Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kshellru]

My situation, as I've posted before but need to renew is this:

working at shitty hagwon. seven months into my contract, I want to break it and leave. I told my employer, told him the stress of the work hours was killing me and my back (and that i possibly needed an operation - which is TRUE but I'll get the operation in a year or so, not now). So I'm leaving for medical reasons. also true. but I want to continue working in Korea.

I have about a million interviews and job offers. I've been honest about the fact that I'm breaking a contract. So what do I do???

Ask my employer for a release letter? Will he give me one do you think? Or should I leave the country and come back in with a tourist visa and then do the Japan visa run again? I'm so confused..... I hear all different things....

Essentially it's a bad situation, I know my employer is not exactly happy with me. He doesnt' know of course, that I'm looking for another job. I have five interviews this week during my break times at school, but I don't know when to tell them that I can start working because of getting released from my current visa/????? ahhhh. please help.

I've read blackbear(?)'s post, but it only confuses me more.
I'd really appreciate any advice you can give me. I"m so frustrated I'm thinking of just moving to Japan or something to escape all these complications!!!!!

[laogaiguk]

[Angelus]

What loagaiguk said....ditto...um....where would the noobs be without you loagaiguk?

[laogaiguk]

Also, if you have enough money for startup costs, you might want to think of Japan. You make a bit more here and the cost of living is higher in Japan (not by much when you get use to it). Life there is more simple, you barely ever hear of anyone getting ripped off (except by foreigners who run schools, don't go to foreign run or owned schools) and you can quit and get a new job on the same day. Work there has it's problems, but they are less life shattering Don't go with NOVA.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think it will be very hard to convince your boss that you are quitting because you have a back problem since you are just going to change jobs.

Secondly, it is likely that what is causing you stress will carry over into the new job. I haven't read any previous posts by you, but the things that cause us the most stress here do not usually change with the job. Sudden and last-minute changes in schedule, odd demands, no planning, yada, yada, yada.

Good luck in what you decide to do.

[Angelus]

One word of caution, it sounds like you are secretly going to these new job interviews. Now, if you were your boss and found this out and weren't given any advanced notice, would you give your employee a release letter?

What I would do, is give your 2 week or month notice (whichever your contract states) and stick with your job for that required time period. This would be your best shot of getting a release letter.

Just fleeing to a different country doesn't sound very ethical and things like that have a way of coming back to you in some way, shape, or form.

[kshellru]

I'm not FLEEING. I've given a LOT of notice and offered to stay until he finds a new teacher. I've given six weeks, and the stress of my job is the FOUR PART split shift (which would be alleviated with another job). I've been teaching ESL for four years, so I am prepared for classes yadayada. Last minute private tutoring through the school (meaning no extra pay cuz it's still within my working hours), and random other garbage that happens through the school. I'm not by any means leaving him high and dry.

So, to the chase, I need to get him to give me an LOR. Does it have to say that I"m going to some other specific school? Or it just says I'm free to work again sometime? Without the LOR I should go to Japan to work you're saying?

thing is, I find Korea kinda convoluted in terms of paperwork and legal matters and nonhonesty with employers and so on and so forth. I can't get a straight answer out of my boss for the life of me. do you know what I mean? I"m so confused.

So--go to him now. Ask if he'll give me LOR. If not, stay there and wait out the pain and agony. Or go to Japan. Basically right? There's no way to go to Japan, come back with visitor's visa, and just start teh whole process again (eventually doing ANOTHER visa run to japan for a new visa?).

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I'll check here again soon.