Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Seumas Petrie]

Hi, I'm a new boy wanting to teach TESL in Korea.

I've had this offer from a company in Seoul (can I name them?). The conditions seem lower than others on the internet.

Any ideas? Is this is a reputable outfit/offer?
Would anyone last more than 3 months here???

Would appreciate your comments.
Thanks:
New Boy


SALARY- dependant upon the number of classes an Instructor
teaches. For each 40-minute teaching unit that Instructors teach they
receive 11,500 Won, which works out to 17,250 Won per contact hour. On average, Instructors teach between 160 and 210 units per month (this is 8-12 units a day) and earn 2 million Won per month.

Instructors are guaranteed to be paid a minimum of 1.4 million Won per month if they are teaching less than this average. Very good instructors can often average 2.5 million or more every month.

ACCOMODATION - accommodation provided for first 3 months: company apartments or a hostel/bed-and-breakfast establishment.

After 3-months, Instructor assisted to find own apartment. staff member helps Instructors with local real estate agents and lease. Company provides a housing allowance of 300,000 won/month. In addition to this, up to 5 million Won for a deposit on the apartment can be borrowed from the company.

AIRFARE - Reimbursement for a round-trip airplane ticket from the
Instructors point of hire. Half re-imbursed arrival in Korea and other half reimbursed after the completion of contract.

Severence payment after completed at least one full year of teaching. However a second-year contract extension must be secured in order to receive this payment.

Eight days paid vacation provided in first year .

Medical insurance provided.

Classes vary in length from 1 to 10 units per day but Instructors will not
be scheduled to teach more than 5 units in a row to ensure that they
receive sufficient break time.

Classes may meet 1- 6 days a week. We have individual, semi-private, group and total immersion classes at the language centers and we go out to companies and teach groups/individuals.

The maximum number of students in a group at the language center is 12 (6 in childrens groups). Charter classes (closed company classes) vary according to the needs of the customer.

The hours of the Language Centers are 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays. closed Sundays Korean National Holidays.

Instructors work a variety of hours during our business hours, but all
full-time Instructors have a 6:45-8:15 class in the early morning Monday
through Friday.

All Instructors have evening class either from 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. or from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Instructors have the option of taking off a block of 6 units (4.5 hours)
every day and work every other Saturday.

Instructors fully trained before begin teaching. Initial training = 8 full days and 5 half days.

Instructors begin teaching regular classes after first 7 days training.
The last full days training, given later, covers teaching children.

The 5 half days are used if it is necessary to review initial training.

Initial training is not paid, but subsequent training is paid at the regular hourly (unit) rate

[Tamtar]

i don't know much, but some of that sounds brutal.

[cypher]

run, don't walk, in the opposite direction

[Grotto]

That has got to be the worst job offer I have ever seen!

crap pay, split shifts, lousy vacation time, severance condition is illegal, working 6 days a week, various locations, 6:45-9:00 pm with 6:5- 8:15 classes everyday and to top it off unpaid training for the first two weeks.

I would tell them to stick it where the sun dont shine.

If they ever found someone to fill this position they wouldnt last long.

Teaching on average 8 classes a day for that low of pay is stupid.

11,500 per class I wouldnt do it for less than 20,000 per class and anything over 6 classes a day would be 30,000

This offer sounds like someone walking into a prison and handing out jars of vaseline in the shower.....you just know they are going to get shafted

[The Chewbacca Defense]

Sounds like a Berlitz job.

Run, run, run!

[some waygug-in]

I agree with what's been said. It takes just as much time to prepare for a 40 min. class as it does for a 1 hr. You would be going batty after the first month.


I also think this part is illegal and a total scam:

Severence payment after completed at least one full year of teaching. However a second-year contract extension must be secured in order to receive this payment. [quote:]


Just say no.

[logan2003]

TOTAL CRAP! I mean what if you want to stay for just one year....you should lose your severance???

YUCK.

Yeah just say no and run away!!!!!

[the eye]

Seumas...

look for somethin alomg the lines of:

-2.1 million, 30hrs/week, monday-friday, no spilt shifts
-airfare paid by school BEFORE you leave your home(they buy ticket):return air paid before you leave korea
-fully furnished single apartment
-2 weeks paid vacation in addition to all national holidays paid
-3 sick days paid

[Daechidong Waygookin]

[sadsac]

The bottom line is don't even consider it. It sounds like a Pagoda offer or Berlitz as others have said. You can do better than that, even as a cherry.

[Grotto]

[tomwaits]

This sounds like some illegal deal where they farm you out to different places. (Anyone recall Mr Shin-Olympic area?)

Mentioning a hostel? So they might house you in a goshiwan...

DELETE and BLOCK,

[matthews_world]

That sounds exactly like the Berlitz contract.

Depends on what you are looking for in Korea. If you think you would be a good teacher and are here for the money and don't mind split shifts then take that job.

Most of the those students are adults, which is a plus, but the splits are usually a killer in most adult hagwons.

I believe Berlitz also contracts teachers out to companies, so there is extra commuting time.

[Dalton]

Absolute, pure, unrefined, 100% BS. A sucker contract. Are you a sucker?