Korean Job Discussion Forums

tonyvu

Once you were hired, what day of the week did they ask you to come to korea? Did they give you a couple days to settle down or did they make you start work the next day? Did everyone here start their jobs on a monday?

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:49 am Post subject:

"bali, bali !"

they wait until the last moment then tell you they want you to come right away

I knew that was the Korean way befrore I came in 2002 so I was prepared for it: and indeed that is what happened

it's a cultural thing

(tell yourself not to get upset at being notified of changes in class schedules AT class time, 2 minutes notice if you're lucky: being FLEXIBLE and ADAPTABLE is so important to having success here, just go with the flow - don't try to change them)

and I worked the very next business day after I arrived

esetters21 · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul

I got to my apartment at about 1am after a 24 hour flight and started working the next morning at 9am. Who needs time to settle in?

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

I was picked up at the airport and run around getting my arc and finding an apartment, bank account. We even stopped by the school where I gave a 5 minute talk to all of the school.

After that it was off to emart to shop for my house and we even went and bought a bed. The day went until 11pm and I was up and at work the next day.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:43 am Post subject:

First time - arrived at 23:30 Monday, and was lead to believe that at 08:40 Tuesday I would go to Immigration to apply for ARC; at 08:57 I was told "You teachee nine 'o clock... you do a good job."

Second time - arrived at 13:00 Friday and was ushed into the principal's office then up to the staff room where I met the v.p. and gave a speech to 50+ K-teachers who couldn't understand a word I was saying except 'pan-gap-sum-nida'. After that I asked my CT/handler "Where's my apartment?" She replied "I don't know."... spent the weekend in a luxury hotel and taught first class at 09:40 Monday.

Rusty Shackleford · Joined: 08 May 2008

I arrived about mid-day on a Tuesday. Went to the POE then did some shopping and then slept for 18 hours. My co-teacher took me to school the next morning where I shambled through two introduction/Q&A classes which basically consisted of me reading off the New Zealand wikipedia page.

Then I went to the other school I teach at and they let me hang out at my desk instead of making me teach and then sent me home at 3.00. I basically remember nothing of my first two days here. I think it was so traumatic my brain has suppressed the memory.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I've been luckier than the posters above. I have arrived each time on a Friday and had the weekend to get settled. A wise person would have a 1st day 'get to know you lesson' prepared and in their pocket, just in case.

I_Am_The_Kiwi · Joined: 10 Jun 2008

Orientation for a week, got to my city on wednesday. met people at school, went home did home stuff - shopping, bank accs, ARC etc - didnt start work til the following Monday.

nomad-ish · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject:

picked up by a strange cabbie that spoke no english on sunday evening, about 5pm, after being told we were getting picked up by our co-teachers. we were then taken to the front door of a hotel somewhere and motioned to get out by our oh-so-friendly cabbie. started work the next day at about 8:30am.

Poemer · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Location: Mullae

There is no standard in this area. Some schools will give you time to adjust and settle in, some schools will take you straight from the airport to the school, no kidding. It's a crap shoot.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

I like that story someone told about him and a buddy who came here and were brought straight to a class after being picked up at the airport and they just shook their heads and asked to be brought to their apartment. When they got to the apartment, all that was in it was a mattress on the floor. Nice.

My first job (welll pretty much my first job after a 3-week stint with some corrupt fkr), I had to sleep on the floor in another teacher's apartment for a few days. It wasn't too bad, but when you think about it...

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Do your damnedest to arrive on a Friday.

suadente · Joined: 27 Sep 2004

My first school told me to get here right ASAP, but didn't realize that they booked my ticket a week before the other teacher was done. They even forgot my name, I had to explain who I was when I called them to ask why no one was at the airport to pick me up.

That's why I spent my first night in Korea in a love motel.

Oh, and then they forgot that I was busing down the next day, and I had to sit in a parking lot for 45 minutes until they picked me up.

Then, I spent a week, in another love motel, sitting around and sitting in on some classes.