Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

So, my split-shift gig is near a university. This means a few things:
1.) Stupid noisy living conditions, not just asstard drunk neighbors but also asstard drunks shouting in the streets until all hours.
2.) Real-estate prices are inflated to gouge students.
3.) General building quality is low because students trash everything.

Now being a split-shift gig I am expected to work until 9pm and head straight home to sleep so I can wake up bright and chipper for the 6am class the next day. I can manage to do this if I can sleep but lately that's become a problem.

I told my academy last month they have two options:
1.) Change my room.
2.) Change my schedule.
Or... I will quit. Eezy peezy.

They changed my schedule because that was easier apparently. Now, one of the senior sales staff is complaining that he has 4 students who want me up at the asscrack of dawn to stare into their rarely present hungover faces.

This senior sales guy makes at least 7 million a month. He is the only senior sales guy remaining, everybody is else is a part-timer cold-calling telemarketer style and lucky to make 500,000. But the sole remaining senior sales guy is an oily 'yes' man with his nose up the director's arse, so...

So, they've agreed to change my room but they are dragging their feet about it. They expect me to work the early morning classes with the loud ass neighbors and the realtor knocking on my door all day when I'm trying to catch up on sleep from the night before lost to the steamy sounds of woori circle-jerk in the shower from next door. They want me to do this for a month until my present room sells.

I told them no way. I said I will pay the rental deposit (10 mil.) myself. Then they said they can only pay $400 of the $600 monthly rent. Then I said I won't teach those early classes until they change my room.

My real fear right now is that the old director will feel snubbed that I said I will pay the rental fee myself. I sense that he's probably an alright guy. We only see him three times a week... sort of a benevolent absentee dictator. But definitely old school and I may have caused him to 'lose face' with this situation. And, as a result, no one is going to help me with the new housing contract so I can get some sleep next month once all the asstards come back for university.

Anyway, they're turning a tidy profit from my classes nowadays and the students are loyal to me... not the academy. The academy gives us a room and paper (sometimes with the paper). Really, the academy's facilities are pretty atrocious considering the amount of money they make. I generate and distribute all the materials and maintain an active email list of my students. I use this list to distribute classroom materials, announce holidays, and so on.

I'm 95% certain that if I could move to a different school in the same area, that my students would follow me. And if I need to pay my own housing deposit plus additional rent out of pocket I'm thinking the academy I'm working for has just lost my loyalty.

What would you do?

[andrewchon]

I would get ear-plugs and a sleeping mask.

[chaz47]

[YTMND]

Nothing you have stated so far indicates it is a bad job, but just the living conditions are bad.

How long do you have in your contract? Is it possible to get a goshiwon? I know they are small, but I kinda liked the one I was at. It would be a cheap solution and you wouldn't need a security deposit and could come and go anytime.

[BackRow]

Its cute that you think you have some huge bargaining chip regarding student loyalty

[chaz47]

It's my second year with the school. Things are generally good, hence the second year. But I'm feeling a bit disrespected about this cheap-ass housing. I have stayed in goshiwons before and yeah... it would be preferable as at least they have the managers that monitor drunken students' noise level.

I think that adequate housing should be a basic tenet of employment here (it's in the contract anyway) and they will not fund it completely so I feel they're not holding up there end of the bargain. It's also especially hard to stomach knowing the disparity in sales commissions and the terrible facilities. I can accept paper rationing, but when we can't have a working computer and the greasy sales guy makes a minimum of 7 million a month (and brags about it) well... something is rotten in Denmark.

If I get the new room I'll likely finish the contract but come re-negotiation for a new year I'll definitely want more money for housing. Or the students that I've maintained and I will likely head down the street to a new venue.

[I-am-me]

It seems like the school is being reasonable. They offered to move you as soon as they find a new tenant. If this place bothered you, you had the chance to change it when you renewed your second yr. Now you come out of the blue with tantrums that you need to move yesterday. Work with them.

[chaz47]

Actually changing rooms mid-contract. A similar thing happened in my first year. Noisy neighbors moved in. Tissue thin walls. Five hours of sleep. This is my second room and I still have 5 months remaining on my second contract. The housing conditions near universities are simply not conducive to someone that has to wake up at 5AM.

But please if you feel like wasting your time trying to tell me I am wrong please go on, I will ignore them and pity your lack of better hobbies. However, if you have constructive opinions I will read them and appreciate your ideas.

[SeoulNate]

I think it is mostly just bad luck there man. I also have lived in/near uni areas for most of the last 4-5 years and have not had any problems with noise even though I have frequently lived next to uni students.

If you enjoy the job, I would just look for a new place to live, with better walls.

However, you are almost certainly going to have to pay more than 400k a month.

[fustiancorduroy]

[furtakk]

It's convenient living near work, but do yourself a favor and get yourself a place that is not tied to your workplace. Taking provided housing is always a gamble with really shitty odds.

400k is pretty standard for housing allowance unfortunately. However, if you put down 40-50mil for a deposit, you should be able to find something nice in that range.

If you only have 10 mil to spare, pay the extra 200 for now and try to work out a deal if and when you renew.

[chaz47]

Yeah, the past two years I lived in sub-standard converted housing or 'one-rooms' as the Koreans call it. I much prefer my father's term, "human storage". Hahaha. I loved the last place I lived in though. It is a model of efficiency, I think it only cost me $80 the whole winter to heat it (with an electric heater because the ondol was crap). It was the perfect amount of space for someone trying to live a minimal lifestyle. However, now that I'm in a space that's actually designed for residence again I'm noticing all the things I missed... good boiler, thick walls, security guard, etc. I definitely don't mind paying a bit out of pocket now that I'm here.

I still feel a bit let down by the shady accounting/asset management practices at my school though.

[sugahdaddy87]