Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Illysook]

Someone accidently spilled the beans a little early, so I know that I will be fired tomorrow. I work for one of the larger chains and upon my arrival, it felt like no one really cared if I succeeded or not and I was right.

I do feel bad and I'm embarrassed. It certainly won't look good on my resume. However, I've got to face reality and find a new job. Are schools like mine good about giving people release letters?

[Skippy]

depends - How long have you been there.? Why are you being fired? Is the boss/owner an jerk? I think very few schools will cooperate. My advice is to try and do something to sweeten the pot of going.

[Illysook]

I've been there 3 months. It's just a bad fit. The split shifts have turned me into a zombie and I haven't been able to perform as expected. I've also found that I preferred working with children. Adults don't hug, sing, play games, or do anything else really fun...unless you count critical thinking and talking about current events but I can do those things with my friends!

[rainism]

[Stan Rogers]

[rainism]

[Mr Lee's Monkey]

Sorry for the stupid comments - I felt a big ouch for you when I read the "why did you take it if you knew your preferences" crack. It seems to be lost on some posters here that nobody knows it all and some among us are trying new and different things for our own reasons. You tried it and it didn't work out, that's all. Cut yourself a break, don't feel embarrassed, and remember you might be able to say the right thing at the right time to someone else who really needs to hear it because you've had this experience. It doesn't say much for the company that they had so little interest in your success. A big company that has cut you loose has nothing to gain by not providing an LOR - I don't think anyone can tell you with certainty whether you'll get one. Ask for one tomorrow when they make it official. Sincere best wishes. You're gonna be rested and happy in a new job before long!

[AsiaESLbound]

I too have seriously considered an adult job to work with more interesting topics than phonics and ABC's such as business, current events, and the sciences, but I can't fathom why those schools don't have 2 shifts of teachers because I'd get really tired having to be at the office by 6:30am to teach 4 hours and then return from 5pm to 9pm before finally going out to eat and drink after work along with weddings, funerals, and other functions on the weekends. Not only is being well versed with well thought out lesson plans on current events, business processes, and economics critically important, your attitude and involvement with outside social functions by invitations in such a job are critically important to be successful. I'd need to use every bit of that break between the split shifts to prepare and I'd just be too exhausted to feel and perform well. Anybody would be too exhausted to perform well enough in that case so it's an unrealistic expectation on the adult hagwons part. The split shift job where you work from 10am to 12pm and then from 4pm to 8pm is a little more feasible, but still a 10 to 12 hour work day not counting outside activities. I chalk it up to corporate greed why unrealistic expectations and schedules will continue to happen with disappointment of failures that is then always blamed on the adult English teacher experiencing burn out.

It is very possible for them to have a before lunch shift and an after lunch shift with companies (their clients) scheduling their employee English lessons on a staggered schedule throughout the day, but self entitled C level management greed drives unrealistic plans and expectations in too many business situations. Despite the obvious serious underlying problems, very few of these jobs are advertised due to how many people will accept such harsh conditions in order to wear a suit in a clean quiet professional office setting and possibly work in a capacity that relates to their degree and ambitions. These issues need to be considered and addressed when we are applying for these jobs by tactfully discussing them during interviewing and on the job through tactful, but direct communication. Sorry OP you fell into this trap by expecting them to be professional enough through experience to have realistic expectations to start with.

[rainism]

[Illysook]

I've learned not to take snarky comments on Dave's personally, so all is forgiven. The truth is that I thought adults would be motivated learners. Some of them are, but others just pay for classes and don't show up. I guess it's sorta like buying a gym membership to them.

Anyway, I will have my letter of release and I won't have to get up before God in the morning, so I'm good.

[Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida]

Split shifts are dire.

[koreatimes]

Split Shift A - 3 classes in morning, 3 in afternoon or evening
Split Shift B - 2 in morning, 2 in afternoon, 2 in evening
Block Shift - usually afternoon and evening, sometimes morning (unless at public school)

I would do 2 A's depending on the location of the school relative to the apartment and only 1 B.

[Illysook]

For only 8 more days, I have type B. I am choosing to leave at the end of this month. After all, why stick around where I'm not wanted?

[The Floating World]

[rainism]