|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Do you tink teaching English in Korea is a good job? |
| Yes, it is a fantastic job! |
|
34% |
[ 13 ] |
| It is a good job for a couple of years. |
|
52% |
[ 20 ] |
| It's not that good of a job. |
|
7% |
[ 3 ] |
| It's a terrible job. |
|
5% |
[ 2 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 38 |
|
| Author |
Message |
BRawk
Joined: 14 Oct 2007
|
 Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:20 pm Post subject: Is teaching English in Korea really a good job? |
 |
|
Considering we as teachers have university degrees, is teaching English in Korea a good job?
I'll use my job as an example:
Positive side:
-low taxes (big deal for a Canadian)
-explore a new culture
-low hours (I started with 25 but now work 16 a week)
-long vacation (I started with 2 weeks but now get 5 months)
-teaching is often fun
Negative side:
-fairly low pay (2,300,000 a month would work out too 29,900,000 including the bonus.) The true extent of how much you get paid in comparison to your home country varies depending on the tax rates of your home country.
-away from our home countries, families and friends
-fairly little advancement possible
In comparison, an Ontario highschool teacher starts at about $38,000 and after climbing the pay scale for 10 years currently tops out at $80,000. The average overall salary in ontario for someone with less than a years experience is $41,000; 20 years $71,000.
I have loved working here and don't regret my time here. But I am curious to hear how other teachers view this career. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:37 pm Post subject: Re: Is teaching English in Korea really a good job? |
|
|
| BRawk wrote: |
| I am curious to hear how other teachers view this career. |
A wonderful job for one year for many people and a decent career for 2-5 years for some.
Very few people stick to any one career for the whole of their working years. In fact, four (4) career changes is standard statistically.
Very few find teaching to be their true calling and do it for 30+ years. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 8:05 pm Post subject: Re: Is teaching English in Korea really a good job? |
|
|
| BRawk wrote: |
Considering we as teachers have university degrees, is teaching English in Korea a good job?
I'll use my job as an example:
Positive side:
-low taxes (big deal for a Canadian)
-explore a new culture
-low hours (I started with 25 but now work 16 a week)
-long vacation (I started with 2 weeks but now get 5 months)
-teaching is often fun
Negative side:
-fairly low pay (2,300,000 a month would work out too 29,900,000 including the bonus.) The true extent of how much you get paid in comparison to your home country varies depending on the tax rates of your home country.
-away from our home countries, families and friends
-fairly little advancement possible
In comparison, an Ontario highschool teacher starts at about $38,000 and after climbing the pay scale for 10 years currently tops out at $80,000. The average overall salary in ontario for someone with less than a years experience is $41,000; 20 years $71,000.
I have loved working here and don't regret my time here. But I am curious to hear how other teachers view this career. |
I am guessing that you have to have an education degree and be certified to teach in Ontario, right? I was certified to teach in Florida, and I did so for a few years in the 3rd largest education system in the the U.S. (Orange County) prior to coming to Korea. I broke it down in a similar fashion, and came to these results:
1. the hourly pay is about the same if you consider vacation time (I still work in a Hagwon)
2. Florida does not have a state tax, but the federal tax rate for my income bracket was around 23%
3. credentials don't mean too much here for the average teaching job, so you will not get more salary based upon that, but that also means that people that can't teach in their home countries can here
4. I don't pay rent here, and don't have car and insurance payments
5. I am experiencing a different culture that I am comfortable with
6. I do like teaching (Korea and the U.S.), as opposed to the corporate America crap that I did for several years after graduate school
I have no intentions to stay here the rest of my life, but for now it is a quite viable and enjoyable experience for me. I will make the most of this opportunity, and then move on at some point, but for now, I am content. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Unposter
Joined: 04 Jun 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
There is no right answer here as everyone's ability to teach English in Korea varies and their career interests vary. There are people who can clean-up here. I think 70-80,000 Canadian a year is very doable. But, most will never reach that point. And, most would not want to do that.
What I like about my job? I am an expert in my field and I own the means of my own production. I can be my own boss. I could not do that back home at this point in my life. I find this to be very invigorating and freeing.
There are plenty of people here who obsess with what they are missing out back home and never focus on what they have here in the present. If you are one of those types, no matter what success you find here, you won't be happy.
It takes a certain type of person to make Korea work.
And, to answer your question from a different angle, is teaching English a good job in Korea? My answer is it will never be a high prestige job. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BRawk
Joined: 14 Oct 2007
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
These replies are interesting and in many ways mirror what I, too, think about it. I think it is good for a couple years, but after that is a little played out: meaning not much room to grow in terms of status and salary.
How about a reply from the people who have selected its a terrible job. Why?
(BTW..70,000 - 80,000 is a lot of privates. You must be a very enterprising individual.) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Real Reality
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 3:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
Have you been paid late in Korea?
Never - I must be lucky! 34% [54 votes]
Once or twice - no big deal, minor annoyance. 20% [33 votes]
Several times - hate it! 20% [32 votes]
Several times - but I understand the culture, doesn't bother me. 4% [7 votes]
Many times - sigh... 15% [25 votes]
WTF! I've never been paid on time! ARGH!!! 4% [7 votes]
Total Votes: 158
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=18732
Late pay... worth the wait?
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=37989
Do Foreigners have Human Rights, in Korea?
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=51789
No Foreigners Allowed: Nationality Discrimination Legal in Korea
By Christopher Carpenter and Jane Han, Korea Times (December 12, 2006)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/news_view.asp?newsIdx=3033479
Image URL
http://photo.hankooki.com/newsphoto/2006/12/12/ensor200612122018471nofor3.jpg
Racial Superiority Is the Problem
by Han Kyung-koo, Chosun Ilbo (August 29, 2007)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200708/200708290007.html
Foreign Residents Face Discrimination
In Riding Subways, Opening Web Sites and Getting License
By Kim Tae-jong, Korea Times (May 31, 2007)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/05/113_3819.html
Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448
For Housing Rentals, Foreigners Easy Victims
By Byun Duk-kun, Korea Times (August 28, 2003)
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/news_view.asp?newsIdx=2162664
Amnesty slams treatment of foreign workers
by Ser Myo-ja, JoongAng Daily (August 18, 2006)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2800450
Ex-pats Describe Korea's Culture of Corruption
by Kim Hong-jin, Chosun Ilbo (December 16, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200412/200412160027.html |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
safeblad
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 3:44 am Post subject: |
|
|
| surely posting links to threads on daves marks a low for Real Reality no? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
