Korean Job Discussion Forums

[piglet44]

Just interviewed with Woosong. The job, max 20 hours,could be split between the Uni, the college and the Language Institute (North, South and East Campus?) I am assuming this is a BAD THING?? Also no accommodation available on campus for couples, so it will be a key money apartment.. Hmmm Sounding complicated already.GOOD salary though including stipend and flight money on completion of contract. Any comments? Please advise. All Dave's posts are very very old, like pre 2012, so please don't tell me to do a forum search, believe me I have. I would really appreciate updated info from someone currently or recently employed. Thanks in advance!

[Coltronator]

It all depends on how far apart those 3 campuses are. If within 20 minutes of each other then no problem. But if one is in Gimpo and one in Suwon then you won't be able to locate where you live to efficiently get to all work sites.

[piglet44]

Ok thanks a lot, I will try and find out the answer to that...

[pmwhittier]

[piglet44]

I have done a bkacklist search there is nothing on it. also it is not kids only adults -teaching colllege students.

[Fuzzy_Dunlop]

The three campuses are within walking distance of one another.

You will be assigned to the college OR the university - not both. Though they both fall under the umbrella of the Woosong Educational Foundation, they are separate entities.

You may get classes in the language institute, but they are all adult classes (as far as I know). I think this is more likely for college teachers than uni teachers, but this may have changed.

A lot of teachers don't like the institute classes, but it seems to me that for many of them it is simply ego getting in the way ("I am a university PROFESSOR! I do NOT work at a HAKWON!"). I, on the other hand, found the institute classes (non-credit, no grades, no archiving or data entry at the end of the semester, more freedom in terms of content and delivery) a refreshing change, and a bit of a lighter workload to be honest.

Overall, working there was a positive experience for me. I have read some of the complaints on the 'net (maybe what pmwhittier is referring to) and most of them are unwarranted. With such a large staff, you're going to get a few people who just can't hack the responsibility of a professional workplace. Rather than genuinely reflect upon possible existing gaps in their professional practice, they blame others ("They made us SUBSTITUTE for teachers who were ill! The horror!"), and others are passing opinion off as fact ("I don't like teaching in the language center, so the job sucks").

The pay is good. The vacation is not as good as a lot of unis, but six weeks of paid vacation is still a lot better than a lot of people in the world get.

There have been some administrative changes recently and I can't really speak to what changes that may have brought about. However, most of the people I still know there are happy overall.

I don't know what the offer for key money is at the moment, but I know quite a few couples who worked there and got nice (relatively speaking) places with their key money. There will be a lot of people who can help you out with this. You'll be assigned a mentor when you start -and as a couple they usually try to give you another couple as your mentors as they will have already faced the same challenges you'll be facing. It's a good system and works pretty well.

[piglet44]

Thanks a lot for this Fuzzy, that pretty much sums up how I am seeing it right now. The (few) complaints I read sounded like they were totally unreasonable. So far the guy has responded very promptly to all my questions and seems to be straight and honest. The money sounds great for a max 20 hour week, although he says it may be split shifts depending on what department I get assigned to. He assured me that both Lang. Institute and College are adults only (housewives and businessmen?) or students, both acceptable to me. I am not worried if the students are weak/false beginners as he said, that's my job, I can teach weak students. His questions seemed to me professional and fair too.
Appreciate your input.

[tophatcat]

[pmwhittier]

http://blacklist.tokyojon.com/

9th one down. I don't know how you might have missed it, but I did the work for you. The others floating about the web are up to you to google.

I totally agree that some folks hate it, and some folks love it. I have been to their hagwon, so I know for a fact that some of the 'professors' spend some of their instructional time teaching kids. PHDs teaching kids. It happens. At Woosong.

The complaints I hear are more about constant managerial problems, rather than petty grumblings like covering classes. If your boss is horrible, then your work life will follow suit. Want to spend a year like that? Go ahead!

You asked for information, I gave it. Why not pick and choose the best parts of what you hear on Dave's and then form your opinion based on that. That's the Dave's way!

[sligo]

[piglet44]

No I didn't miss that one pmwhittier, but somehow the whiny tone didn't ring true. This uni employs about 100 FTs at any given time. Nobody else mentioned cameras anywhere, and the thing about not wearing jeans doesn't bother me, I think teachers should dress nicely to go to work. The thing about being asked to attend meetings and do office hours seems fine to me if I am being paid 3.7 mill and I am doing a serious job at a serious educational institution I know some "non real" teachers think they should only be coming to class and going home again but I am sure that in most jobs one is actually asked to do a bit more than that. Maybe I am being naive or over trusting but have not seen any other negative stuff on this place.

[piglet44]

Thanks Sligo job description is for "Assistant Professor" so that sounds not too bad. and salary for max 20 hours sounds on the High side, compared with practically every other ad I have seen. IT includes housing stipend (no digs for married couples available) and end of contract bonus in lieu of airfare.

[Scorpion]

Be very wary of "language institutes" on university campuses. I worked at the one at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. It was a nightmare! It was basically a hellish hagwon on steroids. Right up their with Wonderland! Your contract might say "Woosung University" at the top, but once you step foot in the "language institute" reality might come crashing down on you. Korea doesn't do transparency and honesty well. My advice is when you ask for the contact information of former / current teachers make sure you ask them about the institute.

Also, Woosung is ALWAYS hiring. That's usually a red flag. Maybe ask them why that is.

Hope everything works out.

[piglet44]

Thanks for the advice Scorpion.

[Fuzzy_Dunlop]