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cat_herder
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
Location: United States
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 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the advice. |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:12 am Post subject: |
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Fancy coffee would be wasted on Koreans. They honestly wouldn't know the difference. Chocolate too. They like chocolate, but you'd be better off going to CVS and buying a couple big bags of mixed American candy. Like Almond Joys, Reese's, York PPs, Milky Ways, all that stuff. Almost guarantee you none of 'em will have ever tried them and they'll be all excited by the different flavors. The teachers here are almost like kids when it comes to candy. Just as good for first impressions as anything fancy. Hell, you could wait till you get here and buy a cake at Paris Baugette and they'd love that, too. Or fruit from the local market. Whatever. The bar isn't very high.
Bringing something shared would be fine, I think. Don't try to focus on any one person. You DON'T need to try to suck up to the principal or VP, and getting something for CTs should wait a few weeks till you get to know them a bit. Mostly they want you to not make extra work for them, know somewhat how to teach, and pretend to like/care about Korean culture and food. That's about it for a NET in PS in this country. Don't overthink it too much. |
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cat_herder
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
Location: United States
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:46 am Post subject: |
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| ^Thanks for setting my mind at ease. |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Honestly, I don't know anyone who gave out gifts when they first arrived. |
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lemak
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| dairyairy wrote: |
| Honestly, I don't know anyone who gave out gifts when they first arrived. |
Agreed. Never gave gifts when I arrived at a new job in Korea.
Don't know anyone who did (foreign or korean) in almost a decade there.
May even backfire and mark you as naive and too nice. Hello unpaid overtime.
Give them the gift of English knowledge and your wonderful presence.
Later if the co-workers turn out to be okay treat them a box of Nene chicken or bring in some chocolates or something.
They're not inviting you into their house as a guest. They're hiring you as a taxpaying professional in an employer-employee setting.
You wouldn't bring in gifts for your boss on your first day at a job back home.
If you're teaching kids or even adults they might like to try candy or snacks from your home country, but that's about it. |
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premiummince
Joined: 23 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| How many Korean teachers buy gifts when they're new? HMMMM |
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cheezsteakwit
Joined: 12 Oct 2011
Location: There & back again.
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| Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:45 pm Post subject: Bringing Gifts |
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Save your luggage space and just buy some food for the teachers lounge once you get established.
I didn't know I would have 2 schools, 2 principals , 2 Vice Principals, & 5 co-teachers until AFTER I got here.
I got strawberries & muffins after payday for the one school & brought in green tea cookies & chocolates for the other school after a trip to the Boesong Tea plantation, here in Korea. My principal thanked me in front of everyone for that one, so that was nice.
As for your co-teacher, wait until you see which one is most helpful. I took mine out for beers / dinner when he helped me get a phone & a visa to China & he also helped me get a bank account previously. |
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soomin
Joined: 18 Jun 2009
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:38 am Post subject: Re: Bringing Gifts |
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| cheezsteakwit wrote: |
Save your luggage space and just buy some food for the teachers lounge once you get established.
I didn't know I would have 2 schools, 2 principals , 2 Vice Principals, & 5 co-teachers until AFTER I got here.
I got strawberries & muffins after payday for the one school & brought in green tea cookies & chocolates for the other school after a trip to the Boesong Tea plantation, here in Korea. My principal thanked me in front of everyone for that one, so that was nice.
As for your co-teacher, wait until you see which one is most helpful. I took mine out for beers / dinner when he helped me get a phone & a visa to China & he also helped me get a bank account previously. |
After your first payday, it is customary to bring treats or something for your coworkers, though I doubt they'd expect it from the foreign teacher. (My Korean coworker bought a cake for everyone to share for her first payday.) And Koreans like it if you bring gifts when you go traveling because every city is known for a specific thing. It's normal to bring back some tangerines or tangerine-chocolates when you visit Jeju, etc. Again, none of this is required, but they are nice things to do, especially if your coworkers are the kinds that share snacks and have little parties in the break room. This is a good reason to stick by the first payday rule, because you'll have had a chance to feel out your coworkers (and know how many of them there are) and you'll be able to bring in something that they'll like (and that will be a lot less expensive than something you lugged over on an airplane). I think a Paris Baguette cake is nice, and you can get one for under 25,000won for all of your coworkers to share (and maybe your boss, depending on the type of boss they are, which you'll have been able to feel out by that time.)
Also, if your coworkers are really mean it could loosen them up and make them like you (at least for a day or two) ^.^ |
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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:54 am Post subject: Re: Bringing Gifts |
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| soomin wrote: |
| cheezsteakwit wrote: |
Save your luggage space and just buy some food for the teachers lounge once you get established.
I didn't know I would have 2 schools, 2 principals , 2 Vice Principals, & 5 co-teachers until AFTER I got here.
I got strawberries & muffins after payday for the one school & brought in green tea cookies & chocolates for the other school after a trip to the Boesong Tea plantation, here in Korea. My principal thanked me in front of everyone for that one, so that was nice.
As for your co-teacher, wait until you see which one is most helpful. I took mine out for beers / dinner when he helped me get a phone & a visa to China & he also helped me get a bank account previously. |
After your first payday, it is customary to bring treats or something for your coworkers, though I doubt they'd expect it from the foreign teacher. (My Korean coworker bought a cake for everyone to share for her first payday.) And Koreans like it if you bring gifts when you go traveling because every city is known for a specific thing. It's normal to bring back some tangerines or tangerine-chocolates when you visit Jeju, etc. Again, none of this is required, but they are nice things to do, especially if your coworkers are the kinds that share snacks and have little parties in the break room. This is a good reason to stick by the first payday rule, because you'll have had a chance to feel out your coworkers (and know how many of them there are) and you'll be able to bring in something that they'll like (and that will be a lot less expensive than something you lugged over on an airplane). I think a Paris Baguette cake is nice, and you can get one for under 25,000won for all of your coworkers to share (and maybe your boss, depending on the type of boss they are, which you'll have been able to feel out by that time.)
Also, if your coworkers are really mean it could loosen them up and make them like you (at least for a day or two) ^.^ |
Koreans are notorious about hanging onto their first impressions. Bringing American sweets for your coworkers on the first day will ensure that you get off to a good start. The gifts don't have to be expensive; in fact, I'd place more emphasis on how the gift looks than the cost/quality.
Also insist on paying for a school dinner teacher gathering once in the first few weeks you're there and you'll be a hit. |
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singerdude
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:00 am Post subject: |
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I don't see anything wrong with bringing a small token gift with you. My first year here, I bought a $15 box of chocolate from the duty free shop on the way over. Something that couldn't be purchased in Korea. The director seemed to appreciate it and shared it with his staff.
I agree that buying an expensive gift for a boss you've never met would be setting the wrong kind of impression. I don't think spending up to $20 on a small gift will give the impression that you're so eager to please and that you will be a pushover. I did it because it seemed strange to come empty handed after coming from another country on a flight that he paid for. Even though I was coming here for a job, I also felt a little like a guest. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:11 am Post subject: |
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| singerdude wrote: |
I don't see anything wrong with bringing a small token gift with you. My first year here, I bought a $15 box of chocolate from the duty free shop on the way over. Something that couldn't be purchased in Korea. The director seemed to appreciate it and shared it with his staff.
I agree that buying an expensive gift for a boss you've never met would be setting the wrong kind of impression. I don't think spending up to $20 on a small gift will give the impression that you're so eager to please and that you will be a pushover. I did it because it seemed strange to come empty handed after coming from another country on a flight that he paid for. Even though I was coming here for a job, I also felt a little like a guest. |
He paid for it as part of your salary. You were not a guest, you were an employee. |
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singerdude
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:00 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| singerdude wrote: |
I don't see anything wrong with bringing a small token gift with you. My first year here, I bought a $15 box of chocolate from the duty free shop on the way over. Something that couldn't be purchased in Korea. The director seemed to appreciate it and shared it with his staff.
I agree that buying an expensive gift for a boss you've never met would be setting the wrong kind of impression. I don't think spending up to $20 on a small gift will give the impression that you're so eager to please and that you will be a pushover. I did it because it seemed strange to come empty handed after coming from another country on a flight that he paid for. Even though I was coming here for a job, I also felt a little like a guest. |
He paid for it as part of your salary. You were not a guest, you were an employee. |
I know that, and I understand the reasons why some people don't buy gifts. I never bought gifts for my future bosses after coming to Korea. It just felt somehow strange not to when I was coming over from another country for the first time. To each his own, though. For the new people debating this, I don't think a small gift will hurt your position in any way. |
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lemak
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:48 am Post subject: |
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| singerdude wrote: |
| I did it because it seemed strange to come empty handed after coming from another country on a flight that he paid for. Even though I was coming here for a job, I also felt a little like a guest. |
You left your family, friends, home environment and decent quality of life to travel to the other side of the world to make some guy you've never met 10+ times the amount of money he's paying you. If anything he owes YOU a gift.
Do your job right and you pay his mortgage...far more valuable present than a pack of Hershey's Kisses or bottle of Carlo Rossi. |
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metalhead
Joined: 18 May 2010
Location: Toilet
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Say you work at a public school, who exactly are you meant to bring gifts for? The principal, vice-principal, and your main co-teacher? And what if you work at more than one school? I have a 20kg check-in luggage limit, and I have to fill my bag with gifts for six or nine people instead of more clothes, toothpaste, deodorant, meds and other such essentials? Ridiculous. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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If you first start at a public school, do not bring a gift for anyone. It's not expected.
However, maybe after the first month you can give a gift to your co-teacher, for all the work they probably will do setting everything up for you. |
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