Korean Job Discussion Forums

2i2dk1ny2i3 · Joined: 26 Jun 2011

lotta good information about Teachers who have experience 10 yrs.+

there's also a lot of negativity here and it brings up many different points:

1. if you taught for 10+ yrs. and haven't figured out that there is a pay limit to ESL and haven't supplemented your income in other ways listed above i.e. private tutor, side job, etc. then isn't that kind of your fault?

i mean honestly, where's the accountability?

i have a friend who has taught about 5+ yrs. makes good money almost hitting 4 mil a month. His plan? hopefully open a Small Business one day with the money he's saved and make a life for himself in Korea.

2. if you have taught 5+ yrs. and haven't saved anything, for personal reasons or other responsibilities, why not look into other avenues. i.e. other possible positions, maybe even teaching in another country with better pay? i.e. Japan but i hear the competition there is ultra competitive and cost of living much more than in Korea.

3. if you have taught ESL for 10+ yrs. imo, you should know How to speak enough Korean to get by in daily life. If not, again, that's based on personal willingness and responsibility to adapt to the place you've been living in.

i never understood why so much complaining and down right whining from some but never anyone putting positive ACTION to thought. if you hate it in Korea, go home or find another job. ESL is a Career for a select few and just a Job to the majority. If you haven't realized that or been motivated enough to make it what you want, how about finding the positive avenues to get you out of your current situation instead of just constantly complaining about something you already know

SeoulNate · Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Location: Hyehwa

DosEquisXX · Joined: 04 Nov 2009

ESL contracts in Korea dropped in quality dramatically from 2009 (when I started) to 2010, which is when I realized that the job market was no longer viable unless I just wanted to waste away at a dead end job for the remainder of my life.

Unposter · Joined: 04 Jun 2006

There is an odd sort of group rather than individual thinking in this thread.

All jobs are...
All teachers are...
All Koreans think...
All lifers are...
Anyone who doesn't speak Korean is...

I think there are a lot more individual differences than have been discussed so far and everyone's situation is different.

I do think salaries have stagnated since 2008. Though, I do think that has been the trend in many places in many fields since the "Great Recession." Maybe, things will get better and maybe they won't. I don't know. Though, I suspect, people are right in saying NET salaries will continue to stagnate in Korea in the short term.

Though, I don't know how unusual that is. I have experienced plenty of ups and downs. But, generally, there is an up.

Jump the shark? Not where I am at yet. But, that does not mean that your time in Korea has not jumped the shark.

Get out of the group think.

Korea does not have to be for everyone. Just because some people are doing well and you are not, does not mean there is anything wrong with you or Korea, just that this is not the situation for you. And, just because this is not a situation for you, doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with those who thrive and/or like it here.

Go find the place you thrive. The only thing I would recommend is staying if you don't like it. Go live!

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

My first university gig in 1999 paid 2.5 a month plus housing with fully paid summer and winter breaks. 3 or 4 day a week schedule, 12 contact hours.

Adjusted to 2014, that would amount to 3.83 million a month. And you'd have to be getting housing or an allowance. And you'd have to be getting fully paid breaks.

So if you're working an ESL university job now and are making more than that for the same number of contact hours or fewer, kudos.

Adam Carolla · Joined: 26 Feb 2010

Hmm...

I started in 2002, finished in 2010.

In 2002, I made 1.8 with a split shift. It sucked balls.

In 2003, I made 2.1.

In 2005, I made 1.8 plus another 2.2 in after school classes (at the actual school.)

In 2008-2010 I had a salary of 4 million. I did another 2 million in privates every month.

There is money to be made in Korea. Networking seems to offer better rewards than certification though, in my experience.

swashbuckler · Joined: 20 Nov 2010

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

andrewchon · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2014 3:49 am Post subject:

drcrazy · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:06 pm Post subject:

If it helps any, I just bought a pencil sharpener that looks like a dolphine.

Best job of sharpening I have ever seen.

fustiancorduroy · Joined: 12 Jan 2007

Sesame · Joined: 16 Mar 2014

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

candy bar · Joined: 03 Dec 2012

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

i was talking to a friend today about this very topic and we both thought it was about 2008-09. i'd say the downturn in the market has affected f visa holders more than e-2's. previous to 2008, an f visa holder had almost an endless amount of good jobs (at least where i live). i used to turn down 50,000 an hour because there were so many jobs, i.e., corporate work, after school programs, to name but a few, that paid well above that level. heck, some of my friends had tv shows. the best job i ever had in korea in terms of hourly income was in an after school program which paid me 4,000/student and i had between 40-50 students for a 40 min class. with no exaggeration, it was possible to have a monthly income pushing 10 million. BUT those days are long gone; kindies wont pay more than 30,000/hr, corporate jobs have peaked and are paying less and less, while the after school jobs have totally been restructured.