Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Malic]

Have you heard of the English institute CDI? I��m sure you have
as they proudly present themselves on their shuttle buses all
over Seoul. If you haven��t heard of CDI, basically it is (from
the very words of Joe, one of the directors who works there) ��
The Gucci of Hagwon ��. Plainly they believe they��ll compete
with the likes of huge corporations, Posco and Samsung.

If you think I��m exaggerating why don��t you attend one of the
interviews they hold every three months, or so.
I did but we��ll get back to that later.
How do I know so much, let��s say I��ve had two successful
interviews with them, or so I thought. Anyway let��s get back to
the ��The Gucci�� part.
These guys are so delusional their business plan is to knock
out the competitors��who! Posco and Samsung? Give me a break
here !
First off, Posco is a mining/metal company while Samsung is
leading in the electronics category around the world. CDI is a
goddamn English school for kids!
You still don��t believe me! Well you��ll learn soon enough when
you sit down to one of their long, tedious three hour
interviews about their future prospects. The guy who runs the
show goes by the name of Joe. He��s what you call an arrogant
brainwashed (I��d rather not say).
I quote from the very man himself �� Look over there to the
window. What building do you see?�� The people turn around
including myself to eagerly see what it is. In front of us is a
huge shimmering glass building with the huge sign ��POSCO��. Joe
continues �� we��ll have a building just like that in a few years
from now��. The people are in awe. �� Perhaps even bigger, we are
setting our hopes high��.
A bit too high don��t you think? Today I checked the stock
market to see how much CDI is worth per share. To my surprise,
there is no CDI.
Ok back to the present. How are they doing now?

Well the first interview was sometime in the middle of 2004.
Back then they offered 3.6million won per month. At the end of
the interview an envelope was given with 50 000won in it. Back
then they had a lot of money. Recently with my second interview
I was this time offered 2.8million won per month. At the end of
the interview I was given an envelope of 20 000 won. Why the
sudden drop of finance you may ask? Lets just say their future
prospects haven��t gone as planned.

Their Bundang institute has recently closed down and they plan
to start afresh in Dong de moon. They did have interviews every
three months but now they are desperately looking for teachers
a.s.a.p. Just give them a call and you find yourself having an
interview the very next day. Businesses here in Korea have been
increasing rapidly this year with no sign of stopping. Check
the stock market, it is a good year to invest your money in
stocks. However it is not a good year for English institutes.
Why you may ask?
Why don��t you look around, almost every second building is an
English institute. Koreans are doing well in almost every
subject except English . Korea is probably one of the worst
educated nations when it comes to the English language. Let me
name you a few popular English institutes, Topia English, YBM,
Pagoda, Academy English and CDI. Ok now why does the word ��Big
Brother�� come to mind all of a sudden? Well in CDI, all the
classrooms are equipped with cameras and voice recording
devices. Why do I suddenly feel claustrophobic like in the
movie THX 1138? That is because parents have access via special
membership to spy over their precious children��s classes 24hrs,
7 days a week. They can access by punching in the classroom
number, time and day and it has all been recorded free of
charge. Now how about the teachers, do they have a say on this?
Absolutely not. They are forced to smile whenever they��re under
the lens. Now that��s pressure, can we have a second take on
that?
Now entering CDI isn��t all that easy because of one simple,
unethical reason. CDI are racists. If you��re a foreigner
looking to teach English at the Gucci of all hagwons, I warn
you now��give up. They only hire Koreans born in a country where
English is spoken (US, England, Australia or Canada). So if you
don��t look Korean and you really want to work for CDI, save
some money to get yourself an extreme makeover. During the
excruciating three hour interview, Joe announced that their
goal is to influence the world that Koreans have the potential
to take over the globe, only if the majority of Koreans could
speak English. Now this is starting to sound more manipulative
than running a simple English institute doesn��t it?
During my second interview, I was found Joe and three other
staff. During that whole interview, the three did not say a
word. Honestly I think they were just there to make it all look
pretty and professional. I asked once again, why is it that
they only hire gypos (ethnic Korean). My answer came as a
sudden shock, an opinion that was forced down my
throat. ��Foreigners are just plain lazy, they are not punctual
and their main purpose here in Korea is to get laid��. Now to
some degree there is truth behind those words, but to make a
statement saying that all foreigners are the same! That��s just
outright wrong.
After the interview I went out knowing I did a good job. Joe
pretty much said he needed my services so I was sure that I had
got the job. I checked my mail the next day, no answer. I
thought, maybe these guys are busy, hey their planning to
compete with the likes of POSCO and Samsung.
Eventually it got to the point of me calling them to ask
whether I got the position or not. The reply was, we��ll e-mail
you in a few minutes with our answer. So I waited and finally
got my reply.
��Thank you for your interest and application to CDI.��
This is the reply I received ��
�� At this time, your application to CDI has not been
successful for the position you were seeking. With your
permission, however, we would like to keep your profile on
record in case future suitable positions become available.��
Ok I could accept this but I wanted more answers. It would have
been nice if they told me why I didn��t get the position, making
me believe I got the position already during that interview. I
can feel bitter towards this but I won��t, however this is a
warning to others out there. Don��t let CDI play puppet with you
because that��s what they��ll do. If you think the money is worth
it, go ahead but I��ve had many come back quitting. Lastly,
there are a lot of other institutes that pay a higher some plus
housing. CDI do not provide housing or medical insurance and
the contract claims that you have to work on weekends also.
Your free will is gone, they also ask you to sacrifice days
like Christmas, new years and any other important events
circled red in your calendar.
What are your views of CDI now? They��ll promise this and that
but at the end of the day, it ends up being all gibberish.
Don��t make the same mistake that a lot of my friends have made,
look further - there are greener pastures on the other side. If
you want your kids to gain a good education, go somewhere where
the teacher has freedom because at the end of the day, we are
all human beings.

[Big Mac]

Your condemnation of CDI is an interesting read. However, I can't help but think that you have an ulterior motive here.

Why were you trying so desperately to get into a school that you hold in such low regard? You'd think after the first interview you would have realized that it wasn't for you...but no, you went back for a second one. Even after the second one (which apparently you were so upset about) you were still hoping you got the job. Hadn't you clued in by then that this was not a good employer?

It sounds to me like this is one of those "I'll get you back" type things. You're upset about being ignored by these people. Unfortunately I can't believe half the stuff you say...because you're just not a credible source in my eyes. Perhaps the reason you weren't hired is because your reference check showed that you have an anger-management problem.

Slamming a potential employer on the internet based solely on their interview process is not a cool thing to do.

[uberscheisse]

wow the tiny font makes it look like the rosetta stone. typed by prince.

[nev]

Thank-you Malic! After your sage advice I now know never to work for evil CDI!

[Metsuke]

Malic... will you please piss off and stop posting the same god damn post over and over...

You didn't get hired... get over it you jackass.

[huck]

I know non-kyopos (meaning cauacasians and people from arab descent...arabs? arabians?) who were hired in the last few months.

Also, if you've never taught there, you can't really say how good or bad it is, can you? I've always thought McDonalds looked like a fun place to work, since everyone is so happy - smiles are free, you know - and you're surrounded by incredible food, but it would be dishonest if I claimed this to be true before even working there.

And finally...did you just join here so that you could give bad reviews of C.D.I.? If so, then I look forward to your next installment, but try to use larger font and a different color next time.

[Malic]

To Big Mac

They are big words from a guy who may look like a Big mac, a guy who eats Big Macs everyday or just simply smells like a Big mac.

Why were you trying so desperately to get into a school that you hold in such low regard

Lets just say that I thought CDI was all nice and dandy until I came to a full realization of what they're all about by the second interview. I was blind then, not now.

It sounds to me like this is one of those "I'll get you back" type things

No. Can't there be freedom of speech on this board! I am not given an opinion here but facts that I've dug up. I am warning people out there to not fall in the same trap as I have. BTW I am curious, you sound like Joe? So Joe, you think your THE BIG MAC?

As for you Metsuke, I have a right to stay around you wannabe Jap. So why don't I stay and you jackoff ok!

To Huck

Also, if you've never taught there, you can't really say how good or bad it is, can you?

Well I guess you haven't read the whole thing now have you? I've stated that I know people and friends who have worked and who are still working there to this very day. I even know people who are friends with Joe(or should I say, Joe thinks they are his friends).

Big Mac: Slamming a potential employer on the internet based solely on their interview process is not a cool thing to do.

I agree but slamming is needed where it's diserved. People need to be aware of these things, esp when big corps think they can play puppet with average Joes.

[Roch]

Hi,

C.D.I.'s plans for taking over the entire world are groovy enough. Gee, would it not be asking too much for them to let a Yankee Dog or a Canucklehead get on board for the ride? It'd be neat to be part of a team that's poised to rule the world! Think of all the freebies you'd be lined up to inherit by simply saying: "I teach English for the esteemed C.D.I. English Institute." Wow, you'd, like, get all kinds of tail and stuff! Cool! Sign me up!

[chronicpride]

[Big Mac]

[jlb]

Using normal font in normal size and normal color is usually a good thing. It means people might actually make an effort to read something that long.

[jaganath69]

While I too would question the OP's motives, my job search experience this year has brought me to believe that CDI is not all its cracked up to be. This is based on the maxim "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". Their constant bombarding of job boards and slick marketing, which puts me in mind of Pagoda, set off warning bells in my head. Talking to people around the traps has confirmed my suspiscions. I wouldn't work for them. Just my 2 won's worth though.

[VanIslander]

They probably sensed your judgemental attitude toward them.

What we think is often conveyed by our body language and facial expressions, even when we think we are in control of our reactions.

[Metsuke]

[little mixed girl]

if u don't want to work there, then don't.
i went to one of their recuiting meeting thingys this summer, and there were *gasp* whites in the room!
*shudders*

heaven forbid there's a hagwon in korea that wants to hire asian-americans over whites! no the world is coming to an end!!!!