Korean Job Discussion Forums

[s_lebeau]

I realize I'm not doing this in the smartest way, but... I resigned from a teaching contract in rural Canada so I could move back to Asia. The job I thought I'd have in Gangnam fell through, so here I am now without a job in June. With a B.Ed from Canada, 1 year of experience in Canada and 2 years of experience teaching ESL in Korea, how are my odds for finding a decent job if I just show up in Seoul or Busan in August? I do not want to work at a hagwon, if possible, unless it has something special to offer (like good holidays, great pay, big key deposit, etc). Would it be worth a shot, do you think, or just plain silly?

Thanks in advance!

[E_athlete]

[Mr. Pink]

I am a little curious if your Canadian job was full time. If so, why did you quit? I just got a B.Ed and it is very hard to get a full time contract fresh with B.Ed in hand unless you know a principal or higher up admin in a school board. Hell even with 10yrs ESL experience and ESL-1 AQ in hand I can't seem to get far with ESL positions in public schools.

I have been looking at the International School scene in Korea, but most are finished their hiring. What are your teachables? I think Korea International School is looking for high school math.

If you check out some of the other job boards there are always tons of recruiters looking to place ppl in public schools. Also, Dave's has had a few good jobs posted in the past month I've been looking. If I was you and you can afford it, just wait it out.

[D.D.]

Just don't show up in Korea as you might need to do your visa back in Canada. I can't think of a country that pays certified teachers less than Korea. So many international schools to work for in other countries that are really international schools and not just using the name. Try HK net scheme or international schools in China. Taiwan will take certified teachers in their public schools. Korea is the last place I would come with my teaching degree.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Looking at the Hong Kong forum things don't seem to be all peachy on the HK Net programme-though the main complaints seem to be being tethered to the school and sitting through meetings in Mandarin. A friend taught at a Catholic school in Kowloon and one bonus was taking a school group to San Fransisco.

The bonus all up of teaching with a B.Ed , Teaching Diploma et al is.......an extra W100.000 per month??

My wife worked as a recruiter in Bundang and I recall her trying to place a certified Canadian teacher in a hagwon at a salary of 2.8M, which was turned down as the teacher would have to wear pants, rather than jeans. Go figure.

I have seen some schools advertise jobs at higher than usual salaries. For example, Bundang High School were advertising in 2007 at 3.0M but I don't know how that salary was worked out-it may have been unattainable.

[Mr. Pink]

[D.D.]

[lionel]

Never just show up anywhere. Research until your brain hurts then go.

[s_lebeau]

>>I can recommend you a recruiter that can find you a job within 2 weeks or less.

Please do!

[s_lebeau]

Thanks for your response. My job in Canada was full-time continuing, but I elected not to stay for several reasons. First of all, the school I worked at was in a very little town 45 minutes from a drugstore or reasonably priced groceries. Secondly, I was working 60 hours a week, which nearly killed me. Also, because I earned my B.Ed in Ontario but was hired in BC, I am expected to take 7 or 8 more full-time courses over the next 5 years if I want to remain a teacher in BC. Lastly, where I live is ridiculously expensive, and after both mine and my wife's student loan payments, we are actually living at a lower standard than we were before I became a teacher.

Are you in Ontario? If you want to teach in Canada, I would certainly go rural, or move to Saskatoon or Calgary, as the teaching markets there seem to be doing ok. My teachables for high school are Fine Art and English. I was in contact with a couple International Schools, but kind of missed the deadline on sealing a deal...

Good luck to you.

[princess]

Sure! Why NOT just show up? I have before, and will again. It's better than sitting on your bum abroad waiting for a job...unless you are flat broke and have to wait from abroad. Even in a recession, I still don't think everyone is coming to Korea. Many people are too scared to leave their backyards. Also, even in the recession, there are those who will still turn down good jobs because they can't wear jeans... or because they feel entitled to make $100,000 a year.

[PRagic]

I don't know, Mr. Pink. A good friend of mine teaching in Hong Kong makes over USD$ 80K a year. 40K for an international school in Korea? Not great.

[Scott in Incheon]

I have to agree with PRagic...I knew people who saved 50K a year (Can$) on the NET program.

edit...of course the exchange rate was better when I was there...

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

You'd probably have to go the MEast to make that now. Don't know how you'd drink...local version of JJMahoneys I guess