Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hater Depot]

I'm interested in teaching adults, and I hear that Pagoda is one of the big chains for them. But searching through the archive I see some horror stories.. and reports that it was getting progressively worse. But the most recent posts were all about 6 months old.

If you're currently working at a Pagoda school, what do you think of the place? How do you feel you've been treated? Do you have a split shift, what are the students like, how is the housing, etc.? I'm also considering a high school position in Incheon, just for comparison.

[mogikilla]

Pagoda owns alot of Direct English branches in Seoul (and one in Busan, I think). If you want to teach adults, but would rather teach one at a time than a class full of people, maybe consider DE over Pagoda.
Pros:
-small class sizes (one student at a time for 25-55 minutes)
-no stress/low-to-no prep job
-up to 20 days vacation (CON: it's unpaid~~ )

Cons:
-split shift when you start (7-11am, 5:30-9:30pm) and probably some required saturdays (usually 12:30-4:30pm)
-no housing provided, you pay for it yourself, though they will give your landlord 5mil key money if you need it
-you get paid per class taught, not by the hour, so if no one reserved class with you, you don't make money for that period of time. and, incredibly, if the student did reserve a class with you but didn't show or tried to cancel with less than 2 or 3 days notice, you don't get paid (well, 2,000 won doesn't really count, does it?), AND THE STUDENT STILL PAYS THE SCHOOL FOR THE CLASS.

but, other than that, for native tutors at least, it's not such a bad deal. korean tutors have a few more items listed in the cons and no official vacation

[Hater Depot]

So you're working there right now? The split shift doesn't bother me too much, depending on how long it lasts. How often does a student cancel, and how do teachers usually make out on housing? Paying rent doesn't thrill me but I'm especially not enamored of the idea of trying to set up an apt. from halfway across the world.