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Is it worth it anymore?
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decolyon



Joined: 24 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:32 am    Post subject: Is it worth it anymore? Reply with quote

8-10 hour working days, occasional Saturdays, 10 little vacation days you'll take when they tell you you can take them, report card writing, essay correction, homework checking, curriculum development, and all for what? Less than 2 thousand US for newbs and barely $2,200 for people with years of experience.

What's the point anymore?

Adult schools get you to work before the sun is up, keep you there till well after lunch, give you a little break, and then demand you be back before evening for another 4 or 5 hour shift. Eff you man.

Kinder. More 9 and 10 hour shifts but complicated with having to parent 10 or 12 5 year olds that scream, fight, yell, cry, and wet themselves at the drop of a hat. I want kids some day. But one or two at a time. If I wanted to parent 10 babies at once, I'd have married Angelina Jolie.

I'm starting to think it's not worth it anymore. There are so many fresh university graduates here willing to work for pennies that employers have gone mad with all that they demand and how little they want to pay for it. I remember my first year turning down contracts for 2.1 because of the 7 working hours a day, only 2 of those hours were breaks.

The good times are long over. I see no advantage to working in Korea anymore than working anywhere else.
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Koreadays



Joined: 20 May 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

dude, why are you not working in a UNI yet???

how long have you been here? teaching kids is a suckers game
leave it to the noobs, you have earned your stripes, time to cash in..
get the 5 months paid vacation, 12 hours a week work week, no weekends
3 million a month and plenty of time to do privates and RELAX!

spend your summers and winters sitting on a beach in thailand and still GETTING PAID!!! dude.. come on...
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highstreet



Joined: 13 Nov 2010

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

IMO it was never worth it. The money is good to some since the housing is free.

No free housing = not as many people coming over
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decolyon



Joined: 24 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Koreadays wrote:
dude, why are you not working in a UNI yet???

how long have you been here? teaching kids is a suckers game
leave it to the noobs, you have earned your stripes, time to cash in..
get the 5 months paid vacation, 12 hours a week work week, no weekends
3 million a month and plenty of time to do privates and RELAX!

spend your summers and winters sitting on a beach in thailand and still GETTING PAID!!! dude.. come on...


Only have a BA and no certificate.
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Stout



Joined: 28 May 2011

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do a month course for a certificate, it'll easily pay for itself when you upgrade jobs.
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 2:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As previous posters have mentioned, this place can be a goldmine if you upgrade your qualifications and get into a position where you can work at other things - legally of course. Bearing in mind the amount of importance Koreans still place on learning English and the amount of money they're prepared to throw at it, you should be raking it in after you find your feet here.
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Koreadays



Joined: 20 May 2008

PostPosted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

decolyon wrote:
Koreadays wrote:
dude, why are you not working in a UNI yet???

how long have you been here? teaching kids is a suckers game
leave it to the noobs, you have earned your stripes, time to cash in..
get the 5 months paid vacation, 12 hours a week work week, no weekends
3 million a month and plenty of time to do privates and RELAX!

spend your summers and winters sitting on a beach in thailand and still GETTING PAID!!! dude.. come on...


Only have a BA and no certificate.


that's enough.. trust me I know plenty of people where with only BA's teaching UNI'S..
send out your resume to EVERY UNI job...
last minute you will get hired...
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a4athert



Joined: 23 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want to boost it, do it. You can always come back.
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sirius black



Joined: 04 Jun 2010

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My apologies if it comes off negative but to be in Korea that long and not have improved your job situation indicates a lack of ambition.

Not being worth it is also subjective and depends on a few things. It also depends on where you live (the job market) and what qualifications you have back home. Depending on those Korea is either a far better option or a waste of time.
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carleverson



Joined: 04 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stout wrote:
Do a month course for a certificate, it'll easily pay for itself when you upgrade jobs.


LOL. No necessarily true in Korea.
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Stout



Joined: 28 May 2011

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

carleverson wrote:
Stout wrote:
Do a month course for a certificate, it'll easily pay for itself when you upgrade jobs.


LOL. No necessarily true in Korea.


True, with that certificate you'll have to compete with other certified peeps for the better jobs (it's not just going to fall into your lap from the nearest tree), but the guy's asking for advice.
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eamo



Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only certificate that really gets good jobs is an MA TESL.
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Weigookin74



Joined: 26 Oct 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Koreadays wrote:
decolyon wrote:
Koreadays wrote:
dude, why are you not working in a UNI yet???

how long have you been here? teaching kids is a suckers game
leave it to the noobs, you have earned your stripes, time to cash in..
get the 5 months paid vacation, 12 hours a week work week, no weekends
3 million a month and plenty of time to do privates and RELAX!

spend your summers and winters sitting on a beach in thailand and still GETTING PAID!!! dude.. come on...


Only have a BA and no certificate.


I assume those folks got hired before the rush. I mean before the US Recession flooded the market. I had friends like that too. I was stupid for staying in the west and trying to build a career before realizing the rat race was no good. All my friends who came when they were young and stayed have a good life now. No debt (exchange rate was better back then) and they migrated into a Uni job by having experience and a Bachelor's. Sadly, I was dumb and waited. Got here at the end of the curb. 2007 to 2008. Then 2009, the gravy train slowed down and it hasn't been the same since. Too many newbies packing the system and working for less. Bad exchange rate too. Guess I'll stick with my EPIK job and ride out the recession. Thought it would have been over by now. Oh well. Couple more years at this pace. Hopefully things will return to normal.

that's enough.. trust me I know plenty of people where with only BA's teaching UNI'S..
send out your resume to EVERY UNI job...
last minute you will get hired...
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edwardcatflap



Joined: 22 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The only certificate that really gets good jobs is an MA TESL.


Not true I know people on 5 million base with just a CELTA and DELTA.
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eamo



Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

PostPosted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

edwardcatflap wrote:
Quote:
The only certificate that really gets good jobs is an MA TESL.


Not true I know people on 5 million base with just a CELTA and DELTA.


Of course there will be exceptions. .....But an MA TESL can get you primo positions in a SKY uni.
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