Korean Job Discussion Forums

[baguingr]

I have taught in Korea 1 year previously on the outskirts of Seoul and am now looking for a new job in central seoul. I have good references and am surprised that I'm not finding as good of job offers as I would have thought. I know it would probably be better to be in korea but still I thought with a year of experience under my belt I'd get better offers, not a pay decrease from my last job. I am getting offers of 2.1-2.3 and a schedule of 10-6:30 or 10-7 and ending at 5 T/Th. Is this just the new job environment there or should I hold out for better? I got a asap offer that was about my ideal location but pasted because of schedule and pay being below what I made last year. I am trying to find something in Aug. so time is running out fast. Maybe my old job wasn't as crappy as I thought is was haha. So what do you think, is this the best I'll be able to find right now from outside the country?

[definitely maybe]

Decent jobs still seem to be out there, but not the amount we saw a few years ago. I have a number of friends who were forced to accept the same or lower salaries when they returned in the past year to maintain reasonable working hours. Recruiters and schools know that interest in teaching here is peaking, and they're taking full advantage of it.

[Skippy]

That one lie that gets to everybody. Thinking that the one year under the belt means all these doors will open for you. Nope at the most a year under the belt means you will get maybe 100,000 won more per month. And the expectation that you will know what you are doing.

That year of experience is only one tool you have in your negotiation. Some people can get really good deals, others nope. You find out what else you can do to improve - certificates, Visa, age, looks, dress, etc.

Good Luck

[Louis VI]

One job ad for a position at my Jeju hagwon (2.0-2.2 mill advertised salary) generated over 50 applicants with all documents in hand so my director asked me to help weed through the mass to make a manageable shortlist for interview. One guy was a teacher trainer at one of those ESL certificate schools in Thailand, several had Master's degrees in TESOL and many had years of experience teaching ESL.

We're in a saturated industry: plenty of jobs but plenty more applicants.

[lifeinkorea]

Being in Korea is a big advantage. I would wait as long as you can, eventually a school will need a teacher ASAP. It's cheaper to pay you a little more than worry about risking a teacher abroad.

[sulperman]

Skippy is right. I thought that after my first year I was god's gift to any hagwon lucky enough to snag me. I would love to punch that me right in the center of the balls, and I am sure every recruiter I talked to back then would have liked to have done the same.

[Not a Pain]

[Troglodyte]

2.1-2.3 million per month is the going rate now.

1 year of experience in Korea isn't going to get you any better offers. It might get you MORE offers because they know they can do a visa run with you and have you teach right away.

I think that 10am-7pm (office hours) or 3pm-11pm with 25-30 teaching hours per week is also standard.

Unless you have an MA in TESOL you're not really going to get any better offers. Even a TEFL certificate or 5 years experience isn't going to get you a much better offer.

[naturegirl321]

Look outside of Seoul, pay is often higher due to "hardship" pay

[littlelisa]

My second job paid a good bit less than my first, but it was overall a better job. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages (hours, vacation time, etc), not just the pay.

Secondly, you had a job outside of Seoul and now you're looking for one in central Seoul and are wondering why the pay is lower and you're getting fewer offers? Central Seoul = more teachers applying.

[baguingr]

Well obviously there is more competition in Seoul but theres also a ton more schools. When I lived in Korea everyone I knew that had been there over a year or 2 did have way better conditions, so yes I think a year experience does make a big difference but this could also have been due to them looking while in the country.

[baguingr]

littlelisa- I am getting plenty of offers the problem is that they mostly suck. When I was in Korea before I always assumed that those jobs, like mine, got filled by schools and recruiters praying on first timers who didn't know any better.

[iwillteachyouenglish]

What is this obsession with living in Seoul? Is there something about the working conditions that are vastly better there or ?

[baguingr]

Simply a matter of lifestyle, nothing to do with the job at all. I am willing to take less pay and work more to live in Seoul, but I still need something reasonable so that I can enjoy the benefits of Seoul. Basically everything I would want to do is impossible or inconvenient outside of Seoul. I lived on the outskirts and found myself constantly making the trip. Its much easier to meet people (foreigners and korean), find foreign friendly things like language lessons, everything is closer and more convenient in general which is important if you have a very active lifestyle. I for one am basing my decision almost 90% on the fact that I want to attend certain judo schools there. Basically its the same reason why people want to live in big cities in every country in the world and why foreigners tend to congregate in big cities all over the world. My question would be how could you live long term anywhere other than Seoul in korea. But hey, I understand its just a question of lifestyle. Anyways thanks for high jacking the thread if you have anything else thats not useful go ahead and post it in the general discussion forum.

[baguingr]

double