Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Scorpion]

Don't forget you get to live in "beautiful Korea city Daegu."

[happiness]

Ive been to Daegu uni once. Its not in Daegu, about 30 mintues outside Gyeongsan IIRC.
It was really in the country and on a mountain and kind of small. There was a nice couple from New Zealand there, they seemed happy, but I dont know their salary. It was really rural though

[Weigookin74]

[sirius black]

If you work out the hours you work you are making more per hour. Much easier job than your regular hogwon. Most unis give you free reign to teach how you want and you typically only work 4 days a week, usually max 4 hours a day.
Its not for everyone but uni gigs are still the most prized jobs typially. You have the occasional int'l school or what have you that is better but typically most folks would love to take that job.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

If you are on a F visa, uni's are okay because you can make up the lower monthly wage with other jobs. But for E holders I don't see the draw, the monthly is too low.

[sirius black]

Unis are the most coveted jobs for a reason. You get fairly close to the same pay for often half the work (12 hours sometimes as opposed to say 25 hours at a hogwon)
Furthermore with the 2 months off in the summer and winter you can do a camp or two and make a few million won and make up the difference in 2 or 3 weeks. The long vacation time obviously. Teachers can go back to home or on vacation....and still be paid.
Many uni teachers work 4 days a week for often no more than 4 hours a day and can easily make way more than a hogwon teacher with privates. Also the work is usually rediculously easier than other teachers at public schools and hogwons with usually no supervision. Some people use all that free time to work on a second degree, writers often use it, etc.
Not disagreeing it may not be worth it to some people. It depends on you and your situation but there are huge plusses.
There are tons of people, even those with grad degrees who would jump at these jobs....and they do.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

[edwardcatflap]

[sirius black]

It is because you teach the class in pretty much any manner you want to up to and including ending classes early and even cancelling classes. In public school you have a co teacher and are far more supervised. In hogwons you almost always are teaching what the director wants. You usually dont have much say.
I have to think sone that are trying to paint uni jobs as less desirable generally speaking are either fairly new and do not know or its some sort of misdirection to get people not to apply. I have yet to hear of anyone leaving a uni gig voluntarily to go to a hogwon or public school. There may be odd case out there. However I know tons of people constantly asking uni teachers to hook them up if there are openings.

[World Traveler]

So you end classes early and even cancel classes just to get more free time for yourself? That's pretty dishonest, man. You were paid money to do a job. When you surreptitiously don't you are stealing from your employer. I never said university positions aren't better than public schools and hagwons; obviously, they are. I'm just saying (in general) university positions AND public school positions AND hagwons are all going downhill. Maybe yours hasn't yet, but I'd say it's only a matter of time before it does.

[edwardcatflap]

Fair point WT, I have the same control over my classes but being able to end classes early or cancel them is not something I'd ever mention as a benefit, as people might take it the wrong way.

[sirius black]

I'll address World Traveler about his common.

1. "You know nothing John Snow" , your post is a red herring first of all. You did NOT address my point of University teaching, generally a far better gig than the other options. As for ending classes early or canceling them. First, what is early? 5 minutes? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? I didn't say. Second point is you've been to college presumably. Many teachers didn't end class on time. Every uni student on here has had profs who routinely ended fairly early on a regular basis. Third, there are valid reasons (at least possibly valid to you) that classes can be ended early. For example. Some teachers have a test and that day in class its just a test. Mid terms and finals are routinely like that. But also regular tests and the student goes home after the test is completed. Fourth, unis in Korea have a thing called MT, where students go for the weekend and get drunk in the spring semester usually. Its not uncommon to have only 25% of your class show up. Its an option to cancel the class on MT week if a low percentage shows up because the topic you're teaching is important for everyone. Yes, you can teach it anyway and reward the ones that show up but its common and accepted by the school administration as reasonable thing to cancel classes if you have a very low turnout. Classes are canceled because you are sick. Try being sick at a hogwon? You can make up those classes in which you're sick or adjust the next class to include both last weeks and this weeks information. The week before final is review week for many teachers. Class ends early after the review of the final. If you teach a conversation class and have a speech test that day, its not unethical or uncomon to end class after everyone gives their speech. Classes are typically 50 minutes, 10 minute break and another 50 minutes. If you have a class of say 15 students, you will end class very early if there is a speech test. There are other reasons as well. As for the dishonesty thing. A, get off your high horse. If a person ends it too early or whatever, that's their business and they will suffer the consequences. Quit judging. B, there are tons of teachers that routinely end clases early with no consquences. If you know the uni system and its apparant you don't. Student evaluations are important and if your students are happy, the school is happy...generally speaking.

The main point about mentioning that classes can end early or be canceled was to illustrate the flexibility you have as opposed to other options.

2. As I said in my post, you did NOT discuss what I wrote, you posted a red herring. My posts on this topic aren't for the haters. Its for those who are thinking about getting a uni job and believing the utter cr@p I read on here sometimes. I'll adjust my description to three kinds of folks, 1, those that simply don't know anything about unis, who are all about money and see the lower than hogwon or public salaries as a reason not to go the uni route. Even though their view is flawed because you can more than make up the difference in camps, privates, etc. 2. There is the misdirection posters who don't want the competition of people applying for uni jobs and now the 3. are the sour grapes crowd. They can't get in so they poo poo uni jobs.

Finally, I'm not saying its for everybody. For some its not, but it MUST be said that they are the most prized jobs generally and there is more than ample reasons why they are. Just because its not the right job for you doesn't make it a bad job. When I was in a hogwon my friend at a public shool would deride hogwon jobs. I wouldn't have traded places with him for anything in the world because I was fortunate to work at a great hogwon with a great boss. Generally speaking he may right but you have to take things on a case by case basis.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

My classes are supposed to be 2 blocks of 50 minutes, with a 10 minute break between. I opted to skip the break and just end class 10 minutes early. I do this because, when given a break, there are usually some students who come back late, and I have to mark them as late and repeat what I've taught. It's a pain, and it's easier to avoid it altogether. I'm not stealing, as I'm forfeiting my break.

[liveinkorea316]

I agree with Sirius above.

Also the main benefit of uni to me is that when I am not teaching I do not have to be in any specific 'Teachers room' so I can organise my day and routine effectively.

[sluggo832004]

Are there any Unis that want a teacher without a Masters???

I hate deskwarming with a passion!!


It seems though that white females are in High demand now.

Actually I just realized, majority of the attractive female foreigners dont stay too long. maybe 2 years or 2 and a half years tops.

Theres absolutely no facts behind my statement. just opinion. haha