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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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 Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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| robbie_davies wrote: |
I imagine it is like most places, higher salary will depend on qualifications and experience. |
My quals/experience got me to the top of the public school payscale in Korea after a couple of years, but there was nowhere to go from there. I like teaching public school and continue to do it (sort of; Korean gov. supported school where the students pay tuition as well) here in China. The difference here is that I started at a considerably higher salary than what the top is there and will continue to get pay increases each year of service.
| YTMND wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I think he should come and join us in China - I love it there, don't you? |
Yea, China is wonderful. You get paid half salary, and they chain lock your building with a 11pm curfew if you live on campus.
If you choose not to, they give you 1500 RMB housing allowance where you have to rent 2000-5000 RMB apartments.
Such a wondrous alternative.  |
I honestly don't get you and creeper dude. If Korea is so much better, then why are the two of you in China? It's too bad for you that you continue to experience working conditions like this from job to job to job. Many of us that have lived and worked in the ROK and now in China don't live that way by choice.
| bg030 wrote: |
| I've just begun the process of gathering my documents to apply to teach in Korea. I'm worried about my chances due to my age. Will I still be able to find work as a 35 year old newbie? |
It certainly was possible back in the mid 2000s to get practically any job at that age. By the time I left in 2010, I think things had become a bit more difficult. If Korea doesn't work out for you, I'd recommend considering China. |
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rockbilly
Joined: 19 Mar 2013
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| Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 12:02 pm Post subject: Don't go there! |
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| YTMND wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I think he should come and join us in China - I love it there, don't you? |
Yea, China is wonderful. You get paid half salary, and they chain lock your building with a 11pm curfew if you live on campus.
If you choose not to, they give you 1500 RMB housing allowance where you have to rent 2000-5000 RMB apartments.
Such a wondrous alternative. |
So sadly true.
China LOCKS YOU IN--11 pm curfew!--treats you abominably, and maybe JUST disdains to pay you almost in full, almost on time--or maybe not.
I went to China in early 2008, from years of teaching English in Korea, with the very best intentions. I went in such a high-minded way that I was happy to see my pay reduced by two-thirds for a chance to be working with comrades, in a nice, friendly socialist country. In other words--who needs money? I'd rather do the right thing and be a good comrade and live and work in China.
In response, I got abused so badly that it's no use even starting on the four-letter words. I was cheated again and again, lied to again and again, not even paid the pittance I was promised--just plain abused.
I wanted to be a friend to China. But China doesn't want friends.
So suck it up and grow up. Trade your work for $$$. Don't deal with the Chinese--they are horrible pieces of trash. An embarrassment to the memory of Karl Marx, and even Chairman Mao--who was RIGHT to recognize that socialist ideals would never mix with "Chinese culture."
Sorry, that's a rant. Not my first on this forum. But it's a rant borne out of nearly FIVE SOLID YEARS in which the Chinese used me and abused me, both at public and private schools.
And I'm a Communist Party USA member. Or was, until too much time in China and Vietnam finally got me saying "Eff you forever."
Don't go there.
EDIT:
To substantiate the above rant, I was cheated out of wages by:
1) Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine
2) TAIE Beijing (if I remember the name correctly--God knows I've been trying to forget!) Based in Toronto, supposedly. Run, though, by a father-and-son Chinese team who will outright cheat you out of everything you've earned.
3) Jiangsu Industry Technology College
FURTHER EDIT: Worst abuser of all. Jiangsu Industry Technology College outright accused me of having missed classes which I did not miss--and on that lying basis outright cheated me of pay. Hard to believe--in fact, IMPOSSIBLE to believe, if you've got a belief in human goodness. CHINA WILL KILL YOUR BELIEF IN HUMAN GOODNESS--DON'T GO THERE!
while being threatened with passport confiscation--as if!--for no reason, by
1) Changzhi College/University
ADDITIONAL EDIT: The Foreign Affairs Officer at this place broke into my apt. and stole my clothes, books, and other personal possessions while I was away on winter holiday. Utter, absolute nightmare--and if THAT isn't enough to dissuade you from going to China, WHAT THE BLEEPING FOUR-LETTER WOULD BE?
and elsewhere forced out of work or rescheduled to impossible morning/afternoon/evening hours on some sort of lunacy by
1) DLI Ningbo
2) Jiangxi Financial College
3) Maple Leaf International Tianjin--horribly abusive and insulting!
etc.
finally, promised an apartment, endlessly, while being kept in a student dorm without kitchen or other amenities--and so lied to for months on end
1) Jiangsu Maritime Institute
FURTHER EDIT: That's where things got terminally bizarre. I'd likely still be there today, at JMI, if I'd not been lied to endlessly. ALL THE OTHER FOREIGN TEACHERS THERE QUIT before I did. I was effectively forced out, at the end. The Foreign Affairs guy refused to accept my final grades again and again and AGAIN--claiming endless absurdities. He claimed he didn't know which class each grade sheet belonged to--though each was clearly labeled in Chinese at the top. Sent me home to redo the grades again and again until finally I just walked. Absolute insanity. Clearly, a deliberate effort to drive me away--as all the other foreign teachers had been driven out. Why? Xenophobia? Who knows? Who cares? JUST PLAIN DON'T DEAL WITH CHINA AND YOU'LL NEVER NEED TO BOTHER YOURSELF WITH THIS POINTLESS QUESTION!
Five years trying to find a place in China which would just pay me to teach English, on a basis of mutual trust. NEVER HAPPENED!
China is not a nice country. For the love of God, do yourself a favor and don't go there. Vacation--yes. You can go there for a few days and have a VERY nice time--why?--because you'll be paying and so YOU'LL BE THE BOSS! If, however, you go there to live and work, YOU'LL BE TAKING IT UP THE ASHTRAY--sorry for the seven-letter word--but there it is.
Do NOT let China abuse you. Don't go there. Stay safe. For the love of God, don't let China put itself in a position to abuse you. You WILL be abused. You WILL regret it. Don't go there.
P.S. You think I sound crazy? You haven't been through what I've been through, in that case. Imagine you go to China. Oh boy, you've really got things figured out. You're hiring on with a state college, or even a "national 'key' university." That's gotta be good, right? Funny, ha ha, come pay day you're not getting paid in full. Your boss is busy. Or . . . wait a minute . . . you've been missing class! That's right, you've been missing class! Only you haven't been missing class. But your Chinese bosses say that you've been missing class . . . and now they're not going to pay you!
MAY CHINA ROT IN HELL FOREVER! THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS A HORRIBLE FILTHY, LYING ABOMINATION! |
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robbie_davies
Joined: 16 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Rockbilly, sorry to hear you had a lousy time in China but I have to say and it is good we have this balance on here. That I never had any of those problems. And I was in the middle of Henan. I believe what you say though and it does serve as a warning that there are bad schools out there as well as the good.
When working in China 'Pick your master carefully' research and research and research again.
It's not a foolproof way of stopping one getting burned but there is a lot of information out there these days about crappy employers.
Another thing about China is put your foot down, this always worked for me when I thought they were trying to take the piss. Not saying Rockbilly didn't do that but I found that solved 90% of the crap they might try to pull, know your contract and pull it out when need be.
China is a massive market and it is getting bigger, if you are switched on and earn yourself decent qualifications - you can earn a good living over there - I prefer China to Korea by a long chalk - my two bob on the matter and no means a definitive guide.
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Wow! Yeah, thanks for that post, rockbilly. It seems that you really had a bad time here, and it is good for others considering this place to read the negatives as well.
Like robbie_davies, I've had the complete opposite experience in China than you and much prefer it to Korea. I had a mostly positive experience in my 5 years in the ROK as well. I don't foresee leaving here until the wife (Chinese) and I are ready to go back to the States. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:38 am Post subject: Re: Is 35 too old to start ESL in Korea |
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| bg030 wrote: |
| I've just begun the process of gathering my documents to apply to teach in Korea. I'm worried about my chances due to my age. Will I still be able to find work as a 35 year old newbie? |
35 is not too old nor too late to start working in ESL-TEFL.
Good luck. |
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Swampfox10mm
Joined: 24 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:19 am Post subject: |
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Coming from someone in their 40's.....
Be more concerned about what your next step after esl will be, and if you will be too old for that. |
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creeper1
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 4:54 pm Post subject: my take |
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A guy comes on this forum looking for advice about teaching in Korea and some individual posters start hijacking this thread to make it yet another China vs Korea discussion. Yawn.
That's really disappointing. If you tried that on the China forum you would probably be banned by now. You want to talk about that then start a new thread.
As for the OP - keep us updated. I'm sure the job-offers will be rolling in soon. |
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misher
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
bg030 wrote:
I've just begun the process of gathering my documents to apply to teach in Korea. I'm worried about my chances due to my age. Will I still be able to find work as a 35 year old newbie?
35 is not too old nor too late to start working in ESL-TEFL.
Good luck. |
I'm with Patrick on this one and I'll actually take it a bit further. One of the great things about EFL is it will never go anywhere and you can start in it pretty much anytime before your age will hinder you because of visa restrictions. As long as you bring years of private/public sector experience to the table there will be General/Business Efl jobs. I know 2 guys that got hired to do business English in Tokyo and they were over 50. They did however have decades of private sector experience in marketing/sales/finance/accounting/engineering. And they got hired over EFL teachers that had MA TESOLs and years of teaching experience. HOWEVER they brought nothing else to the table other than hagwon/unigwon teaching exp.
Point is you can't do it the other way around. Once you're in EFL and that is all you got, by the time you're 30 you're hooped.
OP 35 is not late at all. If you have private sector exp, leverage it to get corporates. |
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