Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mexican-american-in-korea]

For the record, I am a 22 year old guy, I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado (a city of 2.5 million I think) I live in a small town called Hamyang, and I have been teaching in Korea for the past three months.

Prior to coming here I had no ESL experience, but I had plenty of volunteer and paid work with children and some Teaching Assistant experience at my university. I initially tried to go to Japan but one of my interviews didn't go very well so I started looking into Korea. Within the next week I was contacted by various recruiting agencies and one hagwon director. Since I just returned from a semester of traveling around the world I was eager to live and work abroad. As a result, I took the first job offered to me (2.0 million won and 30 hours of teaching plus whatever time I spend on prep). I teach students ranging from K-Adult. Also, prior to coming to Korea I began pursuing my TEFL Certificate online from Bridge-Linguatec but I didn't finish it until 2 months after I arrived. Now I have a certificate but I'm not sure how much credibility online TEFL's are (this one is certified by the ACCET back in the US).

My hagwon director is kind and accommodating. The students are okay, most of them very apathetic about learning and my attempts to motivate them are futile. Overall, work isn't so bad. Unfortunately, I am not satisfied with my current social situation because I am living in a small country town of 40,000 and I believe I know I could make more elsewhere. I just made the mistake of taking the first offer given to me. But perhaps the most important factor of my lack of a social life is that I am 22 years old. There isn't much things for me to do in my town (no movie theater, no museums, no dance clubs, no department store) and there is a total of 5 foreigners in my town (all of them over 40 years old). I don't have very many friends in town (as in 2-3). I haven't met anyone in town that is close to my age (male or female). Since there isn't any universities here everyone is high school age and younger or in their late twenties/early thirties and older. All of my friends live in Seoul (koreans and foreigners). I travel to other cities every weekend to explore Korea an sightsee etc. After visiting Seoul at least once a month since my arrival I realize that I would rather live and work in Seoul because of the social aspects and most likely slightly higher pay. I could travel to Seoul every weekend but the 3-hour bus ride and those 30,000 round trip bus fares will start adding up if I go there often. So I am considering breaching my contract, repaying him for his airfare, and sticking around my town until he can find a replacement teacher (2-3 months) then heading to Seoul in search of employment. I am aware of the visa run and possibly other fines but I think I would be happier in a city with more social outlets. The only reason why I didn't earlier is because I felt obligated to stick out one year being miserable. But this weekend I started thinking that my social well-being shouldn't be sacrificed because I don't want to briefly inconvenience a hagwon director.

Any advice. Is breaching a contract shady?

Thanks.

[huffdaddy]

[ttompatz]

[braunshade]

You have obviously put a lot of thought into this. Your happiness should come first. Life is too short.

I would just tell my boss how I really felt.

But what if he got angry and started hating you? Koreans can be very spiteful. In that case you might be forced to do a runner which will make it more difficult to secure immediate employment.

[riley]

Honestly, you're 22 years old, don't be in such a hurry for a new job and a new place. Granted, I wouldn't have listened to that advice when I was 22 (in fact, I didn't) but it's still good. Unless I missed something, you don't have any major problems with your job. If you plan on staying longer in Korea, get a bike and start enjoying the area more. It may help.

By the way, as long as you learned something, and can apply what you learned to your teaching, I wouldn't say that it was a waste of your time nor a bad thing to have done an online TEFL. If you find that you enjoy teaching, go back home after completing a contract and get certified as a teacher. That can also help you.

[oneofthesarahs]

So you've been teaching already for 3 months and are willing to stay an additional 3? That's half of your contract right there. Would it really be so hard to stick out the remaining 6?

Your situation is truly what you make of it. I am in a somewhat similar situation to you: I'm 22 years old, and work in a very small town. As far as I can tell, I am the only foreigner in the immediate area other than a handful of missionaries. I'll admit it, my social life is not as wild and busy as it used to be. But there are lots of benefits to living in a small town. Everything is cheaper (maybe even by enough to negate any potential pay increases). I've found the people generally more accomodating and friendly. The air quality is better. And if your director is kind and accomodating, that's probably something you shouldn't want to give up too easily. There are ways to be happy in a small town, but you have to be willing to put yourself out there. If you want lots of stories (good and bad) about living in a small town, PM me.

But in the end, you should do what makes you happy. But don't be so sure that it's impossible to stay where you are and be happy.

[wylies99]

Yeah- things didn't work out. You can find another job.

The trick is how to get out of this one- hmmmmmmmmm. Wait until after the next payday to say ANYTHING to the boss. Even the nicest ones turn mean in a heartbeat. Get your check, and then give 30 days notice. Or you can wait and give notice so that you're there for more than 6 months and you won't owe airfare. Just remember- keep your documents safe so that if the boss does turn into an a--hole, you'll have everything you need to flee.

Hopefully you can find a job where you can party, party, party, if that's why you came to Korea.

Didn't you get enough of that when you went to college?

[DJHDef]

Get out of there. Go to Seoul where you're more likely to enjoy yourself.

[sock]

[yakey]

If you want to get out, give your notice and get out. Try not to make waves and I think giving 2-3 months notice is more than fair. Then don't make the same mistake and sign on to the first job in Seoul because there can be some horrible work environments in Seoul, too. Try not to use recruiters. Cut out the middle man.

[ontheway]

Before you quit, you should begin looking around for a new job. Figure out where you want to live and what kind of job you are really looking for. Do you want big classes or small? Do you want more overtime and the chance to make extra cash? Do you want more vacation time? Then look for jobs that seem to fit better. After you do all of that, you should quit according to your contract. Don't make a quick and bad exit now from a job you say is OK if you have nowhere to go.

[mrsquirrel]

Stick it out it's good experience.

What are you going to tell your next employer? I quit my last job because you were lonely and wanted to go out partying.

That won't look good.

9 months ain't a long time.

[jinks]

Isn't three months in the classic crash and burn period when culture shock really takes hold and everything turns to custard?
I'm with those who say stick it out.
I know Hamyang is a dump, but it will be a much prettier dump in spring, summer and fall - a lot prettier. There will be lots of MT with your colleagues (team building) once the weather gets better, and Seoul will still be there on the weekends. Check out Busan, too. I spent my first year in a similar sized city as Hamyang, needless to say I spent a lot of time in Daegu. Now I am back in the country again - though a lot nearer to Seoul - and I hate the bleak rural winters, but I know spring is just around the corner.
Just hang on in there and do what you signed up to do and enjoy the fresh air. Summer's gonna be great!

[sadsac]

I would agree with most of the posters telling you to stick it out. Hamyang isn't the greatest place, but you have Jirisan and some great places around you. Plan to use ths year to save your money, whilst living in a small town may cramp your social life, it certainly helps your bank balance. Take up Kendo or Tae Kwon Do. find some other ways to help yourself through the next 9 months. If you think that it's not gonna work, give your notice and move on.

[andrew]

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