Korean Job Discussion Forums

[swashbuckler]

I have basically narrowed my job search down to two positions: a Foreign Language High School in Gyeonggi-do and a unigwon-type-place in Seoul.

Here are pros and cons of each:

Pros of FLHS-
Good vacation (2 months officially - maybe more unofficially??)
Slightly lower teaching hours than the Seoul job (see below)
The kids are already proficient in English, which makes communication with them easy-peasy
The person who hired me seems like a genuinely nice guy, good work atmosphere


Cons
Early start, and you still have to stay there a full day
No airfare
The school is also located in a bland suburb, almost an hour from anywhere interesting in Seoul. I've done the whole outskirts of Seoul thing for a year and wasn't really for me. I just ended up blowing a bunch of money every weekend on either taxis jimjilbangs or love motels. One of the reasons I'm coming back overseas is to get away from my boring married life here at home and I want to live in place that's conveniently located so I can get around easily for entertainment purposes. I've lived in Korea for years and pretty much the only places in the country that interest me at this point are Hongdae/Shinchon/Jongno/Itaewon and sometimes (but not often) the Konkuk Uni/Apgujeong/Kangnam areas.


Pros of the Seoul job:

Teaching academic English to university freshman who are preparing to study abroad at American Universities (good work experience in case I wanted to 'move up the ladder' later)
Normal working hours
School is located smack dab in the center of Seoul (Korean language classes! dating opportunities!)
They pay airfare

Cons:

crap vacation (just 3 weeks a year)
higher teaching hours - 25-30 hours a week

By the way, the pay is similar at both schools.

So I guess my question is this, which position do you think sounds better, given all the various circumstances? Thanks!

[Totti]

I'd take the Uni job.

1. Better chances for networking into a better job next year.
2. It's in the location that you want.
3. You'll probably end up saving more money, by not wasting it on taxi's or hotels at the end of the night.

[dongjak]

I'd take the Unigwon job. But I totally don't understand why anyone would ever want or apply to the public school jobs. EPIK, GEPIK, SMOE...I just don't get it.

[swashbuckler]

It isn't a part of that system

[jrwhite82]

Uni. Location. Location. Location

[dongjak]

[whiteshoes]

I'd live in Seoul.

I live in Yongin now, and it takes me forever to get to central Seoul. It takes an hour on a Sunday morning with no traffic, and sometimes more than 2 hours at other times. The average is easily 1.5 hours one way. I go to Seoul 4 times a week (twice on the weekend, and twice during the week for language exchange), that's around 12 hours of my week spent on or waiting for public transportation.

New job in Seoul starts in 4.5 weeks.

[northway]

[lithium]

One of the reasons I'm coming back overseas is to get away from my boring married life here at home

School is located smack dab in the center of Seoul (Korean language classes! dating opportunities!)

I don't think I would let your wife read your messages.

[interestedinhanguk]

[sirius black]