Korean Job Discussion Forums

takwndogirl · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Location: Seattle, WA

Hey there,
So I am looking to work in Korea in 2012. I spent a year teaching in Seoul in 2008-2009. I was fresh out of college and I got paid 2.4mill.

After Korea, I went back to school and got my Masters in Teaching from a respectable school. By the time I go back to Korea, I'll be certified in K-8, ELL (English as a Second Language), Middle School Math, and Special Education. I will be going back with my boyfriend. Right now, we are only planning to go to Korea for a year and all the decent international schools have 2 year contracts, thus hello hagwons! I had a wonderful experience teaching kindy/elem in a hagwon before and I want to teach more than just conversation English.

I think I'm worth 2.6-2.8 with my credentials, experience, and based off my prior Korea pay; is that reasonable?
Or rather, even if it is reasonable, will anyone pay me that much outside an international school; when I look at a lot of the pay scales (eg EPIK), I would only make 2.3-2.4 which is what I made before grad school and teaching certification.

politica · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Location: Suwon-si

I don't know why anyone with a teaching credential would work in a hagwon.

takwndogirl · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Location: Seattle, WA

I'm thinking of a hagwon because I'm not Korean thus I can't get a F-4 visa and tutor legally. I want a 1 year contract. From what I hear about most public schools, I'd only get to teach verbal English. I want to teach all subjects. I don't mind teaching Kindergarten.
I'm open to sugestions.

mmstyle · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Location: wherever

Are you set on Korea? Are you willing to consider other countries? You might make more money elsewhere and have a better chance at teaching what you want. PS school gigs are very limited in what you teach, and you are rarely (if ever) treated like a real teacher (and this seems to lead to enormous frustration amongst certified teachers I have spoken to and worked with here).

takwndogirl · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Location: Seattle, WA

I'm open to pretty much anywhere; however the boyfriend is pretty set on Korea. He will have a BA and BS in non-education fields and he's never taught. Plus, he enjoyed visiting me while I worked in Korea in 2009.

I've talked to him about China, but he seems to really like the idea of going to Korea.

wishfullthinkng · Joined: 05 Mar 2010

not to be negative nancy but have you guys thought about teaching in two different areas? i've seen personally and heard about even more relationships crumble here when people come to teach together.

for example if one of you taught in seoul and the other in beijing you'd only be a two and a half hour flight from each other and it would help you to branch out and make friends and learn from immersion instead of having to lean on each other all the time (which is why most of the relationships fail).

jamesd · Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Location: Korea

You're worth whatever you can negotiate.

happiness · Joined: 04 Sep 2010

cincynate · Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Location: Jeju-do, South Korea

At a hagwon you are worth the same whether you have a bs in basketweaving or a PhD in education and have held teaching positions at Harvard, Yale, and.. i don't know.. some famous schools not in the west.

You can get 1 year deals at universities that will pay and respect you more.

happiness · Joined: 04 Sep 2010

ontheway

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:45 am Post subject:

With Hakwons you are worth what you can negociate (as was stated earlier in the thread). What you can negociate in turn depends on what you bring to the table.

With your qualifications, you could try a University position but applying from overseas puts you at a severe disadvantage.

You could try international schools, as they pay better and you teach american style curriculum.

Back to Hakwons...if that is your choice, you need to do your research and try to target those hakwons who value what you have to offer. However, note that your MA may not be worth much for a Hakwon.

Your experience in Korea (1year) is dated and unless it is referenced somehow it may not get you that much.

So bascially, if your start dates are flexible, why not target international schools?

metalhead · Joined: 18 May 2010 Location: Toilet

International schools or China; I have a buddy in Suzhou (great city btw) that landed a high-paying job merely with an education degree, teaching Chinese kids basic maths in English and, uh, English that is raking in good money, slightly more than 2.3 million won a month, with all the perks of Korea (free apartment AND does not have to pay for bills or Internet, granted Chinese Internet is horrid) - but factor in the low cost of living, friendlier people, better food, more polite students et al and China is probably your best bet.

That said, China is great and all (pun intended), but can wear you down as quick as Korea can, albeit for different reasons. You would get more respect there though for your qualifications and all, in general.

takwndogirl · Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Location: Seattle, WA

oldtrafford · Joined: 12 Jan 2011

We've been together 5 years including when I was in Korea before. We both definitely would have our own lives since we would probably not work in the same place and we wouldn't live together. But the not so distant relationship is something to think about. I think another reason the bf wants to go back to Korea is that he took a few Korean classes in preparation. I would like to go back because I have a number of friends who are still there, I found a church I really liked, and I personally love Korean culture (probably due to the fact I've been imbedded in it via TaeKwonDo for 14 years).

Korean culture = man is the sky, woman is ground!! On a personal note I love it. Laughing