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LikeFrostOnRoads
Joined: 09 Mar 2010
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 Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 6:18 am Post subject: To those of you who stayed on after year one... |
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So I have some questions for those of you who stayed on after year one.
At what point did you make your decision during your first year to stay on for round two? What was it that ultimately pushed you over the line to make decision? How did your perspective change from the first year to the second?
I'm only at about 5 months into my first contract, but there's something about the Korean culture (I just love to hate it and hate to love it...) and the Expat lifestyle that is satisfying. I know that I would change schools, certainly, although I might hang around in Daegu (Busan does sound alluring, and then of course Seoul if I'm feeling brave). Of course I've got seven more months so we'll see if that luster has faded. Plus I'm worried about toiling away my early twenties, but that's pretty irrational since I'm only 21 as it is now. |
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njp6
Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Location: Gangnam, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:11 am Post subject: |
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At about 2 months into the first contract I decided to stay (unless something super bad happened). With each passing year your job prospects will improve--being able to interview within the country and such-- making it more beneficial to stay and harder to leave.
Year 2 was tough though. The newness of the place had worn off and all the small annoying things I had ignored before became unignorable. Still, with the right job, right housing, and right people, this place can definitely work to your advantage. |
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Solarian
Joined: 12 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:25 am Post subject: |
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Don't forget that while you become more employable in Korea with each passing year, you become less employable back home.
I really wanted to stay here longer at first, because it is a really fun place, but I can just imagine a prospective employer saying "So you spent enough time in Korea to forget everything you learned in school, while doing something completely unrelated to your major, and now you want me to hire you?" |
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English Matt
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| Solarian wrote: |
Don't forget that while you become more employable in Korea with each passing year, you become less employable back home.
I really wanted to stay here longer at first, because it is a really fun place, but I can just imagine a prospective employer saying "So you spent enough time in Korea to forget everything you learned in school, while doing something completely unrelated to your major, and now you want me to hire you?" |
I agree with Solarian. As much as I have developed a love-hate relationship with Korea and enjoy the life here for the most part, I can't help thinking with every day I spend here it is going to be that much more difficult to reintegrate in to a long-term career back home.
If you are 21 like the OP then I think you have little to worry about by staying here for 2, 3 or even 4 years. I am almost at the end of year 2 and fast approaching 28. I feel that staying here even 1 more year would be to put myself at a severe disadvantage when heading back to Europe. If you like Korea, but don't see yourself living here forever (or see yourself as a career teacher) then spending more than a couple of years here is not the greatest idea (unless you really need the money). At some point you are going to have to go back and (in most cases) spend a few years retraining and acquiring skills for the career you want.
To respond to the OP though......I had always come to Korea with the idea that I would be here for at least 2 years. I was lucky to get a school that treats me well (mostly), gave me a little, very well-paid OT, a decent apartment, a relatively light schedule, tons of vacation, and was very lax with regards to whether I am on school property or not when I don't have any classes. I also met my fiancee after 6 months and wasn't going to leave her at the end of my first contract. My school also hired another NET less than 9 months into my first year which made working at my public school a heck of a lot easier. So throw in a good work situation, a best buddy to work with and a great girlfriend (and the need to earn some more money before heading home) and you have the reasons I decided to stay. Now, with GEPIK cutbacks, the other teacher has gone, I have enough money to pursue the education I need to pursue the career I want back in Europe (which was the original reason I came here) and I feel that I have to pursue my dreams back home before I get any older (additionally, both my Grandmother and Dad died whilst I was out here.....I want to be closer to family in case any of the one's left alive get sick).
Who knows, maybe in a couple of years I will be back.....but I would like to spend those couple of years learning languages, obtaining my Masters and at least trying to get a job in the career I really want. If after a couple of years pass and it's not working out back in Europe, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to come back to Korea and work for another year or two....at least the Masters will have been earnt and a couple of languages mastered in the interim. |
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Whitey Otez
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: The suburbs of Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:56 am Post subject: |
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| Solarian wrote: |
Don't forget that while you become more employable in Korea with each passing year, you become less employable back home.
I really wanted to stay here longer at first, because it is a really fun place, but I can just imagine a prospective employer saying "So you spent enough time in Korea to forget everything you learned in school, while doing something completely unrelated to your major, and now you want me to hire you?" |
I can't believe I'm going to be contrary about this, but if 'm in an interview and the interviewer throws that rhetoric my way, I'd answer by saying, "Two things. First, I remember one thing from my education pretty clearly. Doctor Lou Goldberg was my professor for a course in personnel selection and human performance. He was part of the first committee to select the first seven astronauts for NASA as well as the first batch of recruits for the Peace Corps. He told us about how deeply they looked at each candidate - the Peace Corps was harder to get into than the CIA. You know what they found out upon review? They found out that they could have chosen anyone, that the program's success came from the intense training provided more than any other factor.
"Second, living in Korea took me from an average office clown who called in sick for 'mental health days' to a real-life professional. In all my time there, I was operating without a net - there wasn't a substitute, and classes of people depended on me to be there every day on time giving 100% of my effort. I was able to enter a country that was never my home, and lead groups of people who didn't speak my language or understand my culture. If I can do that, I can do anything."
But I do respect your perspective, Solarian. I know my answer to an interviewer's question wouldn't get me hired, but personally I know I am more confident in myself and what I can do because I came to Korea.
OP, I for one made the decision to renew about eight months in. The boss, if he or she wants to keep you on or not be bothered to roll the dice on another teacher, will start being very nice to you about four months from the end. Sometimes they change back immediately after you say you're done or after you've signed your contract, so hold out for a couple of weeks and enjoy it. I decided to stay because I was having a great time, and I felt like I was rounding a learning curve as far as living in Korea goes. I wanted to see it played out.
It's really a personal decision. Some folks stay on for the money, others stay because they have a better quality of life than they had before. Some of us are afraid to make another leap. Others get that "I'm leaving" pheromone and sign up because they hit a hot streak with the ladies. Still yet, there are those that are not ready to go home yet and give up on being a TEFL teacher, knowing that teaching somewhere else might not be as rewarding as the victories here can be. |
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LikeFrostOnRoads
Joined: 09 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| "Second, living in Korea took me from an average office clown who called in sick for 'mental health days' to a real-life professional. In all my time there, I was operating without a net - there wasn't a substitute, and classes of people depended on me to be there every day on time giving 100% of my effort. I was able to enter a country that was never my home, and lead groups of people who didn't speak my language or understand my culture. If I can do that, I can do anything. |
I really like this. It actually puts a positive spin on it in my own mind. I will have to use some incarnation of this in the future. It also helps that I plan to use my international experience (2 years in SK plus I've lived in France, Brazil as well as interned for the US Dept of State) for my future career. I'm likely to pursue an MBA in Global Management from a school like Thunderbird, so my cultural experience while working abroad can certainly be spun into something positive.
| Quote: |
| I was lucky to get a school that treats me well (mostly), gave me a little, very well-paid OT, a decent apartment, a relatively light schedule, tons of vacation, and was very lax with regards to whether I am on school property or not when I don't have any classes. |
Where did you find this school? I know if one thing keeps me from coming back, it's fear of a bad placement. I'm debating on PS versus hakwon currently. I'm at a hakwon now, and it's okay I guess.
| Quote: |
| The boss, if he or she wants to keep you on or not be bothered to roll the dice on another teacher, will start being very nice to you about four months from the end. Sometimes they change back immediately after you say you're done or after you've signed your contract, so hold out for a couple of weeks and enjoy it. |
My boss (and Korean co-workers) have already expressed interest in me staying on for a few years actually. But the environment is a little too toxic for me (we are small but we have a head teacher and a teacher manager who have the same level of authority and squabble constantly, putting me in the middle). Also the director has this crazy idea that if I stay on, he would save all kinds of money on plane trips and bonuses, all things I intend to cash in on at the end of year one. But even worse is that my school operates on a year long calendar so I cannot take some time between contracts and go home. |
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Forever
Joined: 12 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:50 pm Post subject: |
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It's sometimes not all about "the money", or "better quality of life" or "paying off univ debts" or "not being able to find employment in your home-country" or the "thrill of travel/living in another country".
For some people like me, I stayed on because of the friends I have made here. I have made so many wonderful Korean friends, that I don't want to leave Korea because I enjoy my friends here.
In my home-country I know my friends have moved on, gotten married, gotten stuck in their jobs, had kids and settled down. So has my brother and sister, both who now have 4 kids each and are settled down in their "boring" small towns with typical 08:30 ~ 4:30 pm jobs and boring weekends.
I enjoy my friends here - some who are married some who are single and I also have many young students who I help with their study and their lives and I can't leave all these people behind.
Yes, I did leave my family and friends behind when I left, but as I said, they were so stuck in their jobs and too busy with their kids, that they were too busy to bother with me.
Here in Korea friends and family is important, so I stayed on because I have good friends here.
p.s. - plus I love super fast, super cheap internet, and I would hate to return to my country where it takes 3 days to download one movie and where you have to pay-through-the-roof for the internet and ciggs. |
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sheba
Joined: 16 May 2005
Location: Here there and everywhere!
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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I was always hoping to stay a couple years but I decided if I stayed a full year then I would be happy... (I expected the worst after reading daves for a few months before leaving!).
I hadnt really thought about year 2 until my boss asked me to stay on another year, at about the 8 month mark. I guess I always figured Id wait until the time came and get another job if I wanted to continue... but I loved my job, loved teaching, loved living in Korea and couldnt find any reason to go home...
Year number 5 now and Ive left Korea for good, twice. lol just gets under your skin somehow. |
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Solarian
Joined: 12 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Whitey - That's an amazing reply, and to tell you the truth, I agree with it. I do think that I have matured as a person since I've come here, and I'm very happy and glad I had this experience. Unfortunately, I still doubt a potential employer would agree with those views. |
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Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 10:54 pm Post subject: Re: To those of you who stayed on after year one... |
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| LikeFrostOnRoads wrote: |
| At what point did you make your decision during your first year to stay on for round two? What was it that ultimately pushed you over the line to make decision? How did your perspective change from the first year to the second? |
I'm honestly not sure. If you check my post history I go on about money money money a lot, but I don't think that was actually my main consideration. I had a really rocky first year, and lost my second job two months before the end BUT even with all that I'd met my initial goal of paying off my student loan. I didn't really have a money goal going into my second year. Wherever I went I was going to get a job and make money and be fine. Or go back to school, but I wasn't really sure about that.
I think what "ultimately pushed me over the edge" was that I got the job I wanted. I took a short trip home after losing the second job, and I did consider just staying there, but I wanted to give Korea another try. I came back with the idea that I wasn't going to settle for some crapbox job this time, and if I didn't find anything good... but I got an amazing job, so of course I stayed. I might regret that, a little, when I think of where I might have been now. But probably not! *buries that thought again*
Perspective changing: Oh, wait, even the best job in Korea still kind of sucks in terms of stability and long term employment prospects. Also the problem really wasn't naughty children or poor materials or lousy coworkers - teaching a language is actually just plain frustrating. Aw man!
The third year is about money going in.
So second year reasoning:
1. Got dream job.
2. Not sure what else to do.
3. Money. |
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the_beaver
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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I stayed for my second year because I hadn't accomplished my goal (to learn to speak Korean), and the lax expat lifestyle was cool. For about five years those were the main reasons that I stayed.
My focus moved from learning Korean and hanging out with friends to teaching and the jobs became better and better in terms of conditions, and I also realized somewhere along the way that there are other things that I could do, but at best those things would equal how satisfied I am with teaching. |
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Sadebugo1
Joined: 11 May 2003
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| Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:54 am Post subject: Re: To those of you who stayed on after year one... |
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| LikeFrostOnRoads wrote: |
So I have some questions for those of you who stayed on after year one.
At what point did you make your decision during your first year to stay on for round two? What was it that ultimately pushed you over the line to make decision? How did your perspective change from the first year to the second?
I'm only at about 5 months into my first contract, but there's something about the Korean culture (I just love to hate it and hate to love it...) and the Expat lifestyle that is satisfying. I know that I would change schools, certainly, although I might hang around in Daegu (Busan does sound alluring, and then of course Seoul if I'm feeling brave). Of course I've got seven more months so we'll see if that luster has faded. Plus I'm worried about toiling away my early twenties, but that's pretty irrational since I'm only 21 as it is now. |
Do what I did. Select another country that you really want to go to and endure Korea until you get the required years of experience to qualify for that country. I stayed in Korea for three years and then made the move to Saudi. It was a big step up in terms of salary and lifestyle (believe it or not).
Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/ |
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Clockout
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:45 am Post subject: |
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Year 2 starts tomorrow 
I've been thinking about it since I was about 3 months in and made my mind up at about the 7 month mark. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:13 am Post subject: |
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| I came to Korea with intentions to be here for ONE year only. That was in December 2002, the very day that the now-late President Rho Mu Hyun was elected. I had such a fantastic time teaching and getting to know the country, its food, history and customs, that I realized I wanted more by the end of summer (early October on Geoje Island, as I was still swimming and camping in Sept since 20-25 C was considered summer weather where I came from, despite what the locals here thought). |
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