Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ArbiterXL]

Basically: If I work at a Hogwan, what can I expect? Will the salary be enough for me to enjoy life a bit? Will I have terrible (late) hours? Weekends? Will I have time for private lessons? Should I go for a public job? Any help will be appreciated.

[polonius]

Every Hagwon is different. It really is a crapshoot. You're best bet is to talk to the current teachers at the school, and they can best fill you in. Also note that a lot of people on this board are anti-hagwon, so most will tell you to run away from the industry. But there are some very good ones out there. Do your research, and remember, those those that yell and grumble on this board are disgruntled for some reason or another, and you may not get the best impression. Talk to past and present teachers. If the school refuses to allow you to talk with them while Big Brother is watching over them, take it as a hint, and move on to the next offer.

[sadsac]

Speak with the current teacher. Ask questions of members of this board regarding the hogwan. Someone may have also worked there. Do your homework.

[ttompatz]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

A good hogwan would probably be the best place for a total newbie to start. Poll this board's members about what % of hogwans are 'good' and you'd probably get replies ranging from 2-20%, with the exception of a certain two Dave's members who might up the number of 'good' hogwans to around 50% or 60%.

[RachaelRoo]

I think it's fair to say that if you work for a hagwon, you should expect to get ripped off in one way or another.

Your director will likely try to convince you that you aren't entitled to or really don't want pension and medical benefits.

Try to have all you bills sent to your apartment instead of the school and just take them to the bank and pay them yourself.

Keep close track of your hours and overtime. Triple check your pay and if anything seems even slightly wrong go and speak to your director immediately.

Also, when checking out the school, try to ask the current foreign staff very specific questions. Instead of "do you have medical benefits?" try "how much is deducted off of your pay for the government medical insurance program and how soon did you receive your insurance card?". A lot of the teachers here don't actually realize when they are being ripped off.

[Trumpcard]

what does one do in the situation (like im in) where i checked with the 2 current teachers (one of whom i replaced) wheteher everything was legit and the school was a good place to work. it turns out that the other teacher received a recruitng fee and so misrepresented things quite a bit trumping everything up..... cant trust anybodu!

[laogaiguk]

[wylies99]

[unknown9398]

I took a chance on a hogwan job and it's worked out very well. My hours are 3:00 to 9:00 with no weekends and no split shifts. The director and staff have gone out of their way to be helpful. This is my first teaching gig in Korea and I make 2.4m, have health insurance, pension, and a three bedroom apartment to myself. They deduct taxes, health, pension, and 10k for the water purifier, which is not worthy of complaint although it is not in my contract.

Two privates that were handed down to me by the previous teacher bring in about 150k per month, and the hogwan director sets me up with weekend camps that bring in 280k, but only if I'm willing to do them. I can live on the income from privates if I work at it and save my full salary.

The previous teacher recruited me for the job. She fudged the truth just a little but was pretty straight with me. She also put me in contact with other former teachers and I believe they gave me straight answers.

For my part, I conduct myself as a professional. I'm never late for work, I always do what I'm asked, smile a lot, and do nothing to embarrass my employer. I never forget that I'm a guest in their country (not the other way around), and behave accordingly. They appreciate this immensely and treat me with respect in return.

Based on what I have read here and my own experience, there will almost always be something in your contract that doesn't make perfect sense, or you will be charged for something you didn't expect. If it's not about a lot of money (like the 10k for the purifier), let it slide. Pick your battles and don't sweat the small stuff.

[sheba]

[Hotpants]

Whatever you choose, if you enter into a new situation expecting the worse, then it probably will turn out to be doomsday.

As someone said, all hagwons are different. Best to select one which 'sounds good' to you and then ask others on the board to verify it, or better still, ask current teachers at the school. If you can visit the school in person before you sign, all the better. In all honesty, if you are completely new to teaching and new to Korea, a hagwon is probably where you're going to have to start. One year of that, then you can definitely move on and upwards....

Personally, I would opt for any job which offers much more than the typical 10 day vacation period offered by most hagwons and many other programs, even if it meant getting paid a little less. Vacation time and enough free time (that means free evenings, too) to see Korea, is for me, priceless.

[Homer]

[mindmetoo]