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stavro
Joined: 21 May 2008
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 Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:42 am Post subject: Couple's housing in Soeul ?! Having trouble getting jobs~! |
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| We are a couple having difficulty being offered housing together with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. We want to teach in the public system in Seoul, but they will not place us together! The best that is being offered to us is an attempt to place us in the same district, but NO gaurantees of anything, and we won't know our living situation until AFTER orientation! Any suggestions on what to do? The research we have done has led us to believe that obtaining couple housing in Soeul is generally quite difficult. PLEASE HELP!! Do we need to be married first before we can get housing together?! Any suggestions or advice for a couple trying to teach in South Korea would be appreciated!! |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 11:59 am Post subject: |
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Being married would help. No brainer.
Can you imagine people in the U.S. military asking for paid housing for themselves and a boy/girl friend? They'd get laughed out of the office.
And they're smart to not place both of you at one school. Why have a problem with two people because you have a problem with one?
Good luck. I'm sure your intentions are good. Hope something comes your way. |
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Blue Line North
Joined: 15 May 2008
Location: Long Beach, California U.S.A.
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Why don't you let them get you two separate apartments? That way, the two of you can live at one of the pads and you can sublet the other one. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Blue Line North wrote: |
| Why don't you let them get you two separate apartments? That way, the two of you can live at one of the pads and you can sublet the other one. |
Very bad idea.
One of you should get a single pad and other should ask for the allowance. It's much easier and hassle free. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: Couple's housing in Soeul ?! Having trouble getting jobs |
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| stavro wrote: |
| We are a couple having difficulty being offered housing together with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. We want to teach in the public system in Seoul, but they will not place us together! The best that is being offered to us is an attempt to place us in the same district, but NO gaurantees of anything, and we won't know our living situation until AFTER orientation! Any suggestions on what to do? The research we have done has led us to believe that obtaining couple housing in Soeul is generally quite difficult. PLEASE HELP!! Do we need to be married first before we can get housing together?! Any suggestions or advice for a couple trying to teach in South Korea would be appreciated!! |
Tell them no deal. Tell them you are a packaged deal, no negotiation. They want a lot of foreign teachers and if you are qualified, they will do it. I know unmarried couples living together and working in the same area in SMOE.
Don't sign without this guarantee. You could seriously be working an hour and a half away from each other if you do. |
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jadarite
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Location: Andong, Yeongyang, Seoul, now Pyeongtaek
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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How long have you been waiting for 2 position jobs? Some schools I have worked at have asked me if I have a friend who would like to teach also and we could be roommates. The only thing I can think of is that they think friendship is stronger than b/g relationships, lol. Otherwise, maybe you just need to wait it out.
I tried looking for a public school job in April, and recruiters weren't even offering me any. Maybe you should just wait before signing a contract until August when they will be looking to fill jobs in September. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Take it at face value just like PRagic said. This is Korea. You play by their rules, not yours. Or you can always take Bibbity's stance, but the fact is they can find other less demanding people to fill the spots possibly. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| esetters21 wrote: |
| but the fact is they can find other less demanding people to fill the spots possibly. |
They never fill all the positions, they have not filled all the positions in any hiring season.
They need you more than you need them. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| esetters21 wrote: |
| but the fact is they can find other less demanding people to fill the spots possibly. |
They never fill all the positions, they have not filled all the positions in any hiring season.
They need you more than you need them. |
I tried getting in mid hiring period and there were only two schools in their district that had a desperate need starting in June with SMOE. I interviewed directly face to face with the head of the hiring department btw. I chose to sign on for the August start as opposed to working way out in bum f Egypt per her recommendation for preference. They aren't as desperate as some people may lead you to believe. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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| esetters21 wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| esetters21 wrote: |
| but the fact is they can find other less demanding people to fill the spots possibly. |
They never fill all the positions, they have not filled all the positions in any hiring season.
They need you more than you need them. |
I tried getting in mid hiring period and there were only two schools in their district that had a desperate need starting in June with SMOE. I interviewed directly face to face with the head of the hiring department btw. I chose to sign on for the August start as opposed to working way out in bum f Egypt per her recommendation for preference. They aren't as desperate as some people may lead you to believe. |
You are right about June positions. I'm talking about the 2 regular seasons, end of August and end of February.
I still don't know why SMOE has other couples who live together and they aren't willing to help the OP. Stories like this make people seek other positions. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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It is simple. Couples represent a greater risk of unhappy runners that place the district or school in a bad position (2 versus 1).
Good for them (the schools). I have had to deal with covering classes for runner couples on several occasions in my short time here.
Married couples pose less of a threat for this situation obviously. The fresh out of uni types that see Korea as a way to travel and pay off debts are the ones that I would be leary of. How do you determine this? Who knows, and I will soon not care. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 6:50 am Post subject: |
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| esetters21 wrote: |
It is simple. Couples represent a greater risk of unhappy runners that place the district or school in a bad position (2 versus 1).
Good for them (the schools). I have had to deal with covering classes for runner couples on several occasions in my short time here.
Married couples pose less of a threat for this situation obviously. The fresh out of uni types that see Korea as a way to travel and pay off debts are the ones that I would be leary of. How do you determine this? Who knows, and I will soon not care. |
Good point, but if the OP holds his/her ground, it means SMOE has 2 options:
0% chance of having 2 new, qualified foreigner teachers, one of which is more qualified than 90% of the other foreigner teachers they have
OR
100% chance of getting the same 2 teachers. Sure, there might be higher chance of losing 2 teachers if one decides to pull a runner, but if you have 2 happy teachers (i.e. living together like they want), the chance of them running is no more than any other teacher. It may even be less of a chance if one is very happy and the other isn't because one can console the other.
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| have had to deal with covering classes for runner couples on several occasions in my short time here. |
Not relevant to SMOE positions.
In short, there is no reason SMOE shouldn't place these 2 teachers in the same district. They should be given couples housing, or given the living allowance so the couple can find their own place.
OP: SMOE needs you more than you need them. If they won't help you, go to GEPIK, a privately funded school in Seoul, Busan public schools, a good hogwan or other numerous options. It is a teacher's market in Korea, you can get what you want. |
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Sapa
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 11:38 am Post subject: |
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No idea what the OP is being attacked for! It seemed like quite an innocent, simple question. So being called immature, needy, pathetic etc seems a bit harsh to say the least!
Anyway
I think you would have to arrange the housing yourself if you want to live together unless you work in the same private school. Each public school would provide single housing, they are not going to pool their resources together to find you couple housing. Perhaps just take the housing allowance for one of the schools and live in the other apartment, providing the 2 schools are close. If you work at the same private school then it would be a hell of a lot easier! |
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jadarite
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Location: Andong, Yeongyang, Seoul, now Pyeongtaek
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow, that guy's neck must have really hurt. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Sapa wrote: |
No idea what the OP is being attacked for! It seemed like quite an innocent, simple question. So being called immature, needy, pathetic etc seems a bit harsh to say the least!
Anyway
I think you would have to arrange the housing yourself if you want to live together unless you work in the same private school. Each public school would provide single housing, they are not going to pool their resources together to find you couple housing. Perhaps just take the housing allowance for one of the schools and live in the other apartment, providing the 2 schools are close. If you work at the same private school then it would be a hell of a lot easier! |
Exactly. But the OP and the OP's partner need to be working in the same area unless one or both of them want to risk commuting to school over an hour each way. There's no reason SMOE couldn't assign them to work in the same district.
But SMOE doesn't have a hard time finding couple's housing. There are large and multibedroom apartments all over the place. |
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