Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gaspar]

There isn't much discussion on the SAT academies in Seoul. Can anyone share their experiences from places like Steven Academy, Andy Prep, Sehan Academy, etc.
What made is a good job? What would you like to see changed?

[jack_b57]

[coetivy89]

I think these jobs generally only go to gyopos. One of the schools made me an offer (they were only looking for graduates of top 20 schools on the US News & World Report, if you see that as a red flag�luckily, I went to one), but they weren't willing to pay for housing. Their ad specified F4 visa holders, which I hadn't noticed when I applied. If you're not a gyopo, I would be wary. Some of these places will try to issue you an E2 visa if they can, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal, and I have read about immigration conducting regular checks for E2 visa holders illegally teaching test prep at these schools.

[gaspar]

[coetivy89]

I think the E2 visa is specifically for native English speakers teaching English, so technically you should not be able to get an E2 visa to teach anything else. However, some private schools are in both the test prep and English instruction business, so under their business license they can sponsor an E2 visa (whereas a test prep academy that doesn't also teach English cannot).

I'd rather not say where I went to school, but it's always been in the top 10. That's all these schools are really looking for. My impression is that they want to advertise your pedigree to attract students. They will work you incredibly long hours (especially during the Korean students' summer break), and they're upfront about this.

The lowest base salary is comparable to the best English teaching jobs you can find, and generally there's a big bonus upon the completion of a year. However, considering the benefits offered by most schools hiring English teachers, such as free housing and a community of other similar teachers (if, as I'm assuming, you are not already in Korea and adapted to life there), I'm not sure that there's much of an incentive to choose test prep over teaching regular old English at a good school. I didn't.

Hope that helps. You might also try asking a good Korean recruiter who is already in the location you're interested in to tell you about the schools you mentioned or teaching test prep in general. Some of them are really knowledgeable and helpful.

[fustiancorduroy]

Most SAT-prep academies do prefer gyopos, that's true. They don't want to sponsor visas and they want employees who understand Korean culture and (ideally) speak Korean well enough to talk with parents. And they do prefer graduates from top-ranked American universities for the reason mentioned by coetivy89. But if you're not a gyopo and have a lot of relevant teaching experience and a degree from a top-100 university, then you still stand a good chance of being hired by one of these academies.

The main draw of these jobs is the pay. Expect at least 40,000 per one hour class. This can add up to a lot of money, especially during the summer and winter intensives. I have one friend who makes over 10 million won a month during these times. You also get to teach intelligent, motivated students more difficult and interesting subject material than you would at most teaching jobs. You'll have to explain the nuances of a complex reading passage or the best ways to organize a response for the essay section. Teaching your students effectively enables them to reach their academic dreams. To me, this is the most rewarding aspect of teaching test prep.

That's not to say everything is good. For one, you generally do not have a close-knit group of coworkers to socialize with inside and outside work, as most of the teachers have been living in Korea for some time. This can be difficult if you do not have many friends and have not acclimated yourself to life in Korea. Also, you get little or no assistance with finding housing. Unless you know the city well, and preferably understand housing laws and speak decent Korean, finding your own place can be a challenge. You also have to keep in mind that the work environment in these academies is at times chaotic and disorganized and always high pressure, as you're always expected to produce tangible results, sometimes without enough time to adequately prepare students. And while the pay during the intensives can be astoundingly high, during the rest of the year it is not. You may only teach 70 hours a month for most of the year, earning only 2.8 million a month, which isn't too special.

Overall, I suggest teaching test prep only after you have been in Korea for a year or longer. By that point, you will be more settled and have a better understanding of the city and culture. Also consider teaching at an academy that also offers TOEFL courses, as this will allow you to have a more consistent number of teaching hours throughout the year. As you gain more experience and become more popular with students, you can command higher and higher salaries. Eventually you can easily earn more than 100 million won a year (assuming, of course, that you intend to spend many years teaching in Korea).

[ttompatz]

[edwardcatflap]