Korean Job Discussion Forums

alicat_blue · Joined: 09 Mar 2005

I came here for several reasons. Where I hail from has one of the highest unemployment rates in the U.S. and living from paycheck to paycheck was getting tiresome. Financial stress can really break you. There were also personal reasons involved. And to be honest the paid airfare was very enticing and accomodation as well. The two million won a month salary was the biggest factor though, mind boggling amount for an ole alleycat like me. Having travelled to several other Asian countries, I thought for some reason Korea would be similar and in that aspect I was wrong. But it's all good, I'm saving money, staying out of trouble and after a year I'll have a nice nest-egg for about a year's worth of travels. Nepal, Africa, Central America....okay best not to think too much about that now.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

I'm here to avoid ...

A) accumulating reposnsibilities and

B) the demographics crunch back home.

Not the greatest of reasons. But then again, I think its rare to find people with good, well thought out reasons for doing what they're doing.

Alias · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

Remember "maneatinghorse"? The guy was a total jerk but he was right. Many Koreans do consider us to be losers. Also, I know from personal experience that a good portion of foreigners working legtimate jobs over here really don't like esl teachers because of the bad rep we give to all waygooks working in Korea.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

What I don't get is what's with the endless amount of self-conscious threads about Koreans, other foreigners, or ppl back in the west and what, god forbid, they must think of you, me, or anyone working over here. Outside of my family and inner circle of friends, I don't give a rat's ass about what joe stranger is thinking during the 2 seconds of thought they give me, when they walk past and then forget about me for the rest of their lives. Anyone that loses enough sleep about stuff like this to get all bothered or come online and start endless threads about it, is going to be just as self-conscious and self-doubting if they were living the cookie cutter dream in corporate america with a picket fenced house, SUV, and the token wife and kids. Simply put, there's obviously not enough therapists in this place and clients humble enough to admit that some of their angst may come from within.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:35 am Post subject:

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

My reasons are a bit lame.
1) I had no job and was too under prepared to get a REAL teaching job back home.
2) I was too depressed
3) I felt like my situations was so dire i need to escape physicially
It was tough leaving the girlfriend (who is now my wife) but that too worked itself out.

i came BACK because,
1) a got a BIG pay raise
2) to a lesser extent i still felt unprepared (and had no desire yet...)
3) i FINALLY started to make some new friends just before i left (damn small towns).
4) i liked playing music here.
5)Well, why not?

i came back this last time b/c
1)...we need some relatively quick saved up cash
and we might stay for one more year b/c
1) we are doing a HORRIBLE job of saving ovuh 'ee :oops:
But regardless, this or next WILL be the last year. I am now ready to get a job back home and i think that this international experience will help me. (too bad that i'm supposed to be high school science teacher)
on that note, has anyone worked for an international school here?

Greekfreak · Joined: 25 May 2003

During my first six months, I met a British guy named Nick who told me he would regularly come to Korea every six months or so just to "clean himself up".

I thought that was fairly admirable, even though he was here illegally each and every time. The irony is, at this point in time, there are enough people hooked up here that he'd have to go to prison to detox himself.

This thread will never end. Patch it to the freakiest waygook thread.

keithinkorea · Joined: 17 Mar 2004

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

cubanlord · Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Location: In Japan!

Why am I here? I had a great job back in Florida. Met my wife in the university. Her dream (since a child) was to teach English overseas somewhere. I thought I could change her mind...but to no avail. She came here for a year by herself while I waited back in Florida. She came home from Korea but was depressed because she missed her life. I love that woman more than anything. I gave up my career to be with her here in Korea. We are now both here. Seeing her happy is what keeps me going. She's the world for me.....anyways....

I came here ONLY....AND ONLY for my wife. Smile

DRAMA OVERKILL · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

d503 · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Location: Daecheong, Seoul

Most korean I've met (I am disregarding the drunks that need to hassle me on the subway or buses) expect me to be an English teacher. But aside from that it doesn't really affect what they think about me, they are more interested in what i think of them and Korea.

Now the drunks think:
1. I speak no Korean and enjoy having hanguk mal asayo shouted at me.
2. Find it wildly amuzing to have my book/newspaper poked while trying to read it
3. Really enjoy sitting next to them.
4. Am a stupid American, who loves Bush, and really just wants to mingle with them

But then again, I tend to disregard the opinions of people who need to be drunk at 5.

As for me, I came to Korea to make money, in a year or so I'll come back to make more. As for my loserhood, I came to terms with it sometime in kindergarten, when the cool kids had drawn red houses, and I had a white one. It's life, not everyone is gonna see what you do the same way as you do. Move on.

Alias · Joined: 24 Jan 2003