Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mbm452]

From what I gather, anything involving signing a contract from home is a bad idea, but as I have only a short time to decide on this and have only just begun my research I fear must ask what's probably a stupid newbie question and ask for an opinion or two on the following:


There is a study abroad type agency in the midwest, USA advertising for teachers to work in Korea, China, and Vietnam. The Korean offer seems pretty standard for starting teachers: $2000/month, airfare reimbursed after one month , 1/2 insurance paid, completion bonus, and housing. Additionally they are currently offering to subsidize a 120 hour TEFL certification.

I only just contacted them about the offer (it has been advertised for some time) and learned the TEFL course starts Friday--which has put me in a bit of a rush to sort out all the information here and make a decision...Based on what I've read here in the last 24 hours I'm pretty sure the decision is going to be to forego this offer and take the risk of eating the airfare and look for job in the country.


The big minuses:
-Going in fairly blind.

-Weekend shifts included in description.

-Jobs offered through Worknplay with recruiters just seeming to add one more degree of separation in a situation where it's already hard to estimate just what you're getting into (right?).


Then on the other hand...from everything I've read so far ending up with a decent job as a beginning teacher seems to be such a crapshoot anyway (hagwons being a given(?)) that I'm slightly tempted to see if I can't perhaps negotiate the shifts a bit and take them up on the offer. I don't want to get lured in by fear of the unknown, but the security is mighty tempting, as is the chance to do a course with people I'll be flying over with. I'm also really drawn in by the free (or is it?) TEFL training as I would like to go in as prepared as possible--but also want to leave my mom's couch soon but do not have enough saved to both take a course and support myself for a month or two while I look for a job.

So, for anyone already there: what would you recommend? Anyone done something like this and lived to tell the tale?

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About me: Non-blonde N. American native speaker, BA in Romance languages, no certifications. Taught English one schoolyear in a French grade school and worked one semester as a US high school English teacher with my own classes under a sub license. Considering a TESL career, but mainly just looking to gain experience and save money this year. I've traveled a lot and done the land-in-a-foreign-place-and-set-up-a-job thing before so I'm not completely terrified by such a prospect, but I'm also not exactly looking forward to it.

Thanks.

[xtchr]

Hi, I haven't time to write extensively, but just want to advise you to say NO to working at the weekends. Truly, weekends are sometimes the only things that keep you sane here. Regardless of what you actually do during the weekend, you need time away from work.
Good luck with the job hunt.