Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ameroak]

Anyone working for EPIK in Busan, Ulsan, or Gangneung please reply back and give me the details. I just applied to work with EPIK and those were the cities I listed for placement preferences. I figured any of those places would be better than working for a hogwan in the boonies like last time.

[marlow]

Busan is really good.

[schwa]

Gangneung has only one position which as far as I know wont be coming free this year.

[ameroak]

Thanks for the replies.

I have a question for Marlow.

You typed, Busan is really good.

Could you explain why Busan is really good in more detail? For starters:
1) what are the working conditions like, how many schools do you cover?
2) what are the living conditions like, is it an apartment, if I'm married would they give me a house or a larger apartment, is housing air-conditioned?
3) how conveniently located is the housing in regards to shopping (and not just for instant noodles, shopping for Western-type essentials - cheese, decent bread, decent wine) and saunas?

No pressure, just looking for more specifics. I don't want to find myself in a similar situation as my last contract with a hogwan in BFE asking myself after a month, or rather screaming to myself, "WHAT haVE I goTTEn mySELf N2@!@??*"

[marlow]

[ameroak]

Thanks for the info Marlow.
Busan sounds like a top choice.

[ameroak]

Ok, I guess nobody works for EPIK in Ulsan.

[noguri]

I didn't apply because if you read the EPIK website, they say that they will make the final decision as to one's assignment AFTER the orientation in August. In spite of getting to state one's preference for a province, you don't know ahead of time WHAT kind of school you'll get nor WHERE.

This seems to confirm what people on this website have said: EPIK is a lottery, they won't tell you where you'll work until a few days before you begin.

If this is untrue, someone please tell me so that I can apply to EPIK.

[Ekuboko]

Some examples of the way they 'placed' us in 2004 were:
- At the Orientation's provincial group meetings, make you write down a preference in the province you were assigned but only on 'reasonable' grounds like "My aunt and uncle lives there" rather than "I prefer a bigger city."
Then after that, not tell us our placement until August 31st, for fear of someone spitting the dummy (which one person did the year before in said province).
AND
- Make everyone choose a preferred town name and then fight amongst themselves as to who goes where in the province (bummer if you have no idea about any of the towns/villages available).

I don't know if things were better 'organised' last year or not.

[kscouse]

Hi marlow

I am looking for a job for end of august this year, you mention new teacher for september and if poss could you send me details of the available position.

thanks

sammy

[darkpoet]

Busan is a nice city but the guy in charge is a dick. As an F-2 with a year of experience he offered me 1.6 million + apartment. I'm married, I said, and he said, well maybe you'll want to rent another apartment (ie. 6 pyong single isn't enough for 2 people but no housing money as alternative). He was also generally rude. Nobody swears at my wife and then asks to talk to her again when I tell him I don't want the job and good-day. Fcuker

[maddog]

I applied to EPIK and was offered a position in Busan, but they asked to send my degree AND transcripts to them in the post before coming to Korea, and before seeing a contract!!

[fusionbarnone]