Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cerebroden]

Ok so I am currently looking for a job and since I live here in Seoul I thought it would be a little easier. My how I've been wrong.
(I'm not sure if I can name recruiters so once I get the go ahead I'll fill in the blanks)

So I get a call asking me for what type of jobs I was looking for, my only requests are that I work in Seoul, be done by 6, and if possible I don't teach Kindergardners.
So the first guy XXX tells me (rather rudely) that it is going to be impossible for me to find that since I don't have a masters or a teaching cert. But that he had a friend who would contact me and maybe he could help.
So then this guy YYY calls me and tells me that I'll never find a job unless I teach kindergarden, so I agree that maybe I could teach a few kindy classes and he says Great! I've got an interview for you today!
I say ok, when and where is it. 2:30 Seoul National University exit 1
(this is at 11:30)
Ok so I show up 2:25 and wait for 25 minutes with no one showing up, I call YYY and don't get any answer, so after waiting for 25 minutes in the cold I decide to get back on the subway and go home. I get to samgakji station and I get a phone call, "she's there now, where are you?" So after telling him that I'm not getting back on the subway he tells me that she is 10-15 minutes away (this is at 3:15) and she will be happy to pick me up and to just wait there. So I say fine, I'll wait. I tell him what exit I'm at and I wait, and wait. 45 minutes goes by and I decide that I'm done waiting. So I start heading towards post, 4:07 comes with me already on post and I get a phone call, "She's there, where are you?"

Needless to say I lost it.
Now I understand that Seoul traffic can be bad, and I understand Korean culture about not being on time and being a little late. But, this was garbage. So I don't think I'll be using that recruiter again. Wooosigh, I need a drink.

[gmat]

Sorry to laugh man, but that was pretty funny. Good luck.

[kprrok]

Done by 6 with no kindy? I've never seen a job like that. If you want to finish early, it's by teaching kindy. If you don't want to teach kindy, you work later (normally until 8 or 9 maybe). I think the two are almost mutually exclusive, but I may be wrong.

Good luck.

KPRROK

[Cerebroden]

well, like I said, I'd be open to doing it. The main complaint is that I spent 3 1/2 hours doing absolutely nothing when I could have been making smart ass comments here on dave's and looking for a job.

[kprrok]

Oh yeah, I sympathize with ya for the long wait-times and crap you had shoveled in your direction. It's never any fun to waste time.

I was just commenting that your initial "demands" were gonna be really hard to fit. Sorry if my comments came off the wrong way.

KPRROK

[spyro25]

nothing wrong with kindy. its when they make the move to elementary school age that they become a real problem if you can't control them / leep them interested enough. i don't see what the big deal is about teaching kindy. i've taught kindy for the past year and its been awesome. we have elementary kids in the afternoon and i really prefer the kindy's over the older kids.

for the kindy's, you are their 'homeroom' teacher or whatever its called - their 'real' teacher, whereas for elementary kids, unless you work at public school, you are just another monkey at a hagwon - the bottom of the barrel in terms of respect, not their 'real' teacher at school.

and of course the perk of teaching kindy is that you get to work office hours, which again unless you work in the public system you just arent likely to get anywhere else.

[princess]

If you are already in Seoul, DON'T USE RECRUITERS!!! In fact, NEVER use recruiters, no matter where you may be. Good luck! It sucks that they made you wait so long.