Korean Job Discussion Forums

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My situation:
-American, 24, caucasian, (very) good looking
-have Bachelors degree in English
-getting my Masters in English from an american university beginning August '10, ending May '11
-thinking about doing on-site TEFL classes during MA classes...(?)

I have a desire to travel, and teaching kids English in the mean time doesn't sound like a bad idea. According to EPIK's payscale, I'd be 2nd level, maybe ~2.1M won, $1880/month, ~$22,000 a year. I currently live on the scantest of scant: sleep on a sleeping bag, everything I own fits in a backpack, never spend money except on food and rent. If I live like a miser in Korea for a year, how much can I expect to bank?

My main motivation for teaching in Korea is to make enough money to pay for my Masters degree ($16,000 before interest). If I end up liking teaching, I'll continue to do it to fund travel throughout the area...

Can I realistically expect to pay off the entirety of my debt in under two years?

[EuroFunk]

it's possible you can bank more than that in one year.

don't forget pension which is like 1k and completion bonus which is 2k. All you have to do is stick with the local diet, don't drink, don't smoke, and don't get a girlfriend.

I was making 1.6 and on a save month, I saved around a grand.

[nourozi]

You can save 16g in one year.

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I took $6,500 in unsubsidized loans, at ~6% interest, that's $400 interest a year. The rest of my loans are subsidized (no interest for 6 months after I publish my thesis). Assuming I have to pay back... $18,000 with all the hidden fees that I'm sure will be revealed, is it still possible to pay it off in one year?

I guess I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about the first two responses to this thread

[jonpurdy]

[EuroFunk]

I think if you shopped around, you can find a job that pays more than 2.1

The first month is always hard since you are spending money. I spent no more than 20,000won per day (you have more flexibility) and I managed to save more than a grand per month. If you slip up, there are your bonuses to help you out at the end of your contract.

[air76]

If money is your #1 motivator you should work at a hagwon instead of at public school...you can find a job that pays 2.3-2.4 fairly easily and these schools often offer overtime if you want it.

If you truly live as a miser, you can get by on 400,000/month and easily save $1500/month, even with the lowest paying job, with your bonus that puts you at around $20,000 in one year. This would be pretty tough to live that way for a year...but you can save $15,000 in a year without too much trouble at all.

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Yes, I was thinking that it would probably make more sense to teach in a rural area to prevent temptation... I believe there are some bonuses or increases in pay for teaching in rural schools?

On a side note: I try to work as little as possible. That is to say: I require very little material goods in order to live a simple, cheap lifestyle. I'd rather work a reasonable amount of hours at an EPIK school compared to a less-reasonable amount of hours at a hagwon (where they'd probably be hassling me all the time anyway).

So on to the second part of this thread:

Should I sign up for TEFL courses during the coming year to prepare for Korea? I've heard they run as much as $2,000 to become certified, and their effectiveness is questionable. I have no teaching experience-- I'd like to actually teach these kids something while I'm there-- but cannot decide whether the certification is monetarily worth it or even needed... Will my masters degree in English be enough to persuade somebody to hire me?

Input?

[Ukon]

People who spend a year abroad and have no fun confuse me....

C'mon, enjoy it...

[air76]

Your BA and heart beat will be enough to get you hired.

If you want to become an effective teacher for the least amount of capital....go to the library and check out "How to Teach English" by Jeremy Harmer...if you can internalize everything that he has to say you'll be off to a pretty good start.

If you're willing to spend a little more than zero dollars...then buy that book instead of checking it out.

He also has another book, The Practice of English Language Teaching, that is slightly more advanced than the original How to Teach English....but I would just start with the first one and then take it from there.

You are correct that it is much easier to save in a rural setting without the temptations of Starbucks and Burger King...you can buy a bicycle for 100 bucks (a crappy one, but that will last a year) and entertain yourself just by exploring the countryside.

[AsiaESLbound]

[thegadfly]

I agree with the 400,000 won poster -- having lived very frugally early on in my time here, 400,000 won is a very safe number to plan on -- most uneventful months, you will actually have money left from this, and in the months where additional expenses come up (dental work, a weekend you just HAVE to get away, splurging on a meal now and then), you are still covered.

...so you can save whatever your take-home is over 400k....

[Depths of My Soul]

Hey OP. Why does someone so (very) good looking even need to take a loan in the first place?

[air76]

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