Korean Job Discussion Forums

[summer33ny]

My boyfriend and I will be going to S. Korea next year after he finishes his degree. We are going with the goal of saving more money there than we would here in NY (and of course for the experience of working & living abroad). I was wondering how much is the average amount someone can expect to save working in S. Korea for a year? Neither of us are drinkers!

Also--would it be wise to begin jobs mid-year? He finishes his degree in December. Would it be better to wait for the beginning of the next school year? Are all the good jobs filled by up by mid-year?

My last question: How important do you think it is to be TEFL or TESOL certified?

[biggpoppa]

well first of all you should expect to receive an entry level salary...it will range from 1.8mil to 2.3mil won depending on where you live and who you work for....hagwons (private schools) are always look for teachers and they will pay a bit above an elementary school, especially if you don't have a TESOL...however there are always exceptions...i work at a public school making 2.1 with no certificates....its just the luck of the draw

do you want a large city or not? you can make some good coin if your out in the sticks...

anyways i would suggest that you could bank around 1.5 to 1.7 each if you work it right....all you'll have to pay for is your utilities and cost of living, (food, etc). Right now I bank about 1.5 a month and thats with going out once or twice on weekends, eating out everyday and paying to play hockey here. So you can save a lot of cash.....

If you want a public school job, you can probably get in for second semester after your bf graduates, however it will be cutting it close. Your best bet will obviously be a hagwon though...

take a look around there are some really great jobs out there

[BS.Dos.]

Savings
At a push, I reckon you could probably bank about 60~70% of your net pay per month, assuming of course that you aren't too extravagant. Being as your beer bill will be nil, you should be able to save about 65% pretty easily. However, I should point out that I'm located in a pretty small town, which while it has the basics, it doesn't have any big department stores or western style restaurants that could burn holes. This month, I reckon I'll bank about �800 ($1600), which is about 66% of my net, bearing in mind that unlike you, I like a few small Sherries on the weekend.

When to start
Personally speaking, I'd like to have started at the start of term as opposed to mid-way through it. Firstly, it gives both you and your students a shared reference point and secondly, by joining at the start of a new academic year, you'll be starting afresh, inasmuch that you wont have to worry about repetition, or in other words, repeating what your predecessor did or didn't do. At my HS, I don't have a clue as to what the previous guy covered. If I knew, then I could adjust my plans accordingly, which would probably be more advantageous to the students in the long run.

TESOL
I have a Trinity College TESOL and despite what many others may say, I feel it was a wise investment. If you've never, like me, taught before, then walking into a classroom for the first time (especially in a foreign country) could be terrifying. While a good deal of a TESOL isn't really that useful here (grammar mainly, but and to the best of my knowledge, some Public school teachers do teacher grammar) that's not to say that having a broader understanding of the subject you'll be teaching will be wasted. Far from it. Just because you probably wont be teaching grammar doesn't negate having a better understanding of the nut and bolts of the language.

In hindsight, I'd say that while my TESOL was money well spent, it didn't really prepare me for very low-level learners, something that you may like to consider when choosing a teaching course.

[thatwhitegirl]

I would reccomend a TEFL/TESOL. It gives you experience, training and a little more respect. I am very glad I took the course. When I finished, I was tossed into the classroom the next day. Without it, I don't even want to know what would have happened.
It's definately not everything, but it helps. And it makes you worth more.

As far as the school year, the public schools start in March. Graduation is in February, and the new term starts in March. So if you come over after your boyfriend graduates, you should be able to get a job at a public school for the new school year.

We started our new jobs in September, so we are trying to sort out the classes and figure our what was already taught. It's not too big of a deal though....although I will be glad to start a new semester.

My husband and I are trying to save about $40,000 this year. We make 2.6, and also don't drink.