Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iwastherebefore]

Hi all. I am new to the board and wanted to introduce myself. I taught in Korea before for 4 years (world cup to last september), during that time I was back in Canada once for 12 days. I used to read this board a lot in my teaching off hours, but never bothered to register. Before I read this board I would read Englishspectrum for naughty entertainnet. I still read this board from time to time to keep in touch with the goings on of Korea, and now I decided to register and join in on the discussions.
Honestly, as happy as I was to leave Korea, after about a month I sank into a deep depression. After 4 years in Seoul, the winter of small town Ontario got me pretty hard. Life is not easy in Canada for a social science graduate who was out of the loop for 4 years. I'm 28 now, and each job I've worked since I came home (no more than $9 an hour) has me feeling beat and, on top of that, all my supervisors have been at least 5 years younger than me! Beleive me, coming home isn't easy, and that's probably what kept me in Korea for so long
Actually, after I finished uni I wanted to study to be a commercial airline pilot, but at a price tag of $60,000 with no guarantee of a job after, I put it off and went to Korea. In Korea I always dreamed of being able to afford the training because I didn't like teaching, and after 4 years, I was.
Basically, it has been a hard go coming home. I miss my old neighborhood in Seoul and all my friends. All my friends here have become old and dull. It's hard (read, impossible) to find a secure and good paying job in Canada that doesn't involve manual labor. But, being able to realize my dream of doing flight training keeps me happy and focused. Korea is cool because it is either what we want to do with our life, or provides fudning to take care of education.
Enough of me. I just thought I would introduce myself.

[dogshed]

I started flight training once. I ran out of money fast.

Maybe that's what I'll do next. I would like to get my A and P
and fly on the side.

There's are private schools that use hard sell tactics to get
people to spend way too much on their school for flight training
or A and P when there are usually less expensive ways to get
better training. I hope you aren't at one of those.

For almost every hard sell program there is probably a better
program at a lower price at a state school.

[blaseblasphemener]

Welcome back!

Where your dreams are your ticket out (of rural Ontario)

Welcome back!

To that same old place that you laughed about

Well the names haven't changed since you hung around

But those dreams have remained (of flight school) and they've turned around,

Who'd have thought they'd lead ya, back to Korea,

Here where we need ya, hagwons in Korea,

Yeah we tease hime alot cause we got him on the spot, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back iwastherebefore.

(owww, owww, mr. kawwww-teeeeear!)
-Horseshack and the gang

[sojourner1]

Welcome. You're still young enough to retrain for a new career if you can afford the money or willing to borrow it for airline pilot credentials. I am not sure about the supply vs. demand for pilots which is definitely something to research. You should find out how the airlines recruit such as which schools they seek graduates from. It is true that the demand for air travel is increasing, but the looming fuel crisis could dampen that in coming years due to hyper inflation as a result of high fuel prices. It's all a big gamble in today�s dynamic global economy with your decisions being based on the level of risk you're willing to take on. Yes, I found that lacking finances severely limited me on going places and doing what I really needed to do in order to be properly positioned for success. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

Yes, the job market is very competitive for young adults in NA, those out of the loop, or career changing. I found after graduating with my social science degree in 2005, there were no jobs paying more than $10/hour such as with retail sales, accounting, bean counting, customer service, etc. As the economy became a service based economy and scaled back the ranks through downsizing, mergers, and hiring Indian graduates for professional knowledge worker jobs, it proves to be the most competitive economic environment we have seen yet. Everything just got harder in the new century for those who have not yet made their fortune as good jobs paying at least $35K a year require many more qualifications than is realistically possible for most 20 to 35 year olds. The healthcare industry in NA is busting at its seams with good paying jobs on account of the enormous prison system and aging boomers who have big money due to the fact that decent career opportunities were offered to young men 40 years ago who would get hired, get developed, and be gainfully employed progressively for most of your adult life. Many companies today are a totally different corrupt animal that offer little more than going nowhere low paying jobs due to global economy dynamics and executive greed.

You have a huge gap in today�s job market where you have all these low paid people, many whom are college educated and saddled with big student loans, and then you have a few very high paid older people while very few employers offer any sort ladder due to HR restructurings in attempt to maximize profits through cutting corners. I think it's the pits if you ask me, becuase it's clearly evident that many NA companies are being gutted out of greed.

As for teaching in NA, it's just not worth the trouble as it's tough to get along with parents who are out to get you in trouble due to trying to fight the broken system and then administration infighting over the budget while always looking to gig you on what you're doing wrong. That's typical NA office politics these days.

[cbclark4]

If you have any organization like the Civil Air Patrol, if you get involved enough you can get free training, some of those guys are instructors and let you get stick time within the framework of the training missions.

cbc

[iwastherebefore]

Baseblasphemer, that is a good song but actually I'm not in Korea now.
In terms of market research, they say that the commercial airline industry is growing at 2% a year, and on top of that 70% of current pilots are baby boomers who are retiring within the next 5 years. A family friend who is an Air Canada pilot said Air Canada is hiring 30 new pilots a month, compared to 10 years ago when they literally hired no more than 10 or 15 a year, even less than that. I guess in a unionized job where a senior pilot makes anywhere from $100-$250 an hour, there's little turnover. A flight from Vancouver to Korea could net a senior captain my one month's salary back in Korea . On top of that airlines like Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, or Emirates/Saudi Arabian airlines have a majority Canadian/Australian pilot base.
I remember a friend in Korea got accepted into Korean Air's cadet pilot program. He was a science graduate who got accepted with 30 other dudes, and they were sent, ALL expenses paid (including housing and salary) to Oklahoma for full training, then back to Korea for jet training, with a full guarantee of a job beginning at 8 million won a month. I was so jealous, and naturally, they don't take foreigners as Korean Air cadets.
Sojourner mentioned something that resonated with me. Every country in the world EXCEPT Canada and the US have airlines which provide full training to qualified applicants. Arizona, Oklahoma, and New Mexico all have large flight schools owned and operated by European and Asian carriers to provide full training with salary to qualified applicants who can look forward to a job for life where they are paid to travel and never have to worry where there next meal is coming from.
North America? If you are somebody with a dream in North America, be prepared to spend all your savings on pursuing it.

[blaseblasphemener]

oh, well, that was a pre-emptive post for when you DO come back to Korea to get the money you need. Put down the Tim Horton's cup, walk away from the till, and get your ass over you. The kiddies need you!

[iwastherebefore]

Baseblasphemer, how did you know I was working at timmys for a couple weeks? In small town Ontario in winter, nothing beats being able to drink coffee for free.
The irony is that I've heard a lot of korean students profess their love for timmys, and in the airport I saw a big group of chinese tourists getting their pictures taken in front of timmys, yet I have never seen a timmys in Asia.

[shaunew]

Not until I open one in iteawon

[iwastherebefore]

I notice a disapointing lack in aviation on this board. I thought an industry which is at the root of easy and affordable travel would peak some interest among the expats here.
As an aviation enthusiast, I am surprised at how Asian airlines have newer fleets than North American airlines. There are some planes still flown by major carriers here that have not been seen in Asia for 10 years.
As a Canadian I sometimes feet embaressed at Incheon or Narita airports, when the Korean or Japanese carriers were flying 747 and 777 models to Canada, whereas Air Canada was flying 767's designed and in service since 1985.

[lowpo]