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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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wings
Joined: 09 Nov 2006
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 Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| I guess the solution is get more qualifications (for ESL or for another field entirely). |
Agreed. There are good jobs out there for those who are qualified ESL teachers with experience, and not just Uni jobs. Just like in any other field you have to work your way up. Honestly, I think 2.1 + housing is a decent starting salary, especially considering that most newbs are coming with no experience and no idea how to teach. |
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goat
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| wings wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I guess the solution is get more qualifications (for ESL or for another field entirely). |
Agreed. There are good jobs out there for those who are qualified ESL teachers with experience, and not just Uni jobs. Just like in any other field you have to work your way up. Honestly, I think 2.1 + housing is a decent starting salary, especially considering that most newbs are coming with no experience and no idea how to teach. |
Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
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misher
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Actually yeah, considering what's actually being brought to the table (little to nothing) 2.1 plus housing/severance etc is actually pretty good. 1.7 is actually still good.
My gripe is the pay for the people who have actually invested their time into the paperchase. The only way to crack 60k a year (teachers in Canada max out at 90k now WITH a db pension) is to work your ass off and up the contact hours/ hump around for privates over evenings/weekends and holidays. If I'm going to be pulling 50-60 plus hour work weeks then I might as well be in the corporate sector. At least I get downtime at my desk, opportunities to move up based on merit and if I'm on a good team then it's all good. Teaching esl, some students are great and some are just a royal pain in the ass.
Old timers "doing just fine" in ESL/university ESL EAP do not apply.
The other option is the gulf. No thanks. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| goat wrote: |
| Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
How is it generous? The housing is tiny and moldy. And Korea is overcrowded with extremely polluted air. For a college grad, 1.5 is peanuts. Even for a non-college grad, it's peanuts. Hagwon owners make a ton of money off of the labor of the native English teachers. |
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IPayInCash
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: Away from all my board stalkers :)
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| Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| goat wrote: |
| Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
How is it generous? The housing is tiny and moldy. And Korea is overcrowded with extremely polluted air. For a college grad, 1.5 is peanuts. Even for a non-college grad, it's peanuts. Hagwon owners make a ton of money off of the labor of the native English teachers. |
I agree that's an awful post from a hagwon owner. Let's give him 1.5 for a month so he can see how generous it is.  |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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| goat wrote: |
| wings wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I guess the solution is get more qualifications (for ESL or for another field entirely). |
Agreed. There are good jobs out there for those who are qualified ESL teachers with experience, and not just Uni jobs. Just like in any other field you have to work your way up. Honestly, I think 2.1 + housing is a decent starting salary, especially considering that most newbs are coming with no experience and no idea how to teach. |
Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
These days the market pay for ESL teachers with little or no experience just starting out may be 2.1 million won. Yes, long, long ago 1.5 was good. The market starting wage gradually increased to 2.4 for newbies by 2008. Then came the Great Recession and a significant fall back in market wage levels for ESL.
However this means that paying 1.5 would not be "generous" in today's marketplace - even if you can find some unfortunate soul happily working for that amount.
Neither is it generous just to offer and fulfill a contract by paying on time, or by making accurate and required withholding and payment for National Health Insurance, Pension, and Income Taxes. Even if some schools don't do these things, they are just basic requirements.
Generous would be pay levels above the market wage. Generous would be offering bigger or better quality housing, better furnishings, free meals or something else of value beyond what is normal. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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I came to Korea in 2006 through a hagwon job that paid me 2.0 million won a month. At that time, I was able to save 1 million won a month pretty easily, even though my after tax pay was less than 1.7 million a month.
Of course, prices have gone up since 2006, but most ESL teachers can and do live pretty cheaply, eating 5,000 won meals at 김밥천국 drinking 500cc's of Cass at 2,500 won a pop. So, it should be possible to save at least 1 million a month pretty easily, maybe even 1.1 or 1.2 million a month. Much more than that would require a level of frugality most would not want to endure, however.
And it's not like you can't make more money with better jobs requiring higher qualifications. There are jobs paying 2.5, 2.8, 3.5 million a month and more provided you have some teaching skills and more specialized knowledge. So, start with that 2.1 million a month job, pay your dues, and move up the ladder. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 1:13 am Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| People need to stop accepting crap wages. |
+1. Op, don't accept this salary. Hold out for more. At least in the 2.2 or 2.3 range.
Man! Northern Alberta is looking some good. For the money; not the chicks. Ha ha. |
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goat
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 2:57 am Post subject: |
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| IPayInCash wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| goat wrote: |
| Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
How is it generous? The housing is tiny and moldy. And Korea is overcrowded with extremely polluted air. For a college grad, 1.5 is peanuts. Even for a non-college grad, it's peanuts. Hagwon owners make a ton of money off of the labor of the native English teachers. |
I agree that's an awful post from a hagwon owner. Let's give him 1.5 for a month so he can see how generous it is. |
The salaries were much too high from 2002-2009. A couple of more years at 2.1 will put the pay where it should be. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| goat wrote: |
| IPayInCash wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| goat wrote: |
| Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
How is it generous? The housing is tiny and moldy. And Korea is overcrowded with extremely polluted air. For a college grad, 1.5 is peanuts. Even for a non-college grad, it's peanuts. Hagwon owners make a ton of money off of the labor of the native English teachers. |
I agree that's an awful post from a hagwon owner. Let's give him 1.5 for a month so he can see how generous it is. |
The salaries were much too high from 2002-2009. A couple of more years at 2.1 will put the pay where it should be. |
Time to cash out and move on if this, in fact, plays out to be true.... |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 5:14 am Post subject: |
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| IPayInCash wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| goat wrote: |
| Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
How is it generous? The housing is tiny and moldy. And Korea is overcrowded with extremely polluted air. For a college grad, 1.5 is peanuts. Even for a non-college grad, it's peanuts. Hagwon owners make a ton of money off of the labor of the native English teachers. |
I agree that's an awful post from a hagwon owner. Let's give him 1.5 for a month so he can see how generous it is. |
Not all hagwon owners are bad, though on average they are pretty bad, and then there are a few that are downright slave owner wannabes.
I think this person is one of those with the slaver-like mentality - 'you are lucky I give you food and water free of charge, you greedy piece of meat, now get back to work!' |
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goat
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| maximmm wrote: |
| IPayInCash wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| goat wrote: |
| Most newbies are paid too much. With all the extra benefits, 1.5 + housing is a generous salary. |
How is it generous? The housing is tiny and moldy. And Korea is overcrowded with extremely polluted air. For a college grad, 1.5 is peanuts. Even for a non-college grad, it's peanuts. Hagwon owners make a ton of money off of the labor of the native English teachers. |
I agree that's an awful post from a hagwon owner. Let's give him 1.5 for a month so he can see how generous it is. |
Not all hagwon owners are bad, though on average they are pretty bad, and then there are a few that are downright slave owner wannabes.
I think this person is one of those with the slaver-like mentality - 'you are lucky I give you food and water free of charge, you greedy piece of meat, now get back to work!' |
It was a post made in jest! |
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goat
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| Yet, if the market supply of teachers is high, why would an employer pay a newbie 2.5 when he can pay 2.1? No one is worth more than minimum wage unless something deems necessary to pay more. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:27 am Post subject: |
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| That's why we need to start encouraging newbs not to accept 2.1. |
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goat
Joined: 23 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:32 am Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| That's why we need to start encouraging newbs not to accept 2.1. |
I agree 100%. |
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