Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fuzzydunlop]

I've been reading up on Avalon and reviews seem to be very mixed so I'm having trouble making up my mind whether I want to go there. I don't want to put too much detail out there but given my nationality it's unlikely that I'll get another offer in this particular area of Seoul because all the schools only seem to want North Americans. On the other hand though I don't know how much I want to live in that area.

Basically on one hand I've got a very sought after, very central location where I'll be surrounded by other foreigners at a school where I will get paid on time and shouldn't have too much hassle as the curriculum is pretty much set in stone. But on the other hand maybe I don't want to go work for a big franchise where they will completely own me. Maybe being surrounded by people isn't necessarily a great thing. Maybe a nice city of 4 or 500,000, working in a small but good school where there is a close knit solid expat community would suit me better. I can easily get a job in one of these cities and only be an hour or two away from Seoul for the weekends.

Finally I've got a line on a guy who I think could do pretty good by me. He's the same nationality as myself and his company have a good working relationship with lots of these kind of schools which has been built up over the last decade. He's a lot more likely to help me after the fact too with any issues I might have on arrival. Also I think we'd be pretty like minded personality wise and he seems to have a very good idea of what I'm looking for.

So basically can anyone weigh in here. I'll take any opinions going because I'm really struggling to make a decision here despite leaning towards the latter. Is there a selling point that could make me lean towards Avalon?

[RMNC]

Avalon, like any school, will be a crap shoot as to whether it's good or not. I've heard fewer horror stories about them, as opposed to Wonderland or SLP. You're right about the benefits that working in a large chain in Seoul will get you, most of all job security. Yes, they might own you, in a sense, but don't think that any Mom and Pop hagwon wouldn't pull the same kinds of stunts. Also allow for the idea that it could turn out to be a positive experience and they'll be good people.

The main thing to take away from it all is that you simply will never know what the right decision is. You sound smart, and it seems that you're skeptical and cautious, which is something 80% of the teachers in Korea are not. Always demand to talk to current and former teachers and do your research on any school that sends you an offer.

It's good that you've got a recruiter that you share some bond with, but remember that he's still a recruiter and despite being nice on the phone and through e-mail, he's still counting on a paycheck at the end of the day. Hopefully he does good by you, but remember that it's always best to go to Korea with the "Expect the worst, hope for the best" mantra in everything you do.

As they say, every city in Korea is basically just a mimic of Seoul, and it's true, but it's only a general mimic. Seoul has all the little eccentricities that you may end up craving, like food from a certain country, specialty shops and stores, an activity that a smaller 4-500,000 sized city may not be able to support. For my money I'd say that Seoul is the best place to live in Korea. There's nothing wrong with living out in the bumpkin-y areas or even medium-sized cities, but it can be hard trying to take the train to Seoul every weekend, or constantly thinking about going there and hearing stories about "Seoul this" or "Seoul that". It's similar to living in Manhattan as opposed to living in New York City's surrounding area. There's a world of difference between being an hour away and being right there in the nucleus. For me, it got slight depressing when I wasn't there, everything seemed so much more bland and toned-down. However, I come from a smaller city, so take that as you will. There's a small group of expats who like the small city route, whether it's the lack of English speakers, the (slightly) more relaxed lifestyle, or the (slightly) better pay.

All that said, if I was offered a decent job at Avalon and the current and/or former teachers approved of the place, I'd take it as opposed to another place in Korea.