Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Good Will Riker]

This message from another Native English instructor who worked there was recently posted-up online:

"xxxx Academy in xxxx. Pocketed our pension. doesn't pay on time. doesn't get health insurance right away. Lies upon lies. Will show a pic of a two story apartment and put you in a box."

When this Native English instructor who worked there mentioned "our," you can bet that he wasn't referring to just him and his girlfriend working there, but all the teachers pension money were not paid into the National Pension each month that they worked there and they found out way too late when they resigned from their jobs.

This job is 6 hours away from where I presently live. The interview was only by phone. And, it's obvious the director had a hard time filling this position as it is in the way in the south boonies of South Korea.

I have spoken to this recruiter who wanted to fill this postion "FAST." The recruiter also sent me that same picture of the 2-story loft studio apartment (i.e. kitchen and bathroom downstair, and your bed upstairs in a small cozy place.). But, being put in a very cramped cheap apartment "box" doesn't sound too promising to me.

Is this par for the course for most "mom and pop hagwons" like this one which isn't part of a major chain like Avalon, Topia, POLY, etc. or is this how hagwons generally are like.

Should I go for it, or steer clear, based on what you have read. Especially the not paying into the pension part does put me off of working at this academy.

Knowing this much information, and my needing work right now, should I go for it. Or is this warning a good heed of words and a very good harbinger of what's to come in terms of "very shady and you are going to be royally screwed?"

Also, I believe the director of this school informed me that I can speak with one of the 7 Native English instructors who work at that school "only after I sign the contract," and not before.

The director also made some promise of wanting me "as a manager" at 3,000,000won ~ 4,000,000won per month in my phone interview with her, then told the recruiter over the phone 2.4 million, I got it up to 2.5 million. First on the phone, she said she wanted me as a manager for 3.0 mil ~ 4.0 mil, then does "a bait-and-switch" to 2.4 million and "the director will consider upping my salary after 3 months based upon my performance (Yeah, right...)," so I got her to up it to 2.5 mil. And reading that Facebook post does not bode too well for me.

She has 8 Native English instructors teaching 60 students at a prestigious academy (raking in the dough through the rich folks.)."

Why would I want to work for a shady person, who does not pay into the pension for the Native English instructors working under her, late pay, and procrastinate on getting you medican insurance?

Plus, this place is 6 hours away in the boonies of South Korea.

I need your opinions on this.

Would you go for it, or not, and why.


P.S. ~ This hagwon does not have an official website. No website at all.

Plus, when I called the recruiter if I can speak with any of the Native English instructors there, the director passed onto the recruiter to inform me that "all of the Native English teachers are on vacation, some of them abroad and cannot pick up the phone. Maybe if they do call back later in the afternoon, I can speak with them." Now, why would the director even bother to call these Native English instructors for my personal benefit in the first place. My big hunch over the phone speaking with this recruiter is that the director did not bother contacting the other Native English instructors and that I start on Monday. NO WAY. THERE IS NO TRUST AND NO TRANSPARENCY HERE AT ALL.

[le-paul]

Why are you even deliberating this?

[Lucas]

Take it.

The world economy will collapse within the next 4-6 months, you'll be willing to work for rice then!

[ghostrider]

Wow, you must be desperate to even consider working there.

[Good Will Riker]

I am a married Korean American expat in his 30's who lives in Gyeonggi-do, who has experience teaching in a one of the major hagwon chains full-time for 3.5 years and Business English teaching experience for 4.5 years.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education and a TESOL certificate (100 hours).

There is nothing that distinguishes me "head and shoulders above" other Korean American expat males who are actively searching for work.

After getting no callbacks to my resume submissions (There is a lot of competion between Native English instructors, Korean expats, female-prefered instructors, instructors in their 20's, master's degree holders, etc.), and going to about 40 locations near where I live passingout my resumes without any luck, I decided to bite the bullet "and grab this one," because the directors of the other schools are extremely nitpicky, get a flood of job resumes, and don't call you back even though you have all the experience, credentials, and references due to this being an employer market at the moment.

After 5 months of holding a few part-time English instructor jobs "sporadically," I decided to go for this one -- "a sure thing."

I only read that "Blacklist comment" after going through extensive interviews with this school in the deep south in the boonies of South Korea. ~

[Good Will Riker]

THIS IS HOW MY FELLOW-KOREAN AMERICAN EXPAT ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR FRIEND IN GYEONGGI-DO RESPONDED TO MY E-MAIL:


"Many of the 'blacklisted' hagwons are over minor issues and I'm sure the owners have a different story to tell. Just as long as you don't have high expectations and can live with the complaints, go for it."


IS THIS SOUND ADVICE, AND HOW HAGWONS ARE RELATIVELY LIKE PAR FOR THE COURSE?

BECAUSE, I HAVE BEEN MAINLY TEACHING BUSINESS ENGLISH FOR 4.5 YEARS, AND THE WAY THE MARKET IS RIGHT NOW, I NEED A FULL-TIME WORK NOW.

I NEED MORE OPINIONS, PLEASE.

[Kepler]

[Chaparrastique]

[Good Will Riker]

[Good Will Riker]

A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:


1.) I have my FBI CBC + apostille diploma from the United States in my possession here in Korea.

When I apply to the school, what are the exact necessary steps in what I need to submit to them, the number of photographs and all necessary steps.


2.) Can the FBI CBC + apostille diploma be transferable from "one province to another province" (i.e. Gyeonggi-do to Jellonamdo, and vice-versa.) after completing one teaching job and moving onto a newer one, or do I need to repeat this process all over again?

Would I have to re-submit them again when I start working at another hagwon or adult Business English academy when I am done with this one. Whether I decide to move on from here before or when the 12 month contract is up?

If I stayed in Korea the entire 12-months without leaving the country under this FBI CBC + apostille diploma, could I just re-use this to transfer to another school without going through the entire finger printing, ordering docs, contacting the US federal government process through the Internet all over again?


3.) I am not 100% trustworthy of any of the hagwon directors here in Korea keeping their promises to pay into my own national pension program (I pay 50%/They pay 50%.). Which government organization in Korea can I check-up on month-to-month to make sure the pension is being paid into legally under my name and that the director of the school is not pocketing it all? Is there an official way I can sign into this program, and even receive a verifiable official receipt or official certificate acknowledging I am a part of this National pension program?

[nicwr2002]

Does the contract state that he will pay into the pension and health insurance? If it does, then you can call and confirm that he is paying into it. Don't want until the end of the year.

This little bit though would be a deal breaker for me and shows that he is hiding something

[Chaparrastique]

[Troglodyte]

There was a lot of text there so I might have missed if you noted what type of visa you have. If you are on an F visa then you have a lot more options and someone an an E2 visa. Basically, you can walk away from it any time you want and get a new job.

If that's the case, then you might consider taking the job to have some income while you search for something better. If you intend to stick around for a while then you also have the possibility of forcing an ex-employer to pay up money owed. I wouldn't recommend that job for someone on an E2 visa because the risk is too great compared to potential gain.

As far as all hogwons being dishonest, I would have to disagree. I think that in general small business owners have a much higher tendency to be dishonest (to some degree) than larger businesses and most hogwons ARE small businesses. From my experience and from what I've heard from other teachers that I've met, I would guess that the average hogwon isn't going to shaft you. On forums you tend to hear more about the bad experiences because people don't feel a need to report in that everything is going well. I think that a key to weeding out bad schools is to do a bit of background checking before taking a job. Speak to former teachers Check how long the place has been open (6 month? 6 year?). Check if they are expanding. If the place is doing well financially then the boss is much less likely try to cheat you.

[Sesame]

"She has 8 Native English instructors teaching 60 students at a prestigious academy (raking in the dough through the rich folks.)."

Did anyone else catch this? Uhh, if she truly does have 8 NETs on board she definitely IS not raking in the dough. She is in the BLACK.

A little math here would be applicable.

If each NET is getting paid 2.2 and you 2.5 that is 20.1 million in overhead ALONE. You said there's 60 students, that means she would have to be charging then 335,000k won a month in tuition (lol that's not happening) JUST TO COVER THE TEACHERS SALARIES.

Either you misheard your recruiter or that boss when they mentioned the amount of students at the school, or, and most likely, they're lying.

[bossface]