Korean Job Discussion Forums

[haleydawn333]

I currently find myself in a bit of a precarious situation and thought I'd see if any of you have suggestions. At the very least, this might serve as a helpful notice to other people that are researching this company for potential employment.

To make (or attempt to make) a long story short...

After beginning the application process ages ago, and with the assistance of a recruiting company, on December 9th I signed a one year contract to teach kindergarten at Bambini Institute (a Montessori style school in Seoul). The contract began on March 1st, but because of a huge delay in receiving my visa issuance number, I was only going to arrive on March 2nd. All this time I was led to believe that these types of delays are par for the course and that my school was well aware of the delays, etc. After quitting both my jobs, packing up my life, cancelling my local insurance, etc, etc...I receive a call from my recruiter on February 26th telling me that Bambini has decided not to hire me. I thought it was all a bad joke, as I have had a signed contract for months now! He claimed that Bambini had called him that day and because they were not able to fill the class the way they anticipated, and because I would be a day late, that they had decided not to take me on. Confusion and hysterics obviously ensued.

My recruiters assure me that the director of the school is �very regretful� for causing me any inconvenience, but he insisted that there was nothing that either of us could really do. Truly comforting isn�t it? Obviously anybody who has made an international move can understand that the term �inconvenience� is almost insulting. They also maintain that they are working hard to find me a new position, but I find it hard to get motivated or excited about going through it all again.

So...I am now at a complete loss of how to proceed. I can�t fathom how it can be so easy to breach their end of the contract. Is a signed contract not a legally binding document? The idea of appealing to the Korean Labour Board from Canada seems like it would in no way be worth my while, and to what end? I don�t want to work for a company that has proven to be so unprofessional and disrespectful. That being said, I still want to go to Korea as soon as possible. Do I just begin the process all over?

Sorry for the wordiness, this is just new territory for me.

[lifeinkorea]

[winaniw]

Haleydawn, was the Bambini Institute in Mok-dong?

[Troglodyte]

It's par for the course. Sorry that it happened to you.

Start sending out your applications again.

[Chris.Quigley]

One of the first things they teach you in business school communications classes in North America is not to use the word "inconvenience."

This is not an inconvenience... It's downright devastating. They probably didn't intend you offend you, but choosing their words more wisely couldn't have hurt.

Sadly, they are right... There is nothing you/they can do now.

Just start looking for a new job OP. Change recruiters though... they don't deserve your business.

What really sucks is that you start your adventure to Korea much like I did, with a sour feeling in your stomach... My recruiter screwed up my whole visa package by telling me to do things that I didn't need to do causing me to have to do it all over again costing me around $200 and wasting several hours of my time. They also used the same words "sorry for the inconvenience." Then they blamed me for it and skirted all responsibility... I was one breathe away from just saying "are Koreans all this incompetent...? I am done... I am staying in Canada.... insert swear words here." The second time around, I didn't listen to anything they said, I went online and did all my own research (something I should have done from the beginning, but because they claimed to have experience, I foolishly trusted them.)

[haleydawn333]

Sorry for the late reply! Was away for the holidays.

The Bambini that I had originally signed on with was in an area called Seocho in Seoul. Not too far from Gangnam....I think. This is the link to their website:

http://seocho.bambini.co.kr/campus/index.asp?HAWDATE=seocho

I appreciate everyones insights on this topic. I was eventually able to get a different contract....and after 6 months that school closed down and I was sent packing back to Canada. Kind of a feeling like a walking clich� at this point. :s

I am still here in Canada and am heading back to Korea in February with a new recruiter/contract/school/, etc. Wish me luck!

[reeldeal]

Oh no, I am about to be connected to Bambini in Seochi thru a recruiter! Sounds like I might want to steer clear of them tho. OP, was your recruiter called SeoulESL? Should I ditch the recruiter too? No matter to me cause I have time and energy to find decent ones to work with.

[cheolsu]

I worked with SeoulESL for about four months from October 2009 to February 2010. The best they could do for me in those four months was a winter camp position and two hagwon positions that fell through, after which they held onto my documents for so long that the new recruiter I used had to call to get them back. Be careful.

[reeldeal]

thanx for the warning - i will proceed cautiously!