Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stickbeat]

Hi! Myself and my partner are just about to start looking for work. We've decided on Pusan/Busan, and I personally want to teach in a public high school - he doesn't mind working in a hagwon if it's had good reviews. We've both got HBa's, two years teaching experience (I have been a teaching assistant and a marker; he has worked as a marker) and he has taken the 6-week oxford TESL course. I speak two languages fluently (french and english - we're from Canada). We've been told many things with regards to accommodations, pay, quality of work, expectations, etc.
SO here are our expectations:

- sharing accommodations (probably a tiny bachelor apartment, a one-bed if lucky!) but working at different schools
- 2 - 2.4m won/month
- anything from split shifts to 8 - 4 regular days, depending on contract, plus stat holidays, weekends, and some school holidays. unpaid hours for marking, prep, staff meets, etc. (10 - 18 days, depending on contract)
- expected to manage classroom, improve children's english schools, conform to curriculum as best can be managed, etc.
- additionally, airfare is covered (to and from Korea) - should i expect the school to book my ticket or reimburse my traveling expenses?

If this is not realistic, please correct me! If it is, when should we start looking for jobs? Right now ads seem to be posted for February/March. We plan on leaving at the end of April or beginning of May. Any tips for our job search?

We're both terribly excited to start this adventure! We've been studying Korean culture, trying to learn some Korean, and preparing ourselves as best as we can. Any tips, advice, correction of our expectations would be much appreciated - we want to go in with our eyes as open as possible.

[GTG09]

I just got a position outside of Busan at a hagwon starting in February. From what I have learned so far if you are looking to start in April/May I believe you will mainly be getting offers at Hagwons as the public institutions have 2 main hiring periods. I could be wrong, but other than that I don't think your expectations are that high and should get close to what you want.

[stickbeat]

Is there a way to have a stable, reliable position in a hagwon - one which provides adequate accommodations, pays its employees on time, encourages excellence in teaching and accommodates cultural exchange? I have only ever heard horror stories, but I have been advised that if I am able to talk with a current foreign english teacher and other staff, have a thorough understanding of my contract, and learn Korean language and customs quickly then I'll be in the clear.

Does this ring true?

[GTG09]

I can only answer in terms of what I know about the position I took at my hagwon. I found 2 teachers that work there and 1 that worked there in the past through this site and fb. I asked the same questions about housing and paying on time and I got the answers I was looking for. 1 of the teachers renewed their contract which was a good sign to me. You basically just have to read your contract closely and find people that work at the school.

Also, I just read a thread that talked about the horrors of working at a hagwon and if it really was that bad or do the few that have negetive experiences tend to flock onto this site and post about it and the concensus was they aren't really as bad as they seem.

[seonsengnimble]

[youtuber]

As far as getting the same apartment but working at different places, I don't know how that would work. Most couples who live together work together as well.

And, just a heads up for you, most of the couples that I have known that came to Korea together didn't leave together. I don't know why. Perhaps the man becomes enamoured with the Korean women. It also may be due to the fact that you are living in very small quarters together in a completely different culture.

If you want to keep your relationship intact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get seperate living accomodations and seperate workplaces. The apartments are just too small to share with another person.

[stickbeat]

I've heard that as well. However, if our relationship is unable to survive Korea, then maybe it was never for the best anyway. We've been together for four years, travelled together, and we've been living together for three years. I think we'll be okay - and it we're not, that's okay. Couples probably split up because they learn new things about themselves and eachother when faced with the difficulties of settling in Korea. Probably there's also a lower split rate for older couples, and a significantly higher one for younger couples.

Anyway, we have made the decision to go it together!

And the advice about choosing chains over franchises is something I've never heard before, but it makes a lot of sense.

[blackjack]

Do you have money in the bank? Say 5,000,000wons worth? if so get your own place. Trust me you don't want to share a one bedroom studio, they can be small. 4-8 pyeong (1 pyeong =3.3 square meters), and sometimes they include the bathroom in that. Go ahead and measure that space out inside your living room.

Have a clearer idea of what hours you want to teach. Are you a morning or evening person?

Other than that pick as many recruiters as you can and don't let them pressure you (they will)

[stickbeat]

We'll each be going with a healthy amount of savings and family emergency support (about 1500 CAD each, plus emergency support back home). . . but we're going to play it by ear. I'm really not concerned. We're both later morning people (we like to get up at about 8:30 am, go to bed around 11 or 12) - I am big on naps!

So you recommend recruiters, then?

[GTG09]

I would recommend a recruiter. For my own personal situation a recruiter was the best thing. I went through about 10 before I settled with one that I wanted to work with exclusively. For you two it might be better to keep your options open since its harder to place two but I liked using a recruiter. PM sent.

[chris_J2]

You'd better be quick if applying to Epik for March 2010. They close off next Tuesday Dec 15, & will not reopen applications for Sept 2010, until April 1.

[storysinger81]

I've seen as many couples who came here together grow closer as split up, it just really depends on the individual reasons for why the couple is coming over together (the splitses were almost always one partner dragging the other over or threatening to break up if they didn't go together-just a note that one should NEVER move to another country ONLY to be with someone you are not married to; generally the ones that grew closer were because both partners wanted the experience) and the level of trust/maturity in the couple (age independent... though generally "older" may mean "more mature").

A couple position is generally more desirable because they will give you a larger apartment (1 or 2 seperate bedrooms) and you will work together or near each other. Many schools like couples as they are more stable, however others see them as a risk because of the potential break up factor.

I agree that recruiters who specialize in couples are the way to go here. There are many.

[storysinger81]

Oh and god if you are morning people (I am, too), avoid hagwons. The hours killed me after a year.

[stickbeat]

Does anyone recommend any recruiters?
Thus far my partner and I have disagreed on one thing: I want to teach teenaged children, and he wants to teach young children! We're both stoked for this experience and trying to learn all we can.
Because he took the oxford TESL seminar, he has access to their placement agency - would you recommend going that route or going through a dozen or so recruiters?

[blackjack]

I liked korvea, one of the few I haven't heard a bad word about. Not sure they place for epik or operate in Busan