Korean Job Discussion Forums

[GENO123]

[Chaucer]

I apologize to all for putting in that "prune the dead wood" comment long ago--seems it made me the "opponent". I only meant that if you're a serious teacher there is turnover, and you, as a serious teacher, can get a job.
I agree with transmogrifier--the comments cannot be generalized to all top 50 schools. I work at a top 20 school.
--2.8 after taxes, and after 500,000 going into pension each month, matched by the uni.
--12 hours a week/7 months of the year.
--OT not required
--Some grading, some paperwork--really not that much because we only teach writing in the winter and then only one or two classes of 18, and we're completely in charge.
--Scheduling--fair, done by the foreign staff in my dept.
--Never see any Korean staff members because I have my own office and they leave me alone, but if I need them to scan stuff, make copies, etc., they do it.

This is my anecdotal evidence. Could be terrible elsewhere, but it's not where I am.

[The Cosmic Hum]

[GENO123]

So you are on 12 hours for something close to 44 million a year (including the value of housing ) with light grading and paperwork and little micromanagement? 건국대 충주?

I know several people who get that much for that number of "contact hours" but the difference is that they work until they are miserable or even nearly sick and they are unhappy with or even hate their jobs. It takes them nearly two weeks after every term to complete their grading and paperwork.

Their take home pay is between 2.7 and 3 million even with such a contract after they have paid for or had housing deducted.

I have seen numbers like your contract but usually it comes with a price.

"Trim the dead wood "doesn't mean there is turn over. It means they hire often and fire often. Which is what big universities in Korea -do a lot. Seems like spin.

[Chaucer]

On the pensions, I opted for it, so nearly 1 million, yes. Minimum was 150/month but I thought it would be good to go for the whole thing.

Not Konkuk, no. I know a guy who works there though, and his deal is very similar.

Universities are terrible at hiring good people, and teachers can flake out, here or back wherever home is. It's good to get rid of such people, but I've seen some places just keep them on...like MY university. The place I mentioned that gets rid of dysfunctional teachers is somewhere else. My uni? Bunch of boring old guys who get terrible evaluations; Korean profs like them though, so they stay on and on.

[GENO123]

Incidently what I find amazing that so many here just refer to anyone who lost their job "ie prune the dead wood" as "dysfunctional" or "flaked out" . While it is certainly possible that the people who lost their job were as so described I think it is rather presumptuous and disturbing that certain posters are so willing to pass judgement on others and unconditionally side with any university without any specific knowledge whatsoever on what the situation was or what the events regarding these people were.

The best way to describe this is : What a bunch of "suck ups."

And a lot more often than not the numbers that "suck ups" put up are never quite the same as what they say they are.

[PRagic]

First you say that you're annoyed by people given vague information and that you want DETAILS. Then when someone posts a detailed description of their pay and conditions, you deride the post (or that type of post) as probably not reflecting their actual pay and conditions? Can't have it both ways.

[GENO123]

[PRagic]

Got it, but I think you're going to get rampant salary inflation no matter where you go. I know exactly how much I make because it's on my tax documentation at the end of the year. The K government tells you how much was taken out in total for taxes and how much you 'made'. My wife is great at finding deductions, so my tax rate is actually lower now than when I taught at a hagwon in the early 90s. Screw the Buffet Rule, I say.

[Chaucer]

[GENO123]

[withnail]

Case Study: might shed some light...

I have worked at one of the top 3 (i.e S, K, Y) for 2 years.

3.9m per month after taxes
12 hours per week
4 and a half months vacations per year
20-22 students per class
some writing classes
absolutely no hassle from above
schedule constructed by colleagues
vacation work only if you want it

Great situation.

[GENO123]

S K Y = Y

Well it helps when you have a PHD. They are not going to touch you if you have one. and yes it is my fault for not having one of those.

And as I have said before a PHD will allow one to escape ESL Korea.

[PRagic]

If it is Y, I have a few friends working there who have about the same to say. One is making more (no Ph.D.), I think, but tough to tell as Withnail quoted an after tax income.

One buddy was just at K for a year and said it was pretty good. I know, vague, but this guy has been a professional university teacher with creds out the ying yang for at least 15 years. He recently left Korea to follow his gf and took a university job in a different country.

We all know that SNU took a dump on all its teachers some years back and that all of the highly qualified people there took off immediately for greener pastures. As I understand it, that place is now just a stop over for people looking to add the name to their CV and get a year or two experience before heaving ho.

[GENO123]

I have a great witness his name is PRagic