Korean Job Discussion Forums

[martinpil]

HI

well I got as far as a telephone interview with woosong last night and this morning I got a basic rejection letter from them via email. I was surprised coz he seemed interested when he knew I had a criminal check and transcripts ready and I think I answered his questions ok.

I think they just want to recruit people already in the country, I don't think it's possible to get hired very easily from home, not the first time anyway. That may have been it actually, coz first timers have to have an interview at the embassy, in my case in london. But anyway, he only offered me 2.1m anyway, which I calculated at �950....ie flippin burger money almost. Then tax would be �50 or so leaving maybe 900. The hours are good though, only 20 hours a week tops he said.
But Im peed off after getting so close to an offer on the table and at the last minute dumped without any real reason why.

[martinpil]

I forgot, they dont pay flights upfront, you have to pay urself and you only get 300k reimbursed in the first instance and 500k at the end of the contract. so that's another downer for me really. If they reimburse you the whole lot on ur first paycheque then good, but preferably want prepaid...Pagoda prepay i think.

[bassexpander]

You nailed it: Uni's aren't big on hiring people not in Korea. The Ph.D. positions seem to be a different case, though.

There's also the ongoing concern that a newbie may not like it here and pull a runner. If they hire someone who has been in-country for a year or more, then they don't have as much to worry about in this regard.

[martinpil]

yeh, but whyever they called me for an interview then god only knows. Ive just been looking at the chinese university positions of which there are many and the salaries are almost but not quite the same as what woosong offered. You can get up to 8000RNB in china which is according to Xe.com �800-ish

and woosong's 2.1m offer is �950. Im sure you could prob do some private tuition ontop and make just as much as in korea. It's cheaper to live there and you get your own studio apartment with all the modcons too.

Im beginning to wonder why anyone would go to korea when you can earn double in Japan and almost the same in china. please tell me why people accept craap low salaries. Korea is supposed to be the middle east of asia as far as earnings go. I got offered little more than a dumper truck driver with 10 brain cells left.

[T-J]

[martinpil]

[T-J]

PM sent.

[saw6436]

Uni gig used to be the cream of the crop here but not anymore. There are some really good unversity positions avaliable but not that many. These days many of the university positions are really nothing more than glorified hagwons. Classroom hours are less but mandatory office hours and paperwork quickly add up to match hagwon hours.

Pay is also pretty shite. I have a Masters degree but have avoided Universities due to the low pay. In my 10 years I have stuck entirely to Hagwons, Public schools and "other stuff". I'm pretty low on the food chain as far as "job status" but high end on the $ chain.

The attraction of lots of vacation at unis is also eroding. Break times often sees "professors" teaching in the Uni Hagwon or other duities. Frankly when I want a longer than contract vacation I find a temp teacher or just quit. Hasn't been an issue for me yet.

As to woosong, I know most of the staff there and I am friends with all of the management. Woosong is not one of the better unis here but they are improving. I know they generally try to treat their staff well. Its not perfect but they try. The guys conducting the interviews literally have tons of applications and interviews to wade through. Probably why you didn't get alot of feedback, they are just overloaded right now.

Good luck.

[D.D.]

Decent university jobs in China come with low hours and the ability to get a lot of privates at 150-250 rmb a go. I am starting to think it's a good idea. Still some universities only pay 4500 which I find too low.

[Draz]

[Scotticus]

[ChinaBoy]

Privates are awesome in China. If you want to work hard, you can make a lot of money AND pay a reasonable price for meat and vegetables.

Said meat and vegetables may kill you, however. Pick your poison (literally).

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Corky]

[martinpil]