Korean Job Discussion Forums

[VanIslander]

on cloud nine for the first 8 months

everything was wonderful, even the bumps in the road, so to speak

then my director got me a computer to go along with the two jindo puppies I got to raise (fun but a hassle), and i started spending more time at my rooftop apartment, joined Dave's (some real whackos back then), and then the honeymoon period suddenly ended (still mostly satisfied, but the protective lustre of new discovery had worn off)

[mindmetoo]

[actionjackson]

[New Luck Toy]

Overall, I am glad I came here. I am getting screwed a bit at work, so that's a problem. I agree that finding the right job will go a long way towards making you happy.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[jacob7207]

I like it here. I liked it back home with the exception that there weren't many jobs that payed over 12.00 an hour, that lasted longer than a few months because business was bad. Here, my boss takes care of me. He gave me a car, pays for my utilities and food as well. The hours aren't the greatest but they don't suck. The location is really nice. I can walk into Seoul in about 5 minutes yet I can go on a hike in the opposite direction for hours on end. The locals here are pretty down to earth, not up themselves like you would find among people in places like Gangnam or Apgujeong.

Just resigned my contract for a few more months, was given a hefty raise and the weather is beginning to mellow a bit as well. I am getting back outside some more back into running on the river which is great.

I do miss the snow capped mountains back home, the wild life, the relaxedness, and the fishing. I don't miss the super short summers with 22 hours of sunlight and super long winters with 3 hours of sunlight.

All in all, I would say that I was happy all along. I still am.

[BS.Dos.]

I'm enjoying it. Jobs good as is the social life. Koreans are okay. They can be a little too nosey and ask some rather inappropriate questions at times, but on the whole, they're pretty sound people.

Someone mentioned 'utlilitarian' in an earlier post, which I agree with. Apart from quaffing soju, I'm not sure that Koreans really know how to relax and enjoy themselves. From cradle to grave it's all work, work, work.

I've been here 6-months now and I've still yet to experience the 'inevitable' culture shock that I was told I would experience. Whenever I think of home, which is rarely, I cringe at the thought of being back there.

[TheChickenLover]

There are many factors that I would say are essential to help you enjoy your stay while here. Sadly, I have met so many people who have come here on a shoestring budget that does not allow them any real security and are more often than not stressed out as they count & calculate their bank balances. A few things I would suggest to enjoying your stay here.

1) Come WITH money. It's too common people here actually live paycheck to paycheck. I don't care if you're just out of school, but at least have some common sense to have money in the bank in case you need it, & in most cases you WILL need it. I arrived here with roughly $10k & was able to make my purchases for necessities & got transportation straight away. Money in the bank is a good feeling. It's your security blanket that keeps you afloat when things can go t*ts up.

2) DON'T ride public transportation. I would say the first is a health issue. The amount of open sneezing & coughing in the germ tubes cannot be healhty. Also, many problematic encounters with the locals have occurred in these areas because many of them cannot hold down a steady job, have no money, take the cheapest form of transport & when they see you, you are their prime target. You are paid well enough to buy a car, & should buy one. New is best, used is fine. You will see a large difference in how people perceive you if you actually drive yourself around than if you have to take the bus. A car resembles status here, use it to your advantage & avoid the undesirables on public transport (haven't taken public transport in over 8 years)

3) GET YOUR OWN HOUSING. Buy if you can, or pay rent, but YOU should have full control over your living conditions, not your employer. If you can, get a housing stipidend. If you lose your job, you still have a place to live with your extra bank balance while you look for replacement work. Being unemployed & potentially homeless at the whim of an unreasonable director is always too stressful to have at the back of your mind.

4) Don't teach kids. Yes, kids can be cute, but teaching fruits & animals can be entertaining for about 10 minutes. After that you're not much more than a well paid glorified babysitter. Teach people who are older, have some life experience & careers. They will be able to help you & some may become good friends during your stay here.

5) Excercise. Too many fat foreigners here. It's both digusting & overly unhealthy, not to mention an eyesore to look at.

6) Don't be identified by your job. Teaching here is a good means to make money, but use your focus on your other activities outside the workplace. Exercise, art, sports, hobbies, family. Teaching English is increadibly easy to do with enough experience that you can do it in your sleep without any real effort. What you do outside your job is how one may choose to be identified as.

7) NEVER trust your employers completely. They will burn you in some form or another. Stealing money, character assasination, promotion sabotage, office politics, you name it. I wrote a textbook that was published as a manuscript with my name "forgotten". After having the publisher recall the books, several weeks of angry phone calls to me (from someone I never expected who would steal my work), I've learned that if people can benefit or advance themselves at your expense, they will. It's a normal part of Korean culture here.

Find love. Enjoy your time & be happy with your significant other.

9) Avoid gossip. Nothing good comes of it.

10) Avoid annoying people that give you stress. I've actually been avoiding 2 people at my workplace, they know something is wrong, but I just do not trust nor appreciate knowing everything I say or do is relayed through the grapevine.

my solution to that - I politley 'requested' to get a private office because it was just too noisy in the common teachers office for hours a day. They couldn't really argue that I had to stay in the noise.

11) Don't believe everything you read on Dave's cafe. This place can be addictive for gossip, but it really is poison for your time here.

Chicken

[Dome Vans]

B.S. Dos wrote:

[rationality]

[chris_J2]

[europe2seoul]

[Justin Hale]

[Homer]

Good post chicken.

I will add my grain of salt to it if you do not mind

[mindmetoo]