Korean Job Discussion Forums

[NoDolan]

Its only my 5th month of contract, but I'm so tired of teaching 8 classes a day without any break and only 5 minutes between classes.
Its crazy, and its making me sick.
What are my options ?? Can I find a new school with the new laws ?

[ttompatz]

[Netz]

Thanks to the new Korean E2 visa regulations, you CAN find a job at a new school.......




















in Thailand, China, or Japan for example.

[Bibbitybop]

One more reason for people to do their research on EVERYTHING in Korea, including jobs like the OP's.

[MaestroCantus]

[plus99]

why isnt anyone suggesting this guy stay another month so that he doesnt have to pay back his airfare?

[garykasparov]

OP, is this similar to the contract you signed?

http://www.ybmecc.co.kr/index.asp?sub1=sample

[regicide]

[isthisreally]

For a lot of people the first year is about learning the ropes and learning what you won't sign on for next year. If I were you I'd just stick with it, if you think your school is taking advantage of you, which they are to an extent, then don't do prep or anything extra. Do what your required to do, make it through your contract and use your time there as a stepping stone to a better job in 7 months.

But really you don't have it as bad as you think. Your days not split up and I'm guessing your getting paid on time and you don't have tons of other problems at your school.

[cbclark4]

I think you may still have the option of transfering to a Public School
without rehashing the E2 process.

I thought I had read that somewhere?

But, definately stay one more month so you can get off the hook on the airfare.

There's always Taiwan.

[Mr. Pink]

I sometimes wonder how I was able to do time at an ECC back in the day.

I guess when you don't have anything to compare it to, it isn't that bad.

Also when you have no clue what you are doing, it is pretty good as they do have a set curriculum in place.

[PRagic]

Only three rules you need to know before you come over to Korea:

1) Hakwons all blow: You might luck out and find a place that won't screw you over the coals in terms of pay and a place to hang your hat, but by-an-large, the jobs all suck. The best you can hope to do is start work after 8:00 a.m. and finish before 7:00 p.m.

2) Kiddie Hakwons blow the worst: No matter what anyone tells you, no matter how much you might think you love kids, kiddie hakwons provide even worse jobs than adult hakwons.

3) The absolute worst and most demeaning job in Korea can be found at the English Village. These positions should be avoided at all cost by everyone forever. As low as you will be in the societal pecking order by working at a kiddie hakwon or regular hakwon, working for an English Village just makes you a non-person, someone who has given up all hope of ever seeking meaningful employment.

Come over for your fun and exitement if you will. Come to pay off your student loans if you must. But know what you are getting into.

[Craven Moorehead]

Truthfully, not all hakwons blow. I worked at ECC Daechi in 2005-2006, excellent experience, well treated by management, including 100,000 won bonuses at Xmas and Chuseok. I began work at 1pm and was finished by 7:30-8:10 with a break. Once you realize that kids will be kids and that everyone needs to blow off steam once in a while, life will get easier.

The institute I am working at now is by definition a hakwon but with significant differences. It is brand new and I am the only international teacher there. It started in October of last year and has seen a steady increase in enrolment. I have a direct say in curriculum, leverage because both they and I know they would be effed if I split, and I get two straight weeks of vacation whenever I want. Please don't mistake me for an apologist; I know unscrupulous hakwon owners are the rule rather than the exception. There are exceptions out there however.

I forged my present contract wih them, so I had a say in my position right from the very beginning. I live in a new apartment, small but clean, and have absolutely no problems whatsoever.

I taught at the university level here, and don't kid yourself, there is really no more prestige involved there than there is at the hakwon level. Your children are merely 18-24, and they still act like twats for the most part. The only real bonus is that you teach between 4-18 hours a week with lots of vacay. Not hard to get these positions, you just gotta be in the right place at the right time.

As far as your problem goes, either get the hell out of dodge or weigh the pros with the cons. With the depreciation of the won, is it really worthwhile to stick around these parts if you are getting effed by your employer? Some posters on this board will preach at you from their moral soapboxes that breaking your contract and doing a runner reflects badly on them blah blah blah. Eff' em. I'm not saying you should do a runner, but you should seriously examine your options. If you aren't happy, you have to do what will make you happy. Nuff said.

[PRagic]

There's a lot to be said for vacation time! Sounds like you have a workable situation, but a decent university job would still blow it out of the water.

So you are in charge of program development and teach 6 hours a day or so? I hope you're making 5 million ballpark! At a university, you'd be teaching half the hours in a set program and getting at least a couple of MONTHS, not weeks, vacation.

Increasingly, the MA is the minimum academic requirement for a university position. I know a few people who have gotten decent university jobs because they were finishing up their MA, though. The BA university positions out there aren't too great, more like hakwon than university jobs.

[NoDolan]