Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kshellru]

So, my sob story is this...
I came to Korea. I am a qualified teacher who's been teaching for 6 years (ESL, university instructor, sex ed in highschools, blabla). So I came to Korea and got sent home from my first job at a Montesouri school within 10 minutes of arriving (what I didnt know was that people think me to be a *beep* or gangster cuz of tattoos....jeeze). Then my second job I got super sick and missed first two days of workshops about the school. So then I got sent away from there.

My recruiter was actually really good, and I stayed with her and quickly got a job teaching adults which I took right away, being short of cash and depressed about getting fired for the second time in my life (first time was when i was 16 from McDonalds!!!).

But now I see, after being an idiot and signing my contract that I don't like my school at all. In fact, I believe it to be killing me!!

I work the stupidest split shift ever. 630-830. 930-1130. 1200-100. and 630-830. and the pay is not great. I love my students, but my bosses are great and the work enviro isn't super either. I get paid 2.0, with 20,000 overtime for 120 hours a month. But it seems like I'm working ALL the dam time!!

So my questions are these:
- should I buy out my contract? Can I even do that? I mean lose my completion bonus bla bla
- can I even get another job here (I'm gun shy now...) given that I have tattoos?
- should I just tough it out? I'm on month four now...
- or does anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks. I love this forum. Almost everyone is so helpful!!

[laogaiguk]

[ilovebdt]

[the eye]

if you can stick it out to the 6 month mark, you will not be required by law to pay back the airfare. i don't know what your contract says about that though.

[luminousstar]

With your qualifications, I think you can even get university teaching jobs.....Some even offer 4 months of paid vacation.....
You should look for another job...

[Grotto]

tattoos shouldnt be a problem if you can cover them with a long sleeved shirt. I have known many people working here who have tattoos and it has never been an issue.

Since this is your third job I take it they didnt pay for your airfare? If this is the case simply tell them the truth, that the split shifts are killing you and that you are giving notice. If they are willing to give you a recommendation and letter of release you will stick around for a month or two for them to find a replacement teacher.

Other options are Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China etc.

If your recruiter is really good pass her name around....more business for her! Everyone knows we need a few decent recruiters

[icnelly]

Tattoos = no big deal.

COVER THEM UP! Are your hands covered? I've got a full sleeve on my left arm and only 3 students have ever seen a part of it.

[itaewonguy]

I would tell the boss you dont want to work the splits anymore..
and you want it changed to the non split workday!
If they say the contract says its this way and you signed it..
then you say ok! then I guess you are no prepared to change my contract. I am now giving you 1 month notice.
watch him try and help you..

if not WALK!! so what you lose the bonus and return ticket..
dude.. you will get a new contract with a bonus and a return ticket..
just state that in the contract when you sign!
dude. you dont have to stay there!! dont feel pressured!

[bellum99]

Where are the tatoos?


If they are on your face or neck or hands then you are in trouble. Lets first hear where the tatoos are and what they look like. If you have strange tatoos all over your face like some freak, then no, I say again "no". Do not bother to get another job. Just go home because even at home , someone would not give a job.

[kshellru]

firstly, the tattoos are fairly extensive. around the back and around the waist (like all the way around). both wrists are tattooed, one is coverable, the other goes ALL the way down to where my hand starts. I do cover them, but they seem to pop out at strange times, (Im a little fat). I guess maybe i need to go and buy really oversized mens dress shirts and wear those or something... the clothing issue is tough.

I got fired from mcdonals for not showing up. i was doing unmentionable things the night before and slept all morning and just didnt show up and so they were short staffed plus i had a bit of an attitude problem. but i was 16 and so i feel i am excused.

they DID pay the recruiter for my airfare. but i paid for my own visa run. i paid for my own visa. i paid for my foriegners card. etc. of course i think maybe if i stick out for six months that covers one half of my airfare doesnt it??

my recruiter was PARK ENGLISH. whom i do not work for in any way. but i've made friends since with the owner and i love her. she let me stay at her house when i was deathly ill. got a phone for me to call my mom. stuck by me when i looked like a diseased drug addict with no job. fed me. and just kept LOOKING for a job for me. i would totally recommend the agency. and i know it sounds like an advertizement but it's not. i would have been ON MY A$$ without her. literally. with my bags in an alley.

so how do i go about looking for a university job? do they accept the tattooed freaks of the world? really I'm a good teacher. I can get a ton of recommendations from my students if that's needed. my bosses are freaks, so i don't think i'd even ask them. for instance, they REFUSED to give me pension. and i wasn't in a position to be choosy (flat broke). But looking around now I see there are better things to life than working 14 hours a day.

Thanks for all the replies. I hope there's more to come. Bottom line--if I leave will I be breaking my contract, even if I give proper notice? And what will happen to my visa? My contract says 6 working hours a day plus interviews. 120 a month. It doesnt say WHEN. So really, I'm only working 7 hours a day (and DO get paid my overtime which is a pitance), it's just the hours rEALLY honestly and truly are killing me. I don't feel human anymore.

Thanks again. Will check in later.

[Paji eh Wong]

[Demophobe]

Wow. Rough story. Sorry to hear of all your woes.

Tough it out as long as you can....until you get another job. However, it seems you haven't the time to find a better position, and taking jobs somewhat blindly can lead you to...well...what you have now. Rock and a hard place then. That said, your options are a bit narrow.

You could just try to renegotiate your contract. Your current employer doesn't know about your string of bad luck, so to them, it will just be a simple case of an exhausted teacher. Hopefully they will be somewhat sympathetic and do something to help.

If that fails, just ride it out as long as possible, try a different recruiter to save the one who has gone above and beyond anymore stress, then move along to another place. If that is the full term or just 6 months, I guess your energy is the only way to measure how far you can go.

Student recommendations don't hold a lot of water, as far as I know. Only professional references will bear any weight. I would approach a new search as a fresh start in Korea...no references at all. If they can't be good, then don't use them.

Does your contract have any avenue to leave? A sickness clause or some kind of loophole you could possibly exploit? If so, then use this when you have something else lined up with another agency. Go to a few different ones and be specific about what you would like....or at least what you don't want.

Those splits are nuts...I was doing a uni gig from '97 to 2000 and doing that kind of thing...helping out the on-campus institute. It was really rough....good money, but it really cooked me. I totally understand you wanting to get free from that.

Anyways, try all civil routes, then look for loopholes. The last thing you want to do is a midnight run...you don't seem like the kind of person who would want to do that anyways, but depending on the owner, doing a run may cause a lot of grief. (Others know more about this than I do...the law and all, I mean)

Hope it helps....good luck.

[kshellru]

Yeah. I would never make a midnight run. Nor would I leave my school out in the cold. I don't like my bosses, but I'm an adult now and don't break contracts or wouldn't unless there's something terribly wrong. Taking everyone's advice, I'm off to the job board now. I'll talk to my recruiter and ask her what she wants me to do. I'm able to find a job on my own I think, but I don't want to mess with her commission or anything either.

However, I AM a real teacher, and have been for some time. It's my proffession, and I won't be changing it, you know what I mean? I'm not just putting in time. It's who I am. So I don't want to start hating it because I don't get enough sleep or don't have time to breath.

Oh, by the way, the tats are not prison style or anything. One's japanese style coi fish with water bla bla and tribal stuff, and my other wrist has a small star (well medium sized) red star. so there's that.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I think the tattoos will be a barrier to getting hired at a public school (I'm sure they would at mine) but you should be able to get a better hogwan job or mabye even a uni gig. The big problem will be getting that LOR. I'd try offering 60 days notice *if* they give you a post-dated LOR up front. If they give you a lot of trouble then you can just pull a runner in good conscious.

[peppermint]

adult schools generally change schedules each month- ask for slight improvements next month if you stay on. you'll still have the morning shift and night one but maybe less in the middle?