Korean Job Discussion Forums

hagwonnewbie · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia

Before you sign anything, you should get detailed letters of recommendation from at least 3 former employees about all aspects of a job. You should get their phone numbers and call them beacasue maybe they don't even exist. I have heard of bosses creating fake online Identities to vouch for their bunk academies.

Don't accept letters from current employees. Period.

They haven't experienced the most important part of the employment, the last day of the contract. Current teachers are usually apologetic and optimistic about current conditions, not to mention the fact that the boss maybe overseeing what they are writing.

I've seen this problem happen a lot at schools. I even vouched for my academy, only to later regret the words I'd chosen.

In Korea your boss owns your visa for one year. You can't necessarily change your job here for one entire year, and that can be a long, long year if you get the wrong job.

You've been warned!

Seoul_Star · Joined: 04 May 2007

As an employee at a horrible school, I have warned other potential applicants who have come in for interviews. The ones who were smart enough to ask to speak with a current employee all quickly realized that they didn't want the job. My other co-workers have also been honest with applicants.

After a string of people (maybe 6 or 7) turned down offers from our academy, our boss finally found someone too stupid to ask to speak with current employees. He'll be joining our staff in two weeks. I feel sorry for the dude, he has no idea what he is getting into, but the current employees have no way of getting his contact info to warn him of the poor circumstances.

Gamecock · Joined: 26 Nov 2003

OP,

A good concept that is going to be impractical in most hogwan situations. Most hogwan bosses (even the good ones) don't have the current phone numbers for former employees. People end their contracts and are gone like the wind. How are people suppose to obtain these lengthy, detailed references?

Better to just avoid the hogwan scene altogether, IMO, unless you know someone there personally who is also trustworthy and can recommend the place.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 3:44 am Post subject:

Hanson · Joined: 20 Oct 2004

hagwonnewbie · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia

I got phone numbers and emails for 2 former teachers who worked at the job I've been at for the last month. The boss is legit, just like the previous teachers said. Don't settle for less. Anything else is a complete gamble.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject:

jadarite · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:15 am Post subject:

I am not saying pension is terrible, but someone has got to wonder what is happening to the money being collected for pension. In theory, it's money you get on top of your salary, which sounds nice. However, why don't they just make the salary higher and let us decide what to do with the money?

We could always put it into the same source that is "supposedly" collecting it now, or we can invest it in another group. This would eliminate the games and wondering if your loving hagwon owner is actually paying into the system.