Korean Job Discussion Forums

[phoenixstorm]

I am just curious about the people who have worked several years in esl in Korea. Would you have done things differently the first time you came here?

Such as...

Would you have favored more money over working hours or vice versa?

Would you have a particular area in Korea ( a city or particular area of the city) where you wanted to be?

Would you have focused soley on hogwons or public schools or something else like corporate teaching?

Would you have searched for a place with other foreign teachers or one where you are the resident foreigner?

Any insights and thoughts are greatly appreaciated. Thanks!

[kiwiliz]

I love my schools and the kids...got lucky, but for my second year I think I should have moved to a larger city where there could have been more foreigners my age. But then again I might not have managed to save as much...maybe I wouldn't.
Not much help sorry.

[Unposter]

I would have come here younger (earlier). Compound interest is a powerful thing.

It definately depends on your goals while you are here: Money, leisure, education, pursuit of hobbies or interests, Buddhism or other spirituality, perpetual travel etc...

Some people love rock-n-roll others love country. It is so hard to say.

Depending on your goals, your choices would all be different.

[garykasparov]

[spliff]

I wouldn't have come here at all and waste my elite uni degree...

[cdninkorea]

Oh so many things, and they all pertain to my first job:

- I wouldn't have worked for YB*
- I wouldn't have taught kindergarten at YB*
- I would have insisted upon proper training as promised in the contract provided by YB*, rather than being expected to teach on my second day with no experience and being fresh out of university
- I would have insisted on over time pay at YB*, and not have been persuaded by the argument that "everyone else isn't getting it, so why should you?"
- I would have told my pompous, two faced cow of a coteacher off, who also worked for YB*
- I would have insisted upon YB* sending me on my visa run right away rather than waiting a month and a half (I didn't know it was illegal)

Yeah, what a learning experience YB* was.

*I'm sure you can figure out what the last letter is of this large Korean hagwon chain

[PRagic]

I would have come in and worked a year at a hakwon, banked some coin, then quit and gotten on a student visa. I could have dragged a grad degree out over 4 years and banked my way through it.

If I had only planned on being in the country for a couple-a few years, I would have only done the very first year on a teaching visa. I would have gone student or 'tourist'. More money, more time, and more flexibility.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I would definitely have come here earlier. It would have been nice to have started off at a better job, but as it turned out I think that six months at a crap hagwon was probably the best possible training and introduction to Korea I could have experienced.

[wylies99]

Easy to sum up in two words- "HOGWAN BAD"

[garykasparov]

[oneofthesarahs]

I'm torn about this question. Knowing what I know now, I'm sure I could have found a job making more money with less working hours. And I probably would have found a job in a larger city and had a more active social life.

But despite all the crap, if I hadn't taken this job then I also wouldn't have met a lot of really fantastic people. Maybe I would have met other fantastic people, I don't know.

Regretting and fretting about what you could have done differently is useless. All the choices, good and bad got me to the point I am now and I can't change it. All I can do is learn from some of my mistakes and try not to do the same stupid things twice. (I'll find some NEW stupid thing to do!)