Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TheFoodie]

In the good ole days, Dave's Korea board was littered with requests for advice on executing a midnight run. Nowadays, all I see are stories about getting fired. Hell's bells, this is a change. What gives?

[tardisrider]

You're fired. Get out.

[J Rock]

Times are a changing, back in the good old days when I started '06 I had to contact one recuiter and he lined me up with a job that I started 1.5 months later. I had to be at the school maybe 6 hours a day tops, boss never bothered me, and I was never cheated on money.

Now it seems like people are contacting 20 recuitrs, multiple interviews, have to get Glamour Shots taken to send to the school, working hours of 9:00AM-7:00PM and are being cheated out of money.

I have to say it's mostly the economy but a little part of me thinks the caliber of teachers who apply is now lower. I had to interview a couple prospective teachers for our school the other day and the first was a kid straight out of college and he actually told me "uh this sucks so bad, I can't find a job anywhere so I guess I have to do this."

The next guy was maybe mid thirties and he sounded good at first but then hit me with this, "dude I'm just looking for a chill job where Idont haver to do too much work. I just want to hangout at work then party on the weekends."

I just couldn't believe these guys were speaking to me like this during an interview. Maybe they felt comfortable because I'm not a native Korean but maybe they were just complete morons.

I'm thinking about changing professions, I'm going to be a life coach and teach these idiots how not to screw up a job interview!

[Airborne9]

Maybe the reason why people aren�t posting about it as much is because if they do a Google search on it they will find the old threads with all the information?

[ttompatz]

Personally, I think the reason is a matter of supply and demand.

Yes, there are as many morons now as then but back before the crash of 2008 it was difficult to find a replacement and if your school was less than great it could take months to find someone who didn't google (and be scared off) and/or would be willing to work for you.

Now, even places like Wonderland, SLP and CDI, can fire someone on Friday and pretty much have a replacement the following week.

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[[email protected]]

I blame the economy both in the US and Korea.

Back in 2008 I was looking to teach in Korea. As soon as I started looking I was flooded with calls from schools practically begging me to come to Korea. Backed out due to "family stuff".

Now that I'm looking again I can't even get anyone to return my phone calls. Have all my docs but just get a few inquiries from a few recruiters.

[creeper1]

Stick at it Newbies. It may be a little hard right now but Korea is the best place in Asia, nay the world, to TEFL.

Two fairly recent quotes for long term posters

Captain Korea "I find it relatively easy to make 6 million won a month"

T-J " I stay in Korea because of the almost unlimited earning potential"

If you want to bank serious amounts of money and live an incredible lifestyle, choose Korea.

[World Traveler]

Really? Then why did you leave Korea to go to China? And why are you posting from China on the Korea board to try to convince people to go to Korea rather than China?

TJ and CC have Korean wives and thus the F visa. That is a HUGE advantage. The F visa = boatloads of money. Also, TJ owns a hagwon. How many n00bs have the startup capital and requisite visa to open their own hagwon?

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I'd say it is because of the economy back home. When I first arrived, 2003, foreigners would just do midnight runs all the time. I remember one time a guy called my friend,

Dude: "F�ck it man, I'm gone."
Friend: "What?"
Dude: "I'm at the airport. I've had enough of this shit. I'm on a flight to Thailand."
Friend: "Okay man, good luck."

And that was it.

Now people are scared to quit, or be fired it seems.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Chaucer]

[tremault]

[creeper1]

[World Traveler]

Yeah, 6-7 million a month is possible IF you have the F visa (and call me crazy, but I'm not going to marry a Korean woman just to get the good visa). Ask anyone: illegal work is getting harder and harder to get these days. Why? The penalties for companies who hire illegal workers have increased. (Now, it's not just a slap on the wrist; they could lose their business licence.) This is a boon for the f visa dudes (simple supply and demand). Permanent university jobs are becoming way harder to get (around which business classes can be organized), and universities in general prefer hiring f visa holders (also, females). So for the average Joe, making good money in Korea is a long, uphill struggle. The f-6ers have to work at it too, sure...but they have a MASSIVE advantage.

[World Traveler]

PS- creeper: that 6-7 mil is not from privates. It is the total of uni + business English + any other part time jobs (jobs that can only be obtained with the f visa).