Korean Job Discussion Forums

downunder · Joined: 03 Mar 2003

Hi

I currently work for Posco Education Foundation in Pohang at the middle school. Just wandering who has applied for the new job opening at our school. please feel free to contact me or post any questions you have about working for POSCO. i will be glad to help. I have been living in Korea for 14 months and working for POSCO for over 8 months.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

POSCO has a bad name these days for not re-enploying their current staff as they seem to be able to find fault with nearly all their foreign staff. There also seems to be a lack for support for classroom control. POSCO schools in general support student complaints and not their foreign teachers. Accommodation is reported to be good but you are on a POSCO Estate so everything you do is watched by company employies.
POSCO is also said to be pretty good at taking out deductions from what seems at first to be a good pay. All up most regret starting with POSCO these days. It usen't be be like this but it is nowadays. Their job ads come up about every six months for replacement teachers.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2003 7:08 pm Post subject:

That's a nice little rant, Anda, but I think the person was just trying to find the new employee, not get the skinny on a place where they've worked for 8 months...

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

Zyzyfer I have watched the posts on Dave's for six years now in reguard to POSCO. I am just giving a warning for would be starters to check things out. We do get some of our crowd spooking for their boss on occasion.

Len8 · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Location: Kyungju

I'm living close to Pohang. Actually in Kyungju, but the taxi fare to downtown Pohang is cheaper. If you are interested there are free Korean classes being taught at Postech. They use the Yonsei series of books, and the classes are taught in the Humanities building at Postech. The beginning class is taught onTuesdays and Thursdays I think from 7:30 to 9:30. The slightly more advanced classes are taught on Mondays and Wednesdays at the same time.

downunder · Joined: 03 Mar 2003

ANDA

I dont know where your source of information comes from but you are VERY VERY wrong with it. In regards to benefits and pay, it would be the best around in Korea and i say that after working in korea in various field including private schools and academies. The teachers who are replaced after one year have left at their own choice, they are always offered to renew. I have heard of one occassion that they didnt offer a renewal to an employee because what he was asking to change in the contract was rediculous and i personally agreed that it wasnt acceptable. The accomodation is great better than normal, a huge 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment. salary is above normal with bonuses, you also get perks like free use of gyms and sports complex's and beaches owned by POSCO aswell as free movie tickets and soccer tickets. They are a big compant so tax deductions and pension are as normal not some rip off hogwon standard! work is easy average 22 classes a week of 45 minutes. Class control is not a problem if it is then i suggest you take a look at your teaching techniques. only work MON-FRI so thats it reALLY AND WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE ALMOST 3 MONTHS PAID LEAVE A YEAR you cant beat that. Aslo you dont have the responsibility of a mainstream teacher, ie no exams or grades you just teach, you dont even go to school for exam week.

like I said there are far worse jobs out there, so as far as a bad name goes , i believe that has come from bitter people, just ask the current employees i know of many currently here and finished that will say good things. You could only do worse than this, id sooner be here than at a hogwon for a year!!!! Laughing

downunder · Joined: 03 Mar 2003

by the way there is also the 10% wage increase each year, i doubt any hogwon would offer this, and this increase is endless. i feel alot safer working for a multi-million dollar company than a strugling hogwon.

by the way these are all FACTS if you base your decisions on rumours (and i hope not) then your only as smart as the person who made them. find out the facts before you make judgement!! Laughing

downunder · Joined: 03 Mar 2003

as far as finding new people each year, i would go as far to say that 95% of all people who come to Korea to teach only stay for a year then move on, doesnt mean the school is bad, its just the way things are!!! best way is to find out about the place from someone in the company currently, and this is what i was offering!

I still must admit there are somethings that need looking at, but in all its far better than most jobs out there.

just because you live in a complex owned by the company doesnt mean your not free to do whatever, as i have found out! it has its benefits!!! also it is a wealthy area and a good suburb to live in, nice community with access to everything (free computers, sport, entertainment etc) Also at work we have our own office/desk with own computer etc so its all good, no complaints.

You may see new advetisements for posco frequently, this is because we are expanding the foriegn teachers department not replacing! the CEO of POSCO hopes to have a 50% korean - native speaker teacher ratio for English over the next few years. therefore it will boost the staff of native speakers to about 25 from the current 12.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

There has been group decussions here on Dave's a number of times by POSCO staff that has been well written and senseable. Seeing that I have worked here about eight years and have done 4 years in public schools then I pay attention to anything written about public or private schools. Yours is the first positive statement on POSCO in a long time. Personally I'd want to hear from more than one person that had only worked for POSCO for eight months to believe that things had changed with POSCO. The 10% thing is rubbish as that would mean that wages went up by about 275.000 won per year with POSCO. POSCO wages have stayed about the same for the last six years at about 2,750,000 won a month. Maybe deductions have gone up by 10% a year but not wages.

downunder · Joined: 03 Mar 2003

ANDA

the 10% wage increase is clearly written in my contarct and there are at least 2 guys in POSCO in Kwanyung that have renewed their contract this year and recieved the 10% salary increase, I will get mine in August as Im on a 18 month contract along with my partner, this is the same for another couple in Kwanyung in August, so its not rubbish it happens!! (FACT).

My comment is simple dont right off what you dont know about!

maybe it was different before but considering that POSCO have only have native speakers in their schools for the past 4 years I dont see to many things changed, sure things have been refined, and some things are changing to improve current benefits and situations. We (meaning the native speakers) have board meetings with the CEO to confront these topics so things get done! Laughing

My main point is that its far better working here than at a hogwon. I have been in Korea now for longer than 14 months and have worked in a hogwon prior as have many other employees here, and there is no doubt that this is better than any hogwan when it comes to contract conditions, salary, and benefits!!! ( cant beat the almost 3 months fully paid vacation each year - show me a hogwon that does that!) Laughing

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

It would seem that they might be inproving but the only thing that brings inprovement here is replacement shortage. This happens usually for a reason. I wish you the best.
EPIK when it started off here had no shortage of applicants but now they do. Some of us last but there have been good reasons for why EPIK has had to make improvements of recent.

richinkorea · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2003 1:47 pm Post subject:

OK, so I might be interested in the job.

When does it start ?

Contract details ?

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=8820

regicide · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Location: United States

OK, so I might be interested in the job.

When does it start ?

Contract details ?

PGF · Joined: 27 Nov 2006

Downunder alert:

Anyone who posts three times in a row saying how great _____ hagwon is , is getting paid to do so and is (hopefully) not a westerner.

Downunder, you are either drunk when you write or you are a korean who has studied English for twenty years, lived and studied abroad for 15 years, and has a super wonderful position at a hagwon making 3 million won/ month.

Hopefully, you are, like I am, just drunk.

That still begs the question, why the undying support for your hagwon? It seems unnatural.....suspicious... desperate....

please help me to understand.....

and, just to level things out, I'm taking the anti-POSCO side.

In fact, my best friend was hired by POSCO, worked there for 10 months, received pay for only 5 of those months, was forced to live with 5 other men in a small apartment and was told he had to teach the owner of POSCO's wife English for free or he'd be deported. This is all fact according to my best friend Greg Dees.

There's also a rumor going around, according to a guy I met last night that POSCO only hires effeminate male Koreans because they are "easier to control, and act like women".

Is this true?