Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jackhammer96]

Can you trust all recruiters from the job boards on this site?
Just wondering cause I'm reading an employment contract from a recruiter on this websites Job board, that refers to the employee as the "instructor", and not simply the "employee".
The opening sentence of the contract states:
"The following contract is an employment contract between ___________ to be referred to as the "Instructor" and {name of school}.". The rest of the contract just refers to me as the "instructor".

[Blanca]

Not sure if serious...

But if you are, the last thing you should worry about is being called an "instructor". For that is what you will be, won't you? Even then, Korean contracts are not the be all and end all as they are in our countries. They're more of an agreement; far less formal than we're used to.

No recruiter is trustworthy. They'd sell their own granny to make a fast buck. But there are some better than others. I always heard to avoid Korean recruiters (although I'm not sure why they're so much worse), and stick to ones based in your home country. I went with Say Kimchi and they were alright - landed me a half-decent hagwon in Ulsan whilst telling me I had no chance of a job in Seoul, where I really wanted to be (Ulsan turned out to be wicked though). Just use your brain, take any claims they make with a pinch of salt and whatever you get offered, CHECK WITH A CURRENT OR FORMER TEACHER. If they can't put you in contact with one, move on.

[maximmm]

[ttompatz]

It's not the recruiter, it is the employer and what it means is that you will NOT be an employee (illegal but common) and you also WON'T, in spite of what the contract may or may not say, get NHIC medical or NPS pension benefits.

It also means that the taxes (3.3% rather than 1.7%) are your hassle to file each year and the tax bite for your ignorance about filing is your problem.

Don't take it.

.

[Troglodyte]

[Scorpion]

[Skippy]

[Troglodyte]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Simple rule: Recuiters (like ttom said) are gateways to jobs.


Expect anything more from them and it is your mistake.


Use them for the service they are and you can benefit

[YTMND]

[young_clinton]

Of course you can't trust all the job postings from schools or recruiters on this board. How would you regulate the people who post on here? Let the buyer beware.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Jackhammer96]

Ok thanks everyone. I am after telling the recruiter that I wasn't happy with the contract the/she had given me, and that I wouldn't sign it unless they were to change it. Now the recruiter says that I can change it if I want. So I am going to ask the recruiter, to ask the employer, to change a few things. If anyone wants to look at my contract, I posted it in the Contract Review Thread. Skippy has already suggested some changes to it (thanks Skippy!).

Does anyone have any advice in regards to what to change?

Is there anyway certain changes should be phrased?

Even if the employer does make changes, will he/she still be trustworthy?

one of the things I worry about, is that he might ask me to send out my visa documents along with the contract, but then request that I fill out a different contract, as a way of locking me into the job.

I have been in contact with an employee at the school, who's job I am supposed to be replacing. He is basically the one looking for a replacement, which I am a little confused by, as he is the employee. I have a funny feeling he is stuck in a renewable contract, in which he cant get out of unless he finds the replacement. The contract it self states that the employee has to do this. He has been telling me that it's a small hagwon that is very laid back. He seems to have enjoyed working there anyway, although he could be just trying to advertise the job.

[Steelrails]

Recruiters are like a box of Russell Stover's chocolates. While you may get the odd good piece, you know most of them are going to suck.

[Troglodyte]