Korean Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

I'll have completed 2 years at the university I'm working at when they clean house in the spring. Before that I had 2 other complete contracts and a couple not completed. So, all said I'll have 4.5 years of experience. One in an adult hagwon. One in a public school (junior high). And, two years at a university. I've got a BA and equivalent to a 2nd in one of my minors. I've also got a cheapo TEFL certificate which is supposedly OK with EPIK at least.

What are my chances of landing another university job my next contract? I know it's a few months out and I'm just trying to feel the situation out a bit. I can see the market is sucking pretty bad but I'm in country and have experience.

I have a recent local criminal background check which I got while home this summer. I hadn't seen the news about the state checks now being required. I was hoping this would be an asset come hiring time but now I don't know. I suppose I might be able to get my current university to transfer my visa and extend it for a year but don't really trust them anymore.

because...

They lied to all of us in the department about the house-cleaning. They claimed it was a new labor law. One of our department went out and found another job once they told her. When the teacher put in a 30-days notice the university freaked out and started harassing her. They forgot to support the lie and snapped out that they couldn't hope to hire an MA to fill her position within 30 days. They even went so far as to threaten her with blacklisting at Immigration.

Absolutely classic. I can't believe this is one of the best universities in Korea and they are behaving this way. Why did they have to lie? Why did they feel it was OK to threaten the teacher with blacklisting simply for doing the wise thing in procuring another position? And what's so wrong with following the terms of their contract by submitting a 30-day notice?

The university is acting in its best interest why can't we, so long as we abide the terms of our contract?

Anyway, got off track there. Sorry.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

Looks like that teacher called their bluff. Hilarious!

They can't be "blacklisted" at immigration for providing 30 days notice.

That's totally within Korean labor law.

tfunk · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, Ireland

You're not in Busan are you? There's a private university there that pulled this stunt recently.

Rory_Calhoun27 · Joined: 14 Feb 2009

But isnt it better at private universities? You can actually stay there LONGER if you're a good fit for them- one friend has been at the same university down in the south of the country a few years, and a friend up north has been at his for 12 or so.... and I dont think he was lieing! Shocked

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

I'm guessing that the person who put in their notice was not one of the ones they hoped to get rid of. Your boss was probably so proud of his/her announcement about canning 1 or more of you that he/she was shocked to find one of the better teachers leave instead, forcing him/her to consider keeping the one/ones they'd planned on not renewing. It's either that, or still can someone and go through the work of hiring more than one new teacher.

That or his/her plan was to scare all of you and worsen the contract later -- making you feel oh so thankful that you still have your jobs.

In other words, your boss is likely sore because her bluff was called, and/or is lazy.

Kikomom · Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2009 3:29 pm Post subject:

As far as the 'lie' is concerned...

Jack Manworth · Joined: 11 Aug 2009

HapKi · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL

Carla · Joined: 21 Nov 2008

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Where do you work? All of the best universities in Korea require the MA for ESL positions at departments.

Was only a matter of time. With more and more MAs in-country, there'll be BA 'house cleanings' as a matter of course in the foreseeable future, especially at bigger-name schools, and especially for departmental positions.

Hope things pan out for you, OP, but this one was called at least a year ago on several threads.

Jack Manworth · Joined: 11 Aug 2009

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Yeah, they are cleaning out the entire department. Including several lecturers that have been there 12 or more years. They just wanted to get rid of the BAs and used this as an excuse.

So, if I want another university job I'll have to head out to the countryside? I am currently in a metropolitatan city. I would be willing to go to Gyeongju or Andong just for the experience and vacation time. I've heard they try to wiggle out of pension and other odd things though.

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

Uni jobs and Uni threads remind me of what hell would be like. Talk about a bunch of egos struggling for position and power. Too bad it sounds like the Koreans are better at the stuggle and kill us whities who like the ego game. Just walking by half the Uni teachers who live across the road from my house is funny as their noses are so high in the air. The pain that they will feel as life humbles those egos is directly related to how high their noses go and it makes me laugh.

If you want to play the ego Uni game why not go back home and try a real university job . At least there you will stand a chance at winning the game and then you can see that it wasn't much of a victory.