Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BananaBan]

About me:

-Recent grad
-Did not major in English or Education
-No teaching experience or cert.
-Wants a location in Seoul

Most job openings for people like me seem to not have pension as a benefit, so i assume this of course means that in addition to not getting employer pension contribution, i will also be taxed higher (3.3%).

It seems the good stuff for Seoul headed individuals is reserved for those with experience and/or teaching experience.

I figure i will loose out about 160$/month. I am not desperate for money, but of course, more money is always good and i do have a student loan to pay off (around 30k).

So 2 questions remain:

#1.What are the chances of people like me getting hired as an "employee" (pension, national health, lower tax etc) in Seoul?

#2. Should i settle for less? And if so, by how much? Keep in mind that for people hired as contractors, return airfare and severance are not guaranteed (or so i have heard)

[ttompatz]

Two words for you...

DUE DILIGENCE.

If you accept crap then you get what you agreed to.

If you don't, you won't.

Check it out before you sign on the dotted line.

If you don't like what you are offered, look elsewhere.

Newbies with nothing to offer do not get offered the better jobs.

You are going to have to cut your teeth somewhere and hagwans are the McDs of the EFL world.

.

[northway]

The location in Seoul is what's going to kill you. Look in cities like Bundang, Ilsan, Anyang, Bucheon, and Gwacheon and you'll be able to find a decent job and be just outside the city. I live about thirty minutes from Seoul on the train, yet I'm closer to a lot of places in Seoul via public transportation than a lot of people who live in Seoul. Living near a subway station on a central line (like Line 4) will do you better than living ten or fifteen minutes from the train in a crappy part of Seoul. I also tend to recommend the satellite cities for newbs due to the fact that it's generally easier to make foreign friends than it is in Seoul.