Korean Job Discussion Forums

[suki]

First, I'd like to thank everyone for being so helpful with my last few posts.

My plans have formulated since joining this forum, and I was all on track to take a training course for TEFL certification and joining GEPIK in March.

However, I am now laid off and worried about eating next month. I contacted my trader and she says ALL of my investment money is gone. This was my only cushion and my daily life is always paycheck to paycheck.

So - I am in dire straights and my plans to come to Korea are in jeopardy. The question I have for you is this:

Will I cut my own throat by accepting an ASAP position? Now I can only afford to take a job that will pre-pay the flight. And I have heard that because I am over forty and gyopo, most hagwons won't want me. I fear an ASAP that is offering pre-paid airfare is probably a work mill or has a horrible administration.

Are my fears unfounded? Does anyone have any suggestions for me? My situation has become desperate. To wait even a month will leave me destitute here. To leave right now seems almost impossible to arrange with so little time to liquidate. There is hardly any temp or seasonal work available. Times are very very rough in the States right now. I need to see if any of you know of some options I'm not aware of so I can make better choices.

Thank you for listening...

[esetters21]

I'm very sorry to hear about your situation. I can't offer any advice for a quick entry other than trying to secure a ps job. They do hire out of season sometimes. The locations will vary of course. You are right about the hagwons wanting white faces. I don't think being forty is a disadvantage necessarily. Although I have never used a recruiter to secure a job here, it sounds like that might be a viable option for you to consider. Best of luck to you!

[hari seldon]

[marlow]

Take a decent looking pre-paid airfare job, whatever it may be. If it's horrible, it's better than starving. If they end up not liking you, they have to fire you. It's impossible to get stuck here with no job and no release letter. Then you are in Korea and able to find the next job. I'm sure you aren't going to blow your paycheck each month, so you'll be making money while looking for your great second year position.

My guess is that with the currency volatility hagwons are going to be desperate for teachers, so you should have no problems. I'm sure there are public school openings, but I'm not sure the pre-pay airfare.

What's your university major? You'll have more luck if it's even slightly related to teaching English.

[Join Me]

If you are going to take an "ASAP" job you must talk to the current instructors to find out how the working conditions are. There are good jobs out there that need to be filled today. Instructors walk out on good schools just like they do bad ones. Some schools are not offering enough to get an instructor right away. You may have to accept less than top dollar for your first year but you will have a job and be able to eat. Talk to current instructors and find out which "ASAP" job is the safest and grab it. You can upgrade next year once you save up some money again and are on stable ground. Good luck.

[saw6436]

I wouldn't worry too much about the age deal. I'm 45 and never had any problems with finding work.

Sounds like you are in a bad situation at home. I'd advise heading over here ASAP (as you were already planning on coming). As a previous poster mentioned, if you do get stuck in a bad school, you can get out of it. You are not a slave here and there are ways to get out of a contract and get a better/different job.

When I came here in 1998 I had no clue about Korea or anything. I answered an ad on a Monday and was on a plane the next Monday. What i ended up doing to get my affairs in order at home was pack up a few irreplaceables and store them. Donated a bunch of clothing to the Salvation Army. Then posted signs around the neighborhood inviting anyone to comeby and make me an offer for my furniture, and stuff. I was lucky and sold everything in 2 days.

It was a busy week but I was glad for it as I didn't have time to worry about coming over. You are making a leap of faith by coming. Luckly, IMO, there are more good schools than bad ones. Most people come on Daves to gripe (fair enough). We don't hear too much about good schools or situations. Also, its ben my experience that 90% of the problems people have with Korea or their schools actually stem from the teacher themselves. Take the horror stories with a grain of salt.

Good luck to you. Feel free to PM me if you need any assistance.

[head-in-the-clouds]

[icicle]

I would agree with the other posters ... I would not be afraid of taking a ASAP position that prepaid as you need ... I am assuming that you already have all your visa paperwork ready ... like your CRC and transcripts ... That is the only thing that could delay you ... I am of similar age to you and have not had any problem in getting a job I am relatively happy with ... I have also got both of my jobs through recruiters and would not be afraid of doing that again. Like the other posters have said if your first job really is bad you will have other options (I would just suggest that you bring another set of your documents with you ... Or arrange for them to be able to get to you if you need them) just in case. I would not be afraid of telling the recruiter that you will only accept a job which will prepay your airfare ... But I would probably not tell them just how desperate you are to get a job here ASAP lest they try to push you into a really not good job they can't get anyone to accept. You will not find it that hard to get a job ... that you need to accept an obviously bad job.

[suki]

you guys are sooo great!

to answer some of your questions, i can not get unemployment because i am an independent contractor. my major is architecture, which has taken a direct hit due to the inability for anyone to get construction loans. nobody is hiring and everyone is laying off. again, due to my age and qualifications, what few jobs that are available, in any sector, are lower level pay and hiring college and twenty-somethings. my trader was working currency. she fell asleep (literally) and lost it all. she told me she would be conservative and leave some untouched, so i don't know what happened...i fear not getting any money for my belongings, since everyone here is feeling the pinch and nobody is spending. my scooter could get me through another month, but they are not selling at all due to the season. i have such great timing!!!

so monday i am going to go to the police station for my police record and get my fingerprints. how long does it take the fbi to complete their background check?

thanks again...

[suki]

if i get an ASAP position i will miss out on orientation and training - is that significant? when you were new to Korea, did you learn a lot there?

also, how do i talk to current teachers at a school? is there an email directory of teachers somewhere?

[Zaria32]

FBI takes months...but unless something has changed recently, you can just get a crim record check from your local PD, but you'll have to have it notarized.

[moosehead]

[suki]

that was really uncalled for, as you don't know the specifics. my trader is my good friend and i take full responsibility for giving her carte blanche so the loss of my money is ultimately my fault. she told me she would always leave some in reserve but she didn't. my attitude is what's done is done and her friendship means more to me than the money and everyone makes mistakes. i don't think, however, that i should be beaten up for wishing she had been more careful. that's a natural human response.

this gyopo knows nothing about high finance and doesn't like that world and couldn't have directed the direction of that investing if i had tried. and i have no idea what a gyopo is supposed to be or act like since i only found out i was one this month. i know much more about funk and soul and kentucky bluegrass and norwegian lutefisk than i do about being "very K."

i don't know what your problems with gyopos are, but my current situation has nothing to do with these generalizations you're making. absolutely not helpful to anyone but you.

everyone else here has been fantastic and i appreciate it.

[teachergirltoo]

Good advice from many above.

Criminal check. If you don't have it in hand just make sure that you have a stamped receipt that you applied for it. For a few of my friends that has been enough until the real things arrives.

I have a gyopo friend here that seems to land the best hakwon jobs. Don't worry so much about that detail.

I too came here quickly. As one poster said also, I put some sentimental things into boxes and put them in a cheap storage unit, pushed the rest out into the street and was amazed that within two hours everything had been picked up by people and carried off. I also made one call to the local charity who showed up with a truck and carted some off. Then I packed up the luggage and pets, got on a plane and came.

Like so many said, get the initial job. Even if it is not ideal stick at it for a bit then find something you really want. Myself and several of my friends were hired into PS jobs at various times of the year. Or you may find that the first job that you accept turns out to be a great one and you will be there for a long time. And I wouldn't worry about the age thing too much - I know several ones on the "mature" side. In fact the foreigner that just started at the middle school in my block is a man in his late 50s that just arrived here.

[suki]

You guys are probably so right - what's a year when you're older? Blink and it's over...this is supposed to be an adventure, so might as well embrace the lack of planning...

Nice to hear about the friend over 50 getting a job too!

The only real problem is liquidating. I live in a rural area in a cabin. Yard sales don't get much traffic here. I guess I just gotta suck it up and give most of it away to charities. My kids are coming over to choose what they can handle absorbing tomorrow.

Now if I can just narrow down the huge list of recruiters...!