Korean Job Discussion Forums

chossmonkey · Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Location: Seoul

I've had offers to teach in Hogwans in Pusan from 2.1 to 2.3. The 2.3 was for a horrible location so I said no.

My question for you experienced teachers is if you were only offered 1.8 to teach in a public school would you take it? The hours are 9 - 5 but that includes teaching and preparing, plus a little free time to read or study korean (we do need to stay at the school though).

The more laid back atmosphere almost sounds worth it. What do you guys think?

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

I'm getting 2.2 for exactly that. It's my second year in Korea, and I'm working at a decent High School.

I teach between 1-2.5 hours a day, and spend the rest of the time at school studying Korean and a little time here and there peeking in on Dave's. I only have to prep one lesson plan per week and I usually have it perfected by the week's end.

All PS positions are eight hour shifts, and most are between 20-22 hours a week. That means, all PS positions will give you plenty of free time and vacation, especially if you work at a High School. You shouldn't need to accept 1.8 because of a standard most jobs already have.

All PS jobs are laid back for foreign teachers. It's the nature of the work. Just don't make any waves and you'll find you have too much free time.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

chossmonkey · Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Location: Seoul

I have more than one recruiter telling me that 1.8 is standard with no experience and no TEFOL cert. They said that if I waited a month and got my cert online, they would give me 2.0.

Both did offer a .3 bonus for signing plus one offered a .1 monthly bonus. It seems to be worth a substantial pay cut if it means I could sqeez in even one hour of studying each day while I'm at school. Plus I can always get my cert before my second year and make bank.

Oh yeah, and 14 days vacation.

mekku · Joined: 22 Jul 2006 Location: daegu, korea

crusher_of_heads · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject:

EPIK with no experience and nothing more than a BA starts at 1.8.

Get a certificate before coming over, people.

ardis · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

It seems the public schools are really low-balling newbies. Perhaps they're relying on the reputation of most hagwons to get them recruits.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

I'm getting the feeling that GEPIK is better than EPIK. GEPIK starts at 2.0 with no experience and I managed to get 2.2 with only a year's worth of hagwon experience.

Return Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject:

All this talk about not accepting less than 2.5 is bullshite. A shortage of teachers will not equal higher salaries at all. I've said many times that Korean economics don't work like that. Any job ad offering 2.5-2.6 is a lie. Once you apply, I personally guarantee they will try to lowball you by saying "Oh, 2.5 is for CELTA. Oh, 2.6 is for someone with a teacher's license, etc, etc."

Salaries are no different than they every were. 2.1 or maybe 2.2 is the standard for someone with a year of experience. Schools and hagwons would rather go without a teacher than pay more than that. This is the ESL industry in Korea. They don't look at the bigger picture and pay for experience and quality, they simply want cheap.

brento1138 · Joined: 17 Nov 2004

1.8? Yeah right... if I were you just sign up for the TEFL online site. Costs 300 bucks tops. ITTT is good... 120 hours (cuz of a bonus course u can take). As long as u have proof ur taking an online TEFL, they should be paying you as if you already had it.

You shouldn't get less than 2.0.

2 is the minimum.

edit: actually, don't bother with your "recruiter"... get a new one... if she is givin u 1.8 jobs and saying that is normal, ditch her. go to www.korvia.com and ask for Joyce... she'll set you up with a decent gig

boatofcar · Joined: 20 Dec 2006 Location: Sheffield, UK

wanamin · Joined: 14 Apr 2008

brento1138 · Joined: 17 Nov 2004

tbag81 · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: mokpo, south korea

The amount of money depends on the province. Every board of education is different some have starting salaries at 1.8 and the others start at 1.9. I work for the Jeollanamdo BOE and the starting salary is 1.9, 2.1 for second level, 2.4 for first level and 2.6 for special level. Plus 300,000 won settlement allowance and 100,000 won/month for people who live in isolated areas.

I have worked in a hagwon and a public school. With a year of experience (working in a hagwon) I was second level which meant that I made 2.1 a month. I pay tax, pension and health so its about 1.95 after all that. In a hagwon I was payed more, 2.2. But after one year in public school and I renewing and will be making 2.4.

If you are only looking for money, then go to a hagwon. If you want an easier time with way less teaching and a boatload of vacation take a pub school position. Both jobs can be extremely satisfying but I think public school gets more bang for the buck. You are there longer hours but you work way less and there is usually at least 5 weeks of guaranteed vacation time. During the months of January and February I worked a total of 7 days and I will also have the whole month of August off this summer, plus a week and a half in July. That being said, my school didn't offer extra classes during vacation time that many schools do(with extra pay, usually elementary schools dont) but regardless, 5 weeks guaranteed as opposed to the 10 days a hagwon will offer you. Many hagwons also take vacation days away when they close the school for a day. For example, maybe they will not work the week of chuseok but only three days would be national holidays so two would come off your vacation time.

You can definitely make more money at a hagwon because you can negotiate and you can not with public schools. Usually Public schools use one recruiting company twice a year to do all their hiring. EPIK does Gwangju, Canadian Connections does JLP so if you want a pub school position, choose the province you want to live in and find the right recruiter.

Both jobs have their pros and cons. When I worked in a hagwon, I was there less but taught way more. There 30 hours a week and taught 35, 50 minute classes, no prep time was included in my pay. At public school I am here 40 but only teach 17, 40 minute classes. Contract says anything over 20 classes is overtime. I do feel however, that working in a hagwon is more rewarding. The public school English program sucks and most students only learn to listen and repeat, class sizes are large and their levels are all different. Public school gives you a ton of vacation time, a hagwon allows you to sleep in every day. It all depends on the type of person you are. Also for the most part, people who work in hagwons have either visited English speaking countries or have at least some concept of their cultures and values as well as speak English as opposed to public schools where, most likely only one or two people speak some English and that might include your co-teacher, and they wont be as likely to know much about your culture. You are definitely more of an English monkey in a public school.The likely hood of you getting screwed in a public school is far less as well. When you work for a pub school, you are working for a board of education, there is money in the budget for you, but when you are working for a hagwon you are working for someones personal business and many hagwon owners have been known to be greedy and screw people over. However, many are fantastic and it's as easy as asking them for a former employees contact information so you can find out first hand before you accept a position.

Anyways, that's what I think and know. Hope it helps.