Korean Job Market: My Experiences - Page 4 - Ajarn Forum

jimbo · 15th May 2008, 10:20

Have you talked to any existing teachers at either school Cap??

phuketbound · 15th May 2008, 10:35

Oooh, shit hours. I am guessing that is at a language school? It is up to you in the end, but you don't want to be killing yourself with those long hours. Why don't you take lesser hours, and do some privates once a week to up your salary.

I had a friend doing those type hours, and she didn't have a social life.

Capricious · 15th May 2008, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbo

Have you talked to any existing teachers at either school Cap??

Yeah, I've been on the phone with multiple teachers from each school. Both seem to be good operations, that is why I'm having trouble deciding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuketbound

Oooh, shit hours. I am guessing that is at a language school? It is up to you in the end, but you don't want to be killing yourself with those long hours. Why don't you take lesser hours, and do some privates once a week to up your salary. I had a friend doing those type hours, and she didn't have a social life.

Yeah the long hours certainly aren't ideal, I am just thinking in terms in the amount of money I would like to clear per month. If I could bank on privates then I would definately go with the shorter hours.

jimbo · 15th May 2008, 11:15

Privates should NEVER be banked on IME. Sounds like you have one of those "good" problems.

oxfordstu · 15th May 2008, 11:16

^Ask for 3.2 and see what they say. Personally I'd take the 1-8 gig. I hate long hours.

phuketbound · 15th May 2008, 11:20

Again it is up to you, but if they really want to hire you, tell them that you have another job offer that pays 3.2 and tell them you really want to work for them, but need a higher salary, and see what they say..haha. Sometimes you have to play their game. It may work in your favour.

Capricious · 15th May 2008, 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbo

Privates should NEVER be banked on IME. Sounds like you have one of those "good" problems.

Yeah, I think at this point I am just being a greedy farang. I've been spending a lot of time the past 3 weeks digging as deep as I can in both schools, and I think I will be happy in either one I land in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuketbound

if they really want to hire you, tell them that you have another job offer that pays 3.2 and tell them you really want to work for them, but need a higher salary, and see what they say

Playing that game is how I got them to bump it to 3.0 from 2.8

Thanks all for the advice and comments. I've been trying to go about this process the right way...nice and slow with lots of investigating and listening. Your comments have been a help

phuketbound · 15th May 2008, 12:02

^Good luck on whatever you decide. I will be going through the whole process again in a few months time. Have you done everything required so far?

WhatsGrammar? · 15th May 2008, 21:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxfordstu

^Exactly. Do your research. I've never done a runner, and glad I didn't. Sure, there are some really bad schools out there, but don't judge an entire country based on two bad experiences with shady directors.

Agreed!

Some guy/gal has a bad experience with two jobs ( probably not fully researched them either ) and because of that alone it is stated that Korea is a hell-hole.

Pulling a midnight run twice makes you sound like a loser.

Capricious · 15th May 2008, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by phuketbound

^Good luck on whatever you decide. I will be going through the whole process again in a few months time. Have you done everything required so far?

Thanks

Yeah, I basically have all the paper work now, just waiting for the criminal record check to come in. Then I can submit my papers, wait a few weeks, and then have to make a trip to the consulate inNew York. I hate New York

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhatsGrammar?

Some guy/gal has a bad experience with two jobs ( probably not fully researched them either ) and because of that alone it is stated that Korea is a hell-hole.

I don't think there is an excuse to not fully research a school. The paper work takes so long that you have a good two months to do so!

redhaze · 16th May 2008, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capricious

Ok, the school with the longer hours called me up tonight and raised the salary from 2.8 to 3.0, so I am a bit torn. I'd like to be in the 3.0 range when all is said and done with extra work etc... The school offering me 2.6 has hours of 1pm-8pm, which is great but there is no certainty about extra work to bump me up to where I want to be. The school now offering 3.0 has some long hours 9am-7pm, but the money is certain.

Any suggestions? The school offering 2.6 seemed like the easy choice until the other school raised their offer.

If I am doing my math correctly, it seems as if the answer lies in whether or not you think an extra 60 hours per month is worth the extra .4

Doesn't sound like the difference would be worth it to me. I'd take sleeping in.

My_Kow_Lope · 16th May 2008, 00:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capricious

Well I've been taking my time with my selection of a school, and trying to do everything possible to dig up as much as I can. I've been getting multiple foreign teachers on the phone, curriculum outlines, and facility/accomodation pics from the two schools I am really interested in. The two schools I am most confident about made me offers of 2.6m and 2.8 respectively.

The 2.6m one has fairly short days, the classes are nice and compacted. The 2.8m one is longer hours and the classes are less compacted. I figure if I select the first school I could probably make up the difference in salary with some side work. How exactly do people go about picking up some "language exchanges", considering they are illegal? I'd love to take the job with short hours and fill up on other work, just not sure what would be the best way to do that. Any advice from the Korea vets?

If I were you I wouldn't take either of those jobs. Try to find something with a much earlier start/finish time. Even if it means working for slightly less on your base salary.....it'll be worth it as you'll have plenty of time left to block up on privates.

Capricious · 16th May 2008, 01:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by redhaze

If I am doing my math correctly, it seems as if the answer lies in whether or not you think an extra 60 hours per month is worth the extra .4 Doesn't sound like the difference would be worth it to me. I'd take sleeping in.

When you put it in those terms, it does make it silly doesn't it? No way an extra 60 hours a month is only worth .4m won. I could easily make 3x that much if I just filled up that time with online teaching. Thanks for putting that into perspective

Quote:

Originally Posted by My_Kow_Lope

Try to find something with a much earlier start/finish time. Even if it means working for slightly less on your base salary.....it'll be worth it as you'll have plenty of time left to block up on privates.

Probably a good piece of advice. There is a 3rd school offering 2.5m and has 9-5 hours. Maybe that would be the best bet, but I'd like to do some more research on the school first. I did speak to one of the teachers there last night though.

Benedict XVI · 16th May 2008, 01:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by My_Kow_Lope

If I were you I wouldn't take either of those jobs. Try to find something with a much earlier start/finish time. Even if it means working for slightly less on your base salary.....it'll be worth it as you'll have plenty of time left to block up on privates.

Good to see you again My_Kow_Lope and I appreciate your generous help and info. I printed it out. With new E-2 Visa rules for first timers one has to pick carefully. I am not counting myself out.

MisterStretch · 16th May 2008, 09:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capricious

Any suggestions? The school offering 2.6 seemed like the easy choice until the other school raised their offer.

Cap, with a uni degree, TEFL (or equivalent) and two years of verifiable teaching (letters of recommendation suffice) then you're at 2.5 as your basic package in a government school with the EPIK program. If you work in more than one school (normally the case...can work up to three) then if it's 3 then you are at 2.65, no weekend work, generous overtime classes (at least in my case, $40 an hour, 4 hours a week), short days, my typical day runs from 9-5.

I wouldn't take either of the gigs you are talking about...even the 3.0 one. This month I will make 3.15, and I don't do privates, though I could.