Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cokenail]

What worked best for you? (and why?)

1) Obtaining a contract through a recruiter or school and then coming to Korea
2) Coming to Korea and looking for a job.

I am debating both options right now, since it's hard to tell if recruiters or schools are reputable using only the internet.

[dulouz]

Tough call. Come first, travel a bit, hang at the bars if you have the cash. Your life will be improved by 20% if you come first.

Best bet, go to the big three first. Taiwan, Japan and here first, then pick out where you want to go.

The lure of the air plane ticket is significant but its better to not be prisoned by that thing. The school owners get offended when you actaully try to collect. That 1 year bonus? Forget it, it likely won't happen.

[Blind Willie]

Of course, if you had the money to follow this advice, you dont need to come here.

If you're broke, come here after getting a job first. Working in a crappy hagwon is paying your dues.

[Unreal]

It worked pretty well for me to get a job first then come to Korea. I was very picky though and turned down 3 schools before deciding on the one I'm at, which I'm very happy with. Of course I had the benefit of having a friend here who could check the school out for me in case there was no foreigner at the school I could talk to. If you're picky and thorough in your research I think it works well. The best way is to talk to someone who has worked there. Even this can be deceptive though as some foreigners will lie too as I've heard of some teachers being told they can't leave until they find their own replacement. Trust your gut...if anything seems not quite right then don't take the job.

[theSeeker]

i came here and looked for work. it took lots of time and effort, but i found a good job that i would not have been able to get from back home. better pay, better housing, good school. interviewing face to face, seeing the housing , meeting the teachers , seeing the school... all that was important to me.

come first if you can.

[theSeeker]

one more thing...

someone above said "Working in a crappy hagwon is paying your dues."

i dont think so. perhaps coming here and working hard to find a good job is paying your dues.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[Gideon]

just come here first.. its much better that way.. rather than getting the shaft...

Friends of mine signed their contracts before leaving their homes. I told them to wait and i would help them get a job.. But they didn't listen to me. Now they are working at jobs they don't like.. So I gave the jobs to my brother and his gf working at a university (20 hours a week) ( 3 months paid vacation)... oh well.. some people just don't listen..

[chronicpride]

[Derrek]

[chronicpride]