Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ajstew]

So you've got kids and are married to a Korean. You know that with your current uni salary that if you really want to make a life and a future for your family, that simply getting by with an ordinary salary is not enough. Also, since you are married to a Korean, part-time work is easy to get.

Now the university requires you to only teach about 10 hours a week in a nicely blocked schedule, which opens up large portions of your days for potential part-time hours. But... uni policy states that you must not take on the outside work.

[TheUrbanMyth]

My two cents (since you did ask for our opinions).

I'm feeling in a rather Zen mood today so I will answer your question with another question.

Would you be okay with it if the university were to arbitrarily disregard your contract and any related policy...just because they could?

[edwardcatflap]

The obvious answer would be to try and get a job somewhere where they allow you to do extra work. From what I've heard there are plenty of universities that do this or offer overtime at their organisation. In my experience there's a possibility someone could rat on you for doing extra work not sanctioned by the university, as, whatever it is, at some stage there'll be a student who knows someone who knows someone at your university etc.. and they will grass you up. I've seen it happen. There's also the question of tax evasion if you're working on the sly for cash, which is obviously illegal and morally dubious. What does your wife think about it?

[ajstew]

"The obvious answer would be to try and get a job somewhere where they allow you to do extra work. From what I've heard there are plenty of universities that do this or offer overtime at their organisation."

I'm pretty sure you can request to work outside of the university for a limited number of hours at specific locations for probably 4 hours a week. I totally would understand E-2 visa holders jumping through that specific hoop of asking since the university is their sponser. I feel not so obligated with my wife being mine. The uni does offer some overtime possiblities too, but I don't do it for two reasons 1) it is poor value for the hour, and 2) it is paid at the end of the semester in a lump sum.

"In my experience there's a possibility someone could rat on you for doing extra work not sanctioned by the university, as, whatever it is, at some stage there'll be a student who knows someone who knows someone at your university etc.. and they will grass you up. I've seen it happen."

It seems you're thinking of some kind of private tutoring of university students which isn't what I meant by part-time work.

"There's also the question of tax evasion if you're working on the sly for cash, which is obviously illegal and morally dubious. What does your wife think about it?"

Again, seems you think this is some kind of cash handover work. My part-time work is all done legally and all of the taxes are paid. As for what my wife thinks, we both agree that with three kids and a single income, that there is a great opportunity to make the kind of money that you really need to have a family in Korea. If we were earning the same as Korean profs, I wouldn't feel that need to work outside.

Also, I'm saving now to open a business. For those of you who wouldn't work outside of the uni, would you feel that having a business on the side (even if you don't work there yourself) is breaking the rules too?

[chrisblank]

I discussed it with the uni hiring committee during my interview. I explained that i do some work outside school and had been doing so for years. I went on to explain that it had not affected my work at my previous job.

They said it was fine so long as it was not with another university. My boss even helps by making the schedule to accommodate my "other" schedule.

Probably best to be up-front about it.

[edwardcatflap]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

Work in another part of town.

[Zyzyfer]

[soomin]

Definitely talk to the university about it. Don't do things behind their back because if they did find out, it would be bad, and if they didn't, you'd still be worried all the time.

E-2 holders can work for another educational facility with a written letter of consent and some extra paperwork done at immi. Since you're married you should have an F visa, so the only thing would be to run it by your superiors. I doubt they would care as long as it wasn't another uni, like zyzyfer said.

[FDNY]

I have an F-2 visa and a family to support and a retirement to save for. To me this is a stupid question. Unless you maximize your earnings before you retire you WILL be in a lot of trouble. I have three jobs. A work-at-home sales job in the morning, an afterschool position in the afternoon and 3 hours of privates in the evening. If any one of these jobs told me to quit the other two I would laugh in their faces. With an F-2 decent jobs are a dime a dozen. My daughter just started kindergarten. The first thing the school owner asks if I can teach for her. I told her flat out if I did that it would be 60,000KRW for 50 minutes. Haha, absolutely no problem. Unfortunately, for her, she is on my waiting list. (currently about 3-6 months for new students)

But like other people said here. This isn\'t playtime. People have families to support. Employers know this.

[edwardcatflap]

[ajstew]

[PatrickGHBusan]

First of all, IF your University contract forbibs working outside the University then they could terminate your employment if they find out and you would have nothing to say about it.

Second, typically at a University you can get overtime or extra classes but you stated those pay to little at your particular institution.

Third, it appears you ARE working somewhere else already while working for the University so why ask about it in this thread? Your decision is made and you are doing it so I fail to see the intent of the thread. Sorry.

Fourth, the retirement issue. There is a lot of missunderstanding when discussing retirement. If a person wishes to completely stop working when hey retire (not very easy to do considering how expensive retirement is and how LONG it can be considering people live longer and longer now) then they need a huge amount of investments. If however, like lots of people, you intend to keep working, possibly at a reduced rate, when you are older, your investment perspectives change. I for one will not stop working simply because I cannot see myself doing nothing and basically wasting away. I will work less and focus on consulting for example.

Fifth, as a father of 3 in Korea, you will need money as raising a family with 3 kids is expensive in most developped countries. Up to you to decide how you earn what you need to earn.

Sixth, you are not paid the same as a Korean professor because likely you are not a full-fledged professor on tenure-track with the same qualifications....

Good luck anyway.

PS While I was working for a University in Korea (early 2000s to 2008) I started a consulting agency. I was on a F-visa and my contract had no "double employement" clause. I simply went to my supervisor and discussed my intent with him beforehand out of professional courtesy. I stayed at the University and managed my consulting agency until we left Korea in 2008.

[edwardcatflap]

[PatrickGHBusan]