Korean Job Discussion Forums

[meghall17]

Okay, has anyone ever worked at a hagwon and actually liked it? There is a LOT more negatives than positives and I'm really re-considering teaching in South Korea at all.

If anyone has a reputable school that they are currently teaching at and enjoy, please let me know.

[takethree]

First thing to do is remind yourself that Dave's is one website, with a limited number of people on it. Don't base your whole decision on its limited (though sometimes useful) viewpoint.

Next, ask yourself why you want to come.

Is it because you don't have work and you think Korea would be an easy way to get some extra cash? If so, don't bother. You'll probably wind up unhappy.

Or is it because you have an interest in adventure (and EFL teaching even better) and are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to adjust to a majorly different culture and language? Then by all means, give it a shot.

But be honest with yourself. Korea has a ton to offer and can be a blast, but it will chew you up if you aren't ready for it.

If you still have the drive, then try to remember:

1) Don't try to find a "good" hagwon. First of all, if you're just starting out, there's almost no way will you be applying to specific hagwons, especially if you're not in Korea yet. You will apply to a recruiter.

2) TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO YOUR RESEARCH. This includes having all your documents in order BEFORE you apply, having a good photo, applying to many different recruiters, researching common hagwon contracts, considering multiple offers, talking to current/departing teachers at a hagwon, and then running all of it through a smell test. If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS.

3) Set realistic expectations. Korea is not the promised land of EFL it once was. Average starting hagwon benefits are 2.1mil salary, one-way airfare, unlikely NHIC and pension, small studio apartment, 10 days vacation (usually 5 summer 5 winter), all holidays, 30 teaching hours/wk (not including prep/breaks/random shit your hagwon boss asks you to do). Of course this depends on location and other factors, but that's a decent baseline of the current market.

This may not sound very inviting, but the truth is if you come in prepared, with an open mind, and with the right expectations, you will have a great time. This is how people succeed in new places, not just in Korea.

Dave's is a great resource for certain things and a pit of despair for others. Use it mainly for the process details (contracts, labor law, recruitment process, etc) and take everything else with a grain of salt.

[bmaw01]

[Aine1979]

Lots of people like the hagwons they work at, but it's human nature to complain about a bad experience rather than praise a good experience.

All the foreign teachers at my hagwon are in their second year there, which says a lot. I really enjoy working there, we always get paid on time, get one to two hours for lunch break every day, get all national holidays off including the new substitute days, and summer and winter vacation is always Mon-Fri giving you 9 days plus weekends. They've been really decent about giving extra (paid) time off when people have asked for it, gave my parents an apartment to use when they came to visit last year, and are understanding about time off to go to the dentist/doctor etc.

We also get a reasonable amount of input into books, and are able to change them when we feel they're not suitable, or if there's a book we're really keen to teach. Is it perfect? Not at all, it can be mighty frustrating at times, but i think that goes for all workplaces everywhere.