Korean Job Discussion Forums

[switch]

Okay - I have a question for anyone that wants to help!! I have been offered a job - and it seems just great - They emailed me the contract, and it looks fine - However, they don't need me to sign the contract until I get there - and they don't need me to send my diploma ahead of time....
They are going to fly me to Korea - and then after I am settled in - they will fly me to Japan for a Visa run - This doesn't seem very normal, but the job sounds great... Any advice!!!
Is it terrible to not sign the contract until I get there, and to not have a visa when I first arrive.... Any help would be great!!!
THANKS!!!

[ChuckECheese]

As long as they got you the round trip ticket it should be fine.

When you arrive and don't like the contract for any reason, you simply look for another job or go back home.

You have no obligation to the school what so ever since you haven't singed any contract and they haven't even processed your E-2 visa.

But don't give them any of your original documents until contract is signed.

[hubba bubba]

Heard they aren't letting people in with one way tickets anymore. Might want to look into that.

I'd say the visa run is no prob. Plus, you get to go to Japan!

[frankly speaking]

Many people go over on a tourist visa and do a visa run to japan after a few weeks. The reason is that they don't have time to do the paperwork now before they want you to start.

If you are a US citizen, I would suggest that you go to a Korean Embassy before you leave and get a tourist visa. That way you get 90 day entry. Canadian citizens get 90 days at the airport but US only get 30 days.

It is illegal to work on a toursit visa but many schools pay off imigration while the paperwork is being processed.

Make sure that the school pays for your roundtrip ticket and the total cost of the visa run. You get a free night in Japan on the school.

[cmr]

Keep in mind that Korean embassies in Japan are likely to have both Korean and Japanese national holidays. You should make sure the embassy is open when you head towards Japan.

Happened to me a few years ago and I got to spend two nights in Fukuoka instead of just one, which was just fine with me and gave me time to be a tourist and relax! Why would I have complained anyway since the hagwon was paying for everything!

Just make sure you get Japanese Yen BEFORE you leave Korea, and make sure you've got enough to pay for the visa at the embassy.

[alabamaman]

Gain knowledge on deceptive pharases/practices used by recruiters/hagwon owners.
Gain knowledge about Korean Labor Laws.
Gain knowledge about labor contracts.


Before you sign a contract

Do as much research as you can about the school and the location it's in.
Ask foreign teachers questions via e-mail




Does the employer pay the employees on time?

Does the employer withhold severance pay from employees?

Does the employer deduct from the employee�s monthly salary for income taxes to be paid to the District Tax Office?

Does the employer make deductions from the employee�s monthly salary for the Korean National Healthcare Plan (A majority of teachers use this insurance)?

Does the employer deduct from employee�s monthly salary to be paid into the Korean Pension Fund?

What are the living conditions like?

How many foreign teachers are there at the school?

What is the English speaking ability of the director as well as other Korean teachers?

Why is the current teacher leaving?

How many teachers have left in the last year and why?

What are the overall working conditions of the school?

What discipline measures are taken with the students?

Are the Korean Teachers as well as the director supportive of foreign teachers?

How many students attend the school?

[rhinocharge64]

op read seriously want alabamaman wrote, it's like the wild west out here with good old hoggies. Preferably i would want to know the full run down before trekking halfway across the world. For the correctionalists on here trekking is a figure of speech.

[ttompatz]

Your list is too complex. You can narrow it down to just a few questions and have a good idea about a place.

=Will they prepay your ticket over? If you are being hired here or have to do a visa run do they cover ALL the costs or just airfare? (A visa run will set you back 200k won + airfare).
=Do they pay on time?
=Do they pay overtime or avoid it with creative book keeping?
=How many CLASSES per week NOT how many teaching hours per week,
=Do they pay into national medical and pension? Do you have your booklet from medical and did you get your statement from pension last October?
=Vacations, when do you get them, who decides when you get them. Do you get blocked vacations or just a day here and there?
=How is the housing? Is there shopping close by?
=What do you dislike about working/living at that particular hakwon?

If you can get satisfactory answers to those questions from MORE THAN ONE foreigner then you will probably have a good year with little or no problems.

[bellum99]