there.

Just food for thought...
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z3371538



Joined: 17 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was planning on Korea because the university market is much easier to get into than Japan. I ideally want to suss it out my first year at a good hagwon and then try to find a decent university job my second year. As an American woman I really don't want to live in Saudi Arabi, but I would consider UAE. I am not against Taiwan, but I would like university experience so I can eventually find full time university work in the United States.
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PatrickGHBusan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="z3371538"]I was planning on Korea because the university market is much easier to get into than Japan. I ideally want to suss it out my first year at a good hagwon and then try to find a decent university job my second year. As an American woman I really don't want to live in Saudi Arabi, but I would consider UAE. I am not against Taiwan, but I would like university experience so I can eventually find full time university work in the United States.[/quote]

Which would require a PhD, publications in your field and so on no?

As for the rest, Ttom is bang on: with what you said you can get a Hakwon job with the conditions he outlined. A University position right now is not going to happen especially if you are applying from abroad.

Make sure you have all the documents IN HAND before you apply, including degrees and the CBC.

You could do one year at a Hakwon but if you want that to work you need to focus on a February-March Hakwon start so your end of contract coincides with the start of the University school year in March.

Good luck.
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z3371538



Joined: 17 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the advice Patrick. I especially appreciate the lack of attitude.
Do you really think all hagwon jobs will suss me out of insurance and pension as tt said? I agree they wont take me seriously until I have my MA, but no pension and insurance seems a little excessively pessimistic.

I may go on to get a Phd in the states, though I have seen a lot of good jobs that only want an MA and publications. Given that so many students from Korea are studying English in the United States that can only help me as well.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

z3371538 wrote:
Thanks for the advice Patrick. I especially appreciate the lack of attitude.
Do you really think all hagwon jobs will suss me out of insurance and pension as tt said? I agree they wont take me seriously until I have my MA, but no pension and insurance seems a little excessively pessimistic.

I may go on to get a Phd in the states, though I have seen a lot of good jobs that only want an MA and publications. Given that so many students from Korea are studying English in the United States that can only help me as well.


Read the contract. If it says 3.3% tax rate and no mention of pension you can pretty much be assured that you will be hired as a private contractor (illegally I might add*) and be screwed out of all of it.

* Labor Standards Act
CHAPTER I
General Provisions
Article 2 (Definition)
(1) Terms used in this Act are defined as follows :
1. The term �worker� in this Act means a person who offers work to a business or workplace to earn wages, regardless of kinds of job he/she is engaged in.

Don't accept a contract and hope to win a fight over it. Your pockets aren't deep enough and your visa won't last long enough. Just know what to expect and negotiate your best deal based on it.

.
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z3371538



Joined: 17 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You are knowledgable, but you also always assume the worst case scenario. I would not sign a contract that offers no pension or insurance. I was asking if all jobs try this. I have friends at hagwons who are getting pensions and insurance, so I doubt it is all hagwons as you state.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

z3371538 wrote:
You are knowledgable, but you also always assume the worst case scenario. I would not sign a contract that offers no pension or insurance. I was asking if all jobs try this. I have friends at hagwons who are getting pensions and insurance, so I doubt it is all hagwons as you state.


LOL....

Like I said above.... It is NOT what I claim. It IS in the contract.

The chances of you finding a hagwan contract that does NOT break the rules or violate the labor standards act, without using your friends for a recommendation to their place of employment (since it appears they do get the benefits), are SLIM at best.

Good luck.

.
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z3371538



Joined: 17 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, I didnt know you wrote every single job contract in Korea. impressive.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

z3371538 wrote:
Wow, I didnt know you wrote every single job contract in Korea. impressive.


You are correct. I have no idea about jobs and contracts in Korea.

Best of luck in your search.

.
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