Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rather_Dashing]

Apparently, someone with no experience, no TESL or similar certification, just a plain ol' Bachelor's degree is offered a maximum of 1.8 million won per month.

They are supposed to be professional and carefully screen the schools they do business with, though. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Grotto]

ahhh you have signed up to be pimped out by us.....Footprints....we shall find you a hogwan...we will sell your soul to said hogwan for the grand sum of a 1000$....once we have pocketed our ill gotten gains we shall move on to sell off yet another unsuspecting innocent.

Do we screen our schools? Absolutely we make sure that their check clears!

Do we offer support? You are kidding, right?

We like to take money for getting people jobs in places any knowledgable person doesnt even glance at. Thank you for allowing us to make money off of your misery

[peppermint]

first rule: Recruiters LIE!

Just start throwing out resumes left right and center, don't limit yourself to one recruiter, and see what comes up. I can pretty much guarantee you can do better than that.

[fandeath]

Before I judge them, I am curious about your other conditions. Never judge a job by just the salary. You might have a lot of other things going for you that higher salary people do not.

...if everything sucks about your job, you can leave.

[hellofaniceguy]

It is not the recruiters or the schools fault for the low wages...it's also not "their" fault when they offer 1.8 for no experience and pay experienced teachers the same. It's the fault of TEACHERS. They are the ones agreeing to the contracts!!!!
Why?!?!
I just don't get it...and never will.
Recruiters/hakwon owners KNOW that someone will ALWAYS sign the contract even if it is bad. I see some schools offering 1.9 for newbies and 2.0 for experienced! I would never agree to that...100.000 difference! Gesh!
If you are teaching at a school and teach let's say 6 classes a day...50 minutes a class and each class has 7 students...average that is....7 x 6 is what...43 students paying the hakwon 125.000 a month. 43 students x 125.000 is ....0ver 5 million Won a month. 12 months is...60 million Won a year. And the teachers agrees to 1.8 a month!?!?!?! These are LOW figures...still...60 million is a lot Rent? Schools pay up front and get it back at the end of the year. Air fare? Medical? Severence? OK...round it of to 30 million a year. My point is...unless teachers stop agreeing to the recruiters contracts and start some serious talking...it won't change.
Low wages are the fault of teachers. Period. If the hakwon can't attract enough students...that is the owners problem. Too many hakwons anyway in korea. Too many.

[ohfamous]

Why people take 1.8 mil jobs:

1. They haven't done their research. They don't know better.
2. It still beats their current salary.
3. It definitely beats staying unemployed in the States or elsewhere.

I am not one of those people, but surely they exist and always will. Especially for the first reason.

[teachingld2004]

Well, i'm just leaving a low paying job, and I have experience. (Also I am a teacher from the U.S.A.)

BUT.....This low paying job has a great director, a great owner, a great apartment, and is by the sea. The kids are great, and i'm always paid on time. So to me the low pay was worth it, it gave me peace, quiet, time for beautiful walks, and the sea.

New job starts March. More money, more vacation time, and shorter hours. Still in a Hogwon cause I adore Kinder. (ok, call me nuts but I love this age, it makes me happy)

So, money is not that important to everyone. I'd rather make less money and have a big apartment in a beautiful area, then more money, a studio apartment, and a boss who was a real pain.

What ever floats ones boat.

[Homer]

Well...many recruiters are fly-by-night amateurs....thats true.

Some however are not and take their work seriously.

The question of accepting jobs has two sides.

Some recruiters only look for the fee and do not screen schools.

Others that do however, often have to deal with teachers who grossly over estimate their worth on the market and who ask for every little condition to be met....

As I said, this coin has two sides.

[Zenpickle]

I thought Footprints was one of the few agencies that received good reviews on this board.

But I guess it's about as useful as a topic on what brand of ojingeo is the best. They all stink.

[peppermint]

I had a fantastic recruiter when I came to Korea. The school I was at wasn't horrible( I know this now), but they flat out refused to follow anything that was beyond their idea of a standard contract, even though the one I signed had some great clauses in it.

The thing is, she got so frustrated in dealing with that school that she got out of the business.

[Ben Glickman]

In response to Grotto-

This individual has no association with our company, and if he/she did, they would be fired. Your comments are ill informed- for starters- the school pays teachers, not Footprints. Secondly, all of our screened, and some of our client schools offer some of the best salaries in the industry. It makes more sense to work at a stable school that pays their teachers on time and provides a stable working environment than one that promises the moon and doesn't deliver. Do your research.

[Grotto]

Mr Glickman

After perusing your website I noticed a few errors in your information.

1. tax in Korea is 3-5% not 4-7%
2. 1.8 is low especially these days
3. the pay at the end of the contract it not a bonus it is severance required by Korean law!
4. Medical insurance is not a tax and must be supplied according to Korean law.


I personally love this clause in one of your latest offers

[mindmetoo]

[babtangee]

[babtangee]