Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ed4444]

They were all non-ESL positions in this particular case.

[JohnML]

[isitts]

[isitts]

[GENO123]

[World Traveler]

I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet. With all other options now extinguished, forever damned was I; I now had no choice but to pass the the remainder of my days on the wretched Korean peninsula, toiling as a lowly English instructor. ㅠㅠ

[ed4444]

[JohnML]

[PRagic]

My first tenure track assistant professor job after finishing my doctorate paid 65 million a year. Tag on an extra 5 million for publishing, which was a nice perk as I would have done it anyway. That was about ten years ago.

Now as a senior associate professor, my base is about 80 a year. Add to that ballpark 5 million for publishing and another 15 million for special projects.

Salaries and bonuses are adjusted up annually. We're on the exact same scale as our K colleagues. Housing isn't free, but it's pretty nice and substantially subsidized.

[PRagic]

My first tenure track assistant professor job after finishing my doctorate paid 65 million a year. Tag on an extra 5 million for publishing, which was a nice perk as I would have done it anyway. That was about ten years ago.

Now as a senior associate professor, my base is about 80 a year. Add to that ballpark 5 million for publishing and another 15 million for special projects.

Salaries and bonuses are adjusted up annually. We're on the exact same scale as our K colleagues. Housing isn't free, but it's pretty nice and substantially subsidized.

[tophatcat]

[JohnML]

[PRagic]

All of that income is university based and related directly to my job. I do do a limited amount of consulting on the outside, but that varies year to year.

The salary is roughly the level of a US state university depending on the state and, of course, the exchange rate. The upside is that we pay very low taxes in Korea, have subsidized housing, and don't have a car, so even on just my salary we can save quite a bit. We do have to pay US taxes on our investment income generated there, but that's the price of playing poker.

I do agree that prospects for academics are daunting. But if you can manage to land a TT job, and if you can stay productive, it can be a rewarding profession, especially if you also like teaching. In general, the 'harder' your discipline, the more apt you are to have opportunities, both at the beginning of your career and over the course of it,

This is a good discussion to have, and the issue of employment possibilities and alternative to academe (altac) employment has been a hot button issue for some time now. Follow the Chronicle of Higher Education to keep tabs.

In the end it will always boil down to personal circumstances and preferences, but people should indeed do their research on employment possibilities prior to undertaking a doctorate and go in with realistic assumptions. The ranking of the university you choose, even more so the individual department, and the professor under which you study can all impact your future career.

Trust me, it's not enough to just have a Ph.D., especially if you're shooting for a position at an R1 university. And for those who think Korea and K universities are any different, think again.

[PRagic]

For what it's worth, I doubt anyone actually tenured here is in the 50-60 ballpark. That is the starting range for a tenure TRACK assistant professor here.

Promotion at most K universities, assuming you've kept up with publications in peer reviewed journals, stayed professionally active, and have decent teaching reviews, boils down to time in rank: 4 years as an assistant professor, then 6 years as an associate professor, then full professor. Some universities actually tag a 1 year probationary 'instructor' year onto the first phase.

Most international scholars in Korea have done a post doc or come from a different university abroad, the reason being that the decent universities here want the degree in hand, some experience, plus at least two SCI/SSCI publications just to get the interview for an assistant professor position.

[PRagic]

....forgot to add that tenure is granted usually at the rank of full professor, so anyone with tenure has been a professor for about 10 years. Odds are that they're making more than 50-60.