Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

Why does Korea pay the most money with the most fringe benefits for ESL teaching in the world outside of the Middle East, but don't require all those qualifications like CELTA or other certifications? Korea is the only place offering paid flights and a $2100 a month salary, but yet doesn't even offer training or orientation to newbies on what is expected and how to best work for the Koreans. I know in my experience, Korea is a very depressing boring place to be, but it pays significantly more than anywhere else which leaves many foreigners ambivelent.

I look into places like Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam and their schools all demand these qualifications for an $800 to $1000 a month job without airfare and housing provided. That's too difficult from a financial standpoint when it comes to airfares and student loans. I would guess many foreigners are perpetually stranded in SE Asia, but enjoy a pleasant well rounded active and healthy lifestyle in the tropics.

I have not traveled to SE Asia yet, but am planning to go in 3 months from now for a vacation to see just what it is really like compared to Korea and to explore an interesting geographic area I always wanted to travel to that gets rave reviews consistently the world over. I plan to return home after that, but would love to continue working abroad without going back to Korea. Yes, money is a big issue for me as much as I wish to the stars it weren't so. Korea is not a bad country, it's just a very depressing and unpleasant place to live in my opinion. I won't come back next year and then complain that I don't like Korea, because life is too short to continue doing something I don't like to do. If I were rich, I would not even be here, I would just fly away to greener pastures.

[jajdude]

You answered your own question. Despite nationalism and all that nonsense, even a lot of Koreans know this is not a great place for a lot of people. Korea has to offer a good deal or few foreigners would come, or stay. Even so, there's still a shortage, apparently. Not enough foreigners are willing to come, or stay.

[kangnam mafioso]

Are you working in a hogwan in the sticks with 1 week off a year??

I actually find Seoul to be a fun city, although regular vacations are a necessity.

Why do you find Korea so depressing? I think once you establish a circle of friends (many of whom will be Westerners) and prehaps find a girlfriend, Korea becomes a lot more tolerable.

You could probably do okay financially in Japan, HK, Taiwan or even Shanghai, although you might have to pay your own airfare.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Salaries aren't that high here. They're just lower in Japan and Taiwan.

Why? Maybe it is, like a previous poster said, less desirable to live in. Not sure though. Could be many factors. I'd say there are more people who want to learn English here. The economy here is better than Taiwan and the other more southern countries and Japan is Japan. Maybe the desire to learn English isn't as high there.

[Paji eh Wong]

Simple economics. Massive, heaving, sweaty demand plus purchasing power parity.

We get paid a premium to work here. Enjoy it. Its there for a reason.

[PGF]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[duns0014]

Why do fat chicks give the best head? Because they have to. Why do koreans pay the most? Because they have to.

[Bibbitybop]

[Gamecock]

[IncognitoHFX]

[reactionary]

look, it's human nature to justify the path we've chosen. i think a lot of people overblow what a great "deal" it is to work here. but you gotta justify all the work you do somehow. i recommend anton chekhov's short story "gooseberries."

a lot of us, myself included, expected much greater things than we found after getting here. and each time i take a vacation to another country, it just rubs my nose more and more into my mistake.

6 more months.

[Unposter]

I don't know. My perspective seems to be different. I think the reason salaries seem to go farther is the low taxation and the fact that you do not have to purchase or maintain a car or spend money on insurance.

In America, where I am from, you spend a large amount of your paycheck on cars and insurance, and while tax is lower than many other countries, it is still much higher than Korea. These are all the benefits of a develop nation with a much wiser sense of a socialist economy.

So, maybe you have to pay for your housing back home but assuming you own not rent, it is all really an investment and though more maybe taken from your salary, you might be getting a pension or matching IRA funds, etc... People save back home just not in the way we do here in Korea.

The sad part is that Korea can actually be quite expensive, especially Seoul. Seoul is more expensive than my hometown on most things. You just can't beat the prices in the U.S. - some of the lowest in the world.

The difference is I have more take home pay though less gross pay. In the U.S., they save for you so you don't just spend it all. Here it is up to you. If you have discipline, there can be advantages. If you don't, man are you wasting your time.

Salaries in Korea are because they are around (though in my opinion slightly lower) pairty with other Korean salaries. They may be slightly higher if you count in our upkeep but that is the cost of importing us. With a chonsae (key money) system, you couldn't get people to afford to move here.

Japan used to have much better salaries before the decade long recession of the 90's. The same could happen here in Korea. Still, I bet there are people cleaning it up in Japan. I have a friend who works at a uni over there and he saves almost $4,000 U.S. a month! And, that is just from his uni salary. You would be hard pressed to find someone not doing extra work to be able to do that here in Korea.

And, I am very curious how many people in Vietnam actually have those qualifications. I have no idea one way or the other but one possibility is they may ask for such qualifications and then accept less. There might be more fake degrees in Vietnam than in Korea - I don't know.

Korea is more laissez-faire than most countries. The central government does not seem to care much about what goes on. Businesses are fairly free to hire as they want. If they wish to hire on credentials alone they can. If they see other qualities that make good teachers (sadly, it is probably appearance and bubbly personality) that is their choice.

Like almost all ESL/EFL markets, the problem is that these jobs are mostly entry-level and dead end. Some people rise but overwelmingly people do not. Some people adapt other strategies such as working independently. They enjoy being their own boss. Fine. But you definately have to create your own opportunities in this business. No one is going to give you anything here.

[Atavistic]

There are still countries around the world that pay extra money to diplomats stationed here. It's a "hardship" station.

Korea needs to put that in its pipe and smoke it.