Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iggyb]

I'm in Korea. My legs are killing me. I've been too lazy in the US...

I'll be in PC Bangs until I secure a position...

I'm looking for the big ticket item contract terms for college jobs in the Seoul area:

Monthly salary, housing situations - especially in terms of key money and monthly allowance if full housing isn't provided (is it usually providedor not?), flight to and/or from, severance pay, holidays, and so on...

I have some idea from a contract with another interested univ. in the Seoul area a month or so ago....but I'd like to hear from many people familiar with the system.

Thanks...

[jinks]

Hagwons and public schools pay airfare, universities do not.

[cdninkorea]

So much depends on the university job- there are great uni jobs, mediocre ones, and terrible ones. Do a Google search (the search on this site doesn't work well) and you'll see plenty of rants against the bad jobs, and comments as to what makes a good job.

[sigmundsmith]

You might want to tell us more about yourself - work background, EFL experience, education etc. then I am sure many on here can provide some useful advice to help you in your job search.

BTW the recruitment processes for universities are finished so you will have to wait for the next term.

But sometimes the occassional positions pop up throughout the year due to a teacher leaving mid-term

[PRagic]

You could try to dig up my old thread on a university job rating system. That get's churned up right around the time hiring season begins.

Let us know:

1) Your BA major
2) Any certifications (teaching/TESOL)
3) Whether or not you have your MA/PhD and the major(s)
4) Your university-level teaching experience anywhere
5) Your teaching experience in Korea (any level)
6) Your teaching experience elsewhere (any level)

All this will help to get you a more comprehensive response.

[iggyb]

Sorry. I'm dead tired since arriving and walking so much. I got way out of shape the last few years....

I've got my first face to face with the guy who contacted me tomorrow.

I'm still interested in specific terms you have had or heard.

My background:

6 years TESOL experience 4 in Korea hakwons - 1/2 adult 1/2 mostly kids. 1 year US high schools.

Just finished MA Teaching (English)
BA in English with TESOL course work (necessary for certification K-12 US (Georgia)).

Certified 6-12 English Language Arts - will be certified in TESOL whenever I take the GACE/Praxis TESOL test when I return to the US someday.

--- Earlier this summer, I was in discussion with a university near Seoul and I think it was 3.3 a month + 0.5 housing allowance with no key money.

There was also no mention of severance bonus (12 month or 2 years - since it was a 2 year contract).

Also no airfare.

Housing will be a key item for me, because I do not want to risk a couple million in key money of my own...or would greatly prefer not to...

--- I'm checking in at a PC Bang twice a day to do necessary job scouting and keeping up with family back home and usual internet stuff --- but I'm still jet-lagged (and spending a lot of time with my mother-in-law whose husband recently died....which was much of the decision to look for jobs again in Korea this time around.....)

[Chokse]

I've worked at two of the three "SKY" universities in Seoul and neither of them offered free housing. As others have mentioned, airfare is also out.

While they did not offer free housing, they did offer to rent me a dormitory style room for a fairly competitive price (no key money and around 400,000 - 600,000 per month. One school included utilities in the rental price, the other did not). I did not live in the university provided housing because in both cases, it came at a cost. Most of these dormitory housing arrangements also mean that you follow the dormitory rules, which means curfew at 1:00 AM. Yep, an adult teaching at a university and you have a curfew! Only in Korea.

I have friends at other universities in Seoul and none of them has housing provided by the university. Each pays his/her own rent.

So, OP, I think if you want a university job in Seoul, you will most likely be paying your own rent and airfare, though you can avoid the key money issue by renting the housing offered by the university.

Generally speaking, the pay and benefits at universities suck. But, the schedules and vacations are good, and it gives you lots of extra time to find part-time work.

Hope this helps.

[PRagic]

I don't know about that. I have several qualified university ESL teacher friends and they're making substantially more than hakwon or public school workers and they get almost 5 months off a year. There are bottom wrung places and unigwons that don't pay well and overwork their teachers, but those are largely considered stepping stones. Then again, someone told me that the SNU unigwon (institute) actually pays better than the departmental jobs there! You have to do your homework.

With the OP's degrees and experience, he/she stands a shot at one of the better jobs left out there. Many universities no longer give housing, and 5-10 million is probably more a reasonable 'bojeungkum' downpayment to keep in mind, plus another 600-1million a month depending on what type of place you're interested in.

At any rate, get back into shape, OP, and good luck with the hunt. You may have to wait a bit until the next hiring window opens, though.

[timolein23]

I thought I would post in this thread rather than create a new one. I'm looking into applying for a uni job. My contract runs out in January so March would be good. Not sure if i have the qualifications or experience etc though

Qualifications:
Undergraduate Masters in Landscape Planning and Management - University of Manchester (this is a combined BA and Ma as part of the same course)

Teaching experience:
currently working in a hagwon teaching elementary and middle school kids. I will have 1 years experience when my contract finishes.

age:
23

what do you think? I have the masters but maybe too little experiance? too young?

[entity]

My experience: I got a unigwon job at a national university outside of Seoul with a master's (unrelated to ESL) and a few years teaching at the university level (not ESL). There was one guy with a BA and one year non-university teaching experience who got the unigwon job with me at the same time. The unigwon does not require a master's, and, apparently, not years and years of teaching experience.

Because I had a connection, I moved into the uni's English department. They required a master's in anything.

I don't think my CELTA mattered in either case for getting the job, but I'm still glad I have it.

Somebody said it here before, if you meet the minimum requirements - and even if you don't - as long as you're a 'fit', you might get the job.

Hope this helps.

[iggyb]

First, everybody, thanks much for the replies. Not a single snarky one in the bunch....much appreciated....

Next, I'm not concerned much with money. Don't get me wrong - it is important, but my priorities are family and special interest related.

Housing is a key due to money terms. I do care about that. I see it all as basically salary related --- provided housing boosts a lower basic salary. Right now, I just don't want to put key money at risk. I know there is only a chance of being screwed there, but it is a chance my wife and I are reluctant to take at the moment.

Anyway --- the specific job I'm in talks with - it turns out - is not a university position but also isn't a typical adult hakwon either.....and so far seems pretty good and I got my first look at the place...

I'm still scouting univeristy (and other jobs) so this info you guys offered is helpful. Thanks again....

[bassexpander]

Iggy, you're a loon!

(sorry, I don't really think that... I'm just teasing because I want to be called a "sharky." Funny term.)


Our university offers free housing, but now that we've got so many teachers (we've gone from 3 to 15 in under 2 years), the newer teachers are finding themselves stuck in efficiency places. They aren't particularly thrilled with them.

All of our new teachers are really kind, but I sure miss the old days when it was just 3 to 5 of us. Suddenly we've been told that we must share offices, must have monthly meetings, and we worry the school might pull a surprise with a future contract.

Teachers who have been here a while are a bit disappointed to see things change. Good teachers who have a long history with this school are beginning to talk of leaving. One teacher is talking about going home. Others have decided to pay more attention to the job board this next semester.

[iggyb]

I can sympathize with the colleges having to lay out key money on all those single occupancy places. I can see why they'd want to cut back expenses especially the more instructors they have.

And even back in the old days, when it wasn't uncommon to find hakwons that made people share apartments, I didn't complain about some of the dumbs I lived in, because it was free....

The last place I lived in was clean but tiny - even by officetel-standards, but I still say it was great for my first year of marriage.......

[Hyeon Een]