Korean Job Discussion Forums

[captain kirk]

Relax. Buy a suba melon and put it by your pillow. You could do worse than become a 'Canadian' 'teaching English' in Korea.

[PatrickSiheung]

This is going back to my highschool sociology class but I would consider Canada a cosmopolitan country whereas the USA more of a melting pot...

That being said, I think (and this is a large generalization) Canadians are more open to cultural differences. I know that since I was in kindergarten I've always had the chance to celebrate other cultures in school. There were special days where children from india would demonstrate their native dance, while others from Europe would demonstrate something from their country. It wasn't usual for me to have one friend going to Chinese school and another to Portugeuse (sp?) school.

When I was first meeting Korean people here they would ask me what Canadians are like and it was so hard to answer. So many different cultures in one place, no one really assimilating to any Canadian Norm...
It was easy to make the adjustment to Korean living for me because I've already had so much experience with people so different from myself.

[jazblanc77]

PatrickSiheung, not to be fecetious, you made a small error: Canada is multi-cultural while the US is a melting-pot. I just thought you would like to know.

[jajdude]

[humanuspneumos]

Me thinx Canadians are in Korea because:

1. Travel among an age group that experienced a certain sense of middle-class-ism via. TV or their home became very popular. When you mention travel people ooooh and awwww.

2. Our educational system hugely failed us in that they kept educational institutions raking in the cash by advertising degrees, diplomas, and the such as though they were the magic key of middle-class or upper-class status. They failed to build the bridge from graduation to employment. Also- it's a known fact that Canadians aren't entrepreneurial- so getting employment under an employer is paramount. Nothing of "build your own business" exists like we see in America, Taiwan, Korea.... Socialism and by-laws nicely kill that spirit (hey- Korea is a kind of socialism the way they take-care of you). Anyway, useless degrees in relation to food, clothing, and shelter flooded the market.

3. Canadians have no place of compromise- meaning- I'll trade the big $ for big sunshine in California/Florida. Canadians have Vancouver and yes-it gets flooded by people seeking the exotic warmth (anything in Canada hovering at 10 Celcius in the winter is exotic.

4. First- Americans were flooding Korea- then the IMF decimated wages to the degree of a 7-11 job. Then the buzz words- North American English became popular in Korea. So- naturally Canadians became part of that. In Thailand it's the Brits who are popular. It just happens in Korea North American English is. On this point- why not ask the Koreans why Canadians flood the market?

5. Size and population- it's easier to fly to Korea than relocate half-way across the world in a thinly populated country just to start-up.

[Blind Willie]

[mindmetoo]

[Derrek]

[humanuspneumos]

I'm all for clever and cynical pokes at Canadians. I think my fellow Canadians need to have some of the air let out of their tires. But, seriously, you have no talent for crafting clever cynicism. Avoid it in future. You only make yourself look like a stupid windbag.


I'm not sure why you think I was trying to be cleverly cynical. However, I wasn't. Just trying to answer a question- why so many Canadians?

[PatrickSiheung]

[jazblanc77]

[Zed]

[chinook]

i think the job situation explains a lot.

there is a real lack of what some will refer to as "proper jobs". Jobs that are satisfying, a bit challenging, and pay enough to allow you a life after the montly student loan payments. Jobs that have a future, maybe somewhere to go up eventually.

I've read many a time about how unrealistic the umemployment rate is (though i think it's been said of the states too) because it doesn't reflect those who see the horrible economy and delay entering it-by travelling for a year, by going on to do masters/phds, etc. The problem is that if you are one of the grads who took out four years of loans, those options aren't really open for you. So you have to enter the economy, horrible as it is.

My experiences are first that employers act like arses-they know that there are tons of applicants for every position. They have no need to be polite, so often they aren't.

There is a lot of temp work out there-thing is, as happened to me just last week, it is very precarious. I had worked at a position where I was constantly hearing that I did a wonderful job, I got along with everyone really well, and I was told the assignment was ending that day at 4.30, half an hour before the end of my day (it was supposed to last until August). Apparently, there is no need for any consideration to be shown to temps at all because the pissy thing about all this is that they had decided several days before that it was going to happen-they had lost a contract and so other people were freed up to do my work. Why couldn't they have told me when they made the decision??? Who knows, but they didn't, and while some people were very angry on my behalf, obviously there are some people out there who feel there is nothing wrong with doing something like that. Shows a complete lack of respect for me as a person, of course, but they aren't bothered.

Then there is retail. I was in need of some extra money after travelling for awhile, so I did a stint at a department store over christmas, part time in addition to my temp job and my boyfriend still does retail (he's here on a working holiday visa, so it is hard to get anything that resembles a decent job). God, is retail awful. The customers are rude, the employers are often rude it seems, and the hours are just as precarious as temping. If the store isn't meeting it's targets, your hours are cut without notice.

Temping has few attached benefits. Forget dental and health coverage, you're lucky to get paid statuatory holidays and sick pay. Retail jobs may have full time hours, but are seldom set up as full time positions, so often they don't come with any benefits either. My boyfriend took one day off sick the other week and his employer wanted a doctor's note if he stayed off a second day-they don't even give him sick pay for christ's sake. Notes from a doctor cost money, and after two days that is a unreasonable request considering they don't have to pay you for the missed days.

So, I look at all the stuff that could happen in Korea, and I think... Well, a worst case senario would be worse than working here, especially the not being paid problems, but a lot of the rest... doesn't sound fun, but then neither is temping. and the stress of where the rent money, loans money etc is going to come from is gone. sure i'll trade one set of stresses for another, but i'll also get a bit of an adventure and do some travelling, which i can't afford otherwise.

[On the other hand]

[Tiger Beer]

I was seriously seriously trying to avoid this thread.. Canadians are cool, Americans are cool.. none of this stuff is anyhow related to ones nationality.. but anyhow.. this jumped out.