Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Whistleblower]

Hello all,

Just curious from those who have been teaching in Korea for a few years already and would like to reminise with those about your first job in Korea.

I remember my first job in Korea. It was tough but I saw it through and got through the 12 month mark. I also got on to a CELTA Course which I passed and ended up with a really nice job.

My first job didn't pay health, pension and any of my taxes. They were deducting all these and I notified the related governmental offices (by my Korean wife) and they closed the Hagwon down.

I was able to walk into another hagwon and negotiate a better salary and better perks.

What was your first Hagwon job like? Was it a good or bad experience? Did you learn from it (in a good or bad way)? Did you get your pension and health insurance paid for? Were you treated well or like a commodity?

Just curious like I said.

[Intrepid]

I worked at ELS, teaching adults, 30 classes a week for 1.05 million won, with housing. OT was 13,000 won per hour. From early morning until 4 p.m. at first, then a big split, and then the sweet 6:30-1p.m. schedule. A very good experience.
The amazing thing was that I had two years of English teaching experience and I was the least experienced person on the staff. This was, of course, back in the day. Although I thought I was post-boom, I had a lot to learn.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I came to loath my first job in Korea.

5 months: gave boss an ultimatum

6 months: gave boss a resignation letter

7 months: was out and extorted a LOR while making the boss lose face.

All in all it was probably the best training I could have received for teaching EFL in Korea.

[joewaller]

My first Job was for Nobel Junior English School out in Jukjeon. They were fair and organized. The hours were long but they paid on time and paid into pension and covered the medical. It was hard trying to get use to the kindi shift followed by the elem/mid shift (til 7 or 8 pm). Made for LONG days. Couldn't ask for a more organized place though.

[sadsac]

First gig in Ulsan back in early 2002, stayed there 3 years, up until telling the boss we were leaving it was an excellent gig. The last month it went to sh*t because the owner was p*ssed at us for leaving. Still more good memories than bad. Always paid on time including overtime. Severance was paid, so that worked out well.

[shifty]

I was fresh out of Taiwan. The Chinese had been honest to a fault, kinda dogging your tracks to make payment, apart from huge generosity and acceptance of the foreigner. I hadn't ever researched their laws prior to going there, so I thought nothing of going to Korea, without doing any research.

In Korea I was hit with an early morning shift, medical contributions pocketed, way over-taxed and uncontractual deposit. The deposit had to be finally clawed from the director.

Oddly, that year I was never particularly unhappy, maybe b/c of the novelty factor and the learning of how to share stuff on the net.

I was also completely unaware of the low esteem that we are held in by Koreans at large. I was also unaware that the dishonesty of Koreans is rampant amongst them and endemic. Fool's paradise I was in.