Summer Camp Jobs

Here's the question:

I'm currently working in Korea, but my contract ends in May. I don't really want to get tied into another 12 month contract straight away (unless I can find my dream ESL job!) so am considering teaching at summer camps.

Do you know if any recruiters specialise in recruiting for summer camps? And when do summer camp jobs normally become available? Finally, is there much competition for these positions?

Summer camps are great ways to pick-up some nice, quick cash. They're really great if you're already in-country as well. Being February, there won't be many summer camp gigs being advertised yet, but in April you'll start seeing more and more.

There are a couple different types of summer camps as well. People who teach in public schools know that"summer camp" does not mean really mean "camp" and it usually requires longer days (sometimes with better pay). But you're looking for a contracted summer gig that usually lasts 4-6 weeks. Some jobs will be longer/shorter, but most of them offer pretty decent deals. 

I personally don't know any recruiters who specialize in summer camps. I doubt the cash-flow is consistent enough to warrant an agency dedicated to that, but I might be wrong. As far as competition goes, it's usually not that stiff. The busy hiring season in Korea is in the spring and fall, so the applicant pool isn't as crowded. That means that summer/winter camps often look for teachers who are abroad as well. Since you'd be here, I'd think you'd have an easier time locking in a job. Remember though, the market has tightened a lot over the past couple of years, so get your resume ready and start scouring the job boards in about two months.

I'd shoot for Jeju. That seems like a nice parting-image from the country.

• I'm sure that Lost on Jeju might be able to help. (Summer camp post here)

•  You could also shoot an email to Jeju-based Jung Hae-min: smilebiglala@gmail.com

 

Anyone else have any leads?

"After-school" Programs in Korea

Here's the question:

I am still in Canada searching for teaching work in Korea. It's been like two months and I just don't know what job I want. There are so many that advertise LONG hours and those don't appeal to me and these so-called recruiters never listen to my demands.

Nothing better than new young teachers who want a job, but don't like working. That mentality --in part-- is why I don't hire young teachers or anyone fresh out of college anymore.

I started to see more afterschool and afternoon positions recently. They sound great! Why doesn't everyone want those? Are they hard to get?

First of all, there is usually a difference between  "afternoon" and "after-school" positions. An "afternoon" position is at a hagwon and will typically start at 3 or 4pm and run till 9 or 10pm. An "after-school" position is at a public school and typically runs from 12 0r 1pm until 5 0r 6pm.

It sounds like you want to an "after-school" position. I've worked at several in my time here and all of them are essentially the same. Although the venue is a public school, you are actually working for a recruiter/education company. For example,  ABC Education is a recruiting/education company. They have a curriculum, books, managers, supplies and teachers all within their company. These companies go from school to school trying to make contracts with the principals. Once they have the contracts, they choose the teacher who best suits each school (which means the prinipal has a say). So, each teacher is not actually working for the public school system, but rather a separate company.

The pay varies greatly as well. If you're north of the river, then expect your pay to be less than if you're in the south. And even in the south, you'll be paid based on the neighborhood. For instance, in Yangjae I was making okay money, but then I moved over to Songpa and was making 30% more. Now, I'm in Gangnam making nearly 60% more than I was in Yangjae. Of course, the higher the pay, the more competitive the job is.

You asked "why doesn't everbody want those" jobs? Well, a lot of people do want those jobs. In fact, many of those positions require an in-person interview which puts teachers abroad at a disadvantage. However, it's still worth trying.

On a side note, the after-school jobs are oftentimes looking for teachers on the F2 visa. They do that because F2's are easy to hire, have been in Korea for awhile and usually have housing already. These days, however, some F2's are even being forced to submit the same paperwork at E2's. I protested at first but soon realized that if I didn't do it, then I wouldn't get the job.

In short, the afterschool jobs are great. You're typically teaching medium-sized Elementary classes (10-20 students), have relative freedom in the class (even with the Korean co-teacher) and get a lot of free time. The details of the contract depend on the job and company, but for the most part, they're super sweet gigs.

How to maximize your earnings on an F2 visa in South Korea

This is a question from Gary of Dagseoul on one of Paul's (Paul Ajosshi) Facebook 'status updates'.

Does F2 actually do anything for you?

A big YES! on that one, Gary. I've been on an F-2 for two years and in that time, I've seen my salary nearly quadruple. Sounds tricky at first, especially because there's an awful lot of noise surrounding the "dirty visa", but it makes sense since there's very little usable info to go on. 

First of all, the F2 allows you to work in nearly every industry in Korea. Of course, qualifications actually get you the job, but the F2 visa allows people to become more industrious and consider fields they once thought were off-limits. As we all very well know, the E2 limits you to language education and your visa sponsor, aka boss, pretty much controls your earning limit as well as a bunch of other things you once had control of in your home nation. 

Once on the F2, you can leave the education industry. That might sound very enticing to some. I've known people who have gone into writing, publishing, entertainment, video production and recruiting. Leaving the education industry might appeal to some, but unless you are producing something yourself, the income level is ultimately controlled by that industry. What I mean is that if you decide to take a job as an editor with KTO, you'd be free from teaching, but your income still hovers between 2-3 million a month. 

Before settling into what I'm currently doing, I tested a lot of different educational waters and weighed my options. I first thought that I would continue teaching at a hagwon and then pick-up advertised (and taxed) tutoring jobs. After all, if you post your resume on a website like Worknplay, you'll continually be offered positions and tutoring gigs all over the city. That sounded pretty good at first, especially since many of them paid nearly 50,000 an hour. But once you actually look at the time and numbers, you're only making an extra 1-2 million plus you've gotta be traveling all over the place with the possibility of having cancellations. That wasn't concrete enough and since marriage requires a certain level of stability, I continued searching for the right combination.

There's also the option of doing privates on the F2, but with Kang Shin-who's tabloids running in the KT and admitted stalker/pervert/cunt-bag Yie Eun-woong going through peoples garbage, it just isn't worth the hassle. Regardless of the facts (something that those two fail to understand), getting involved with the police over teaching English would be embarrassing to you and your Korean family.

After a few months of putting it all together, I decided the best way to do it was to work in two schools. You get the split-shift and add an afternoon program in the middle. One of the unwritten perks of the F2 is its persuasive power to increase salary. To a school, the F2 represents longevity, experience, interest in Korea and -this is the kicker- simplicity. Hiring an F2 takes five minutes. All they actually need is a diploma. The background checks and all the other immigration garbage is gone. Schools like that are willing to negotiate on salary. They also know that toying with you or playing games is much harder since you not only have been around, but also have a spouse and Korean family to back you up.

The afternoon school is a little trickier. Most will require you to get the same documentation (criminal, medical, transcripts etc...) as E2's, but again you can negotiate. Hiring you might be only a little easier than an F2, but longevity comes into play again and schools hate losing teachers. 

What I have right now took a little time to get, but it works well. I'm the manager at my adult language institute which means I choose the hours I work/teach without losing any wages. That's to say, it's very flexible. Secondly, I work for an afternoon program that's literally 30 SECONDS away from my other gig. On top of that, both gigs are within two minutes of my house.

How much do I work a week? 

Depending on how much energy I have, anywhere between 40-55 hours a week. 

There are tons of ways to make it work and probably lots of you who have made it work even better. Care to share?

Just how much has the teaching market tightened in South Korea?

I've gotten A LOT of questions recently from people who are having serious issues finding jobs. I was wondering if any of you readers you could me help out. One of the questioners is a male in his 40s with an MA and another is a black women with with an MA and experience. From my experience recruiting (and I have seen their resumes and pictures), these two would be shoo-ins. Obviously the public schools screwed up this year and perhaps some kid hagwons could be a little tougher to crack given the power that moms have, but they should have no problems teaching adults. Or so I thought. And it's not that they're just not getting hired. It's that recruiters aren't responding to them, they're not getting interviews and overall, they're getting the cold shoulder from everyone along the way. Has the situation really gotten that bad? Is it really this hard to land a decent gig?

So, I wonder...

Those of you who teach adults (or any age for that matter), is your institute actively hiring? Do you know if they have more applicants than usual? Are you working with any non-Caucasians or people over 40?

Is it bad timing or has the market tightened that much?

Gay Teachers in South Korea: Should they hide it?

Here's the question:

I've been told that people are extremely intolerant of gay people in general social situations and I could even be fired from my job because of it!!! How often does this happen and how do they "determine" whether someone is gay or not? Dress? Mannerisms? Should I leave my scarves and cigarette cut jeans (you should see them, they're FANTASTIC!) back at home? I just don't want to lose my job just because of a lack of understanding so I want to play it somewhat safe. Any advice?

Yet another LGBT-related question from our soon-to-be fellow expat, Jim. He's brought us many of the other questions featured here on Ask the Expat.

You'll find some extremely intolerant people all over the world and Korea is certainly no exception. Yet the more I think about it, I don't think Korea's relationship with homosexuality could or should be defined as "intolerant". Intolerance is what happened to Matthew Shepard and Charles Howard in the United States. Intolerance is what Poland and Lithuania did by censoring gay-related information and institutionalizing homophobia. Intolerance is executing two young gay teenagers in Iran. Korea has not seen many acts of violence committed towards homosexuals and, besides outlawing gay marriages, Korea only has one law on the books regarding homosexuality. They have tried blacklisting, but as I pointed out before, it has been largely ineffective. Korea as a society is simply too inexperienced in its PUBLIC dealings with homosexuality that a strong anti-gay culture has yet to emerge.

I'm not discounting the extreme embarrassment that some Korean parents claim to suffer through when a son or daughter comes out or even acts effeminate, but unlike much of the rest of the world, there isn't an organized anti-gay movement yet. I imagine that as the LGBT community continues to organize and mobilize, more attention will be given to them which will lead to an official opposition movement.

One thing that must be difficult for "out" Americans and other Westerners is the fact that some may have spent years coming out and fighting prejudices at home only to arrive in Korea and forced into the closet. There's a reason for this and it's not just a gay-straight thing. In Korea, people do not earn identities based on their staunch individualism. Rather, the identity is gained by following pre-determined professional, familial and societal steps.

For example, I love canoeing and kayaking. I love it and if people were describing me (pre-Korea), they would probably point to that interest before anything else. I know there's a world of difference between an activity and sexuality and I also recognize that publicly stating a love water-sports (pun intended) wouldn't be as shocking as a declaration of homosexuality, but the point is that Koreans don't identify each other by uniqueness or quirkiness. Those qualities are not as valued in Korea as say, being a good team leader or daughter-in-law is. Being unique equates to being different which equates to being strange which can lead to isolation or even alienation.

I'm not advocating that we should all act and dress like drones, but you must blend into your environment a bit more here. I'm not sure what cigarette cut jeans are, but I can tell you that wearing scarves out of season certainly won't help you blend into your surroundings. If you're teaching kids, I would recommend toning down your style while at school and around your neighborhood. You won't be doing yourself any favors walking the streets near your school in such a fashion. Students and parents will see you, tag superficial and innaccurate qualities onto your character based on preconceived ideas and identity politics. They might not see you as gay per se, but they could get concerned about your teaching abilities. Remember, perception is king. It would be wise to play it safe and tone it down in and around your school.

Mannerisms are a little trickier for Koreans to pickup on though. Remember when I said "gaydar" can be a bit off in Korea? Well, Koreans' "gaydar" for non-Koreans is essentially non-existent. The stereotypes of gay men and women are not as flaunted as they are in the West, so typical Western indicators don't raise the flags in Korea. I used to work with a gay American from Wisconsin. He was a small town boy who moved from a tiny city to San Francisco before making the trek across the pond. He had become quite involved in the LGBT culture in San Fran which, of course, is much more pronounced than most other American cities.

When he arrived here, there was no question about it, nor did he try to hide it. His adult students, however, had no idea. They thought his clothes were very fashionable (which is probably true), his hair stylish and they all found his mannerisms charming. They didn't identify those traits the same way I did. He was a very charming fellow for sure, but there was no popular perception or typified pattern for his students to connect to. I'm not saying that Koreans are clueless. It's just that many of them don't consider sexuality when evaluating character (mostly because homosexuality still remains on the fringe of Korean society).

I couldn't say how many people are fired over their sexual orientation, but I have known enough gay teachers to know they didn't have any serious problems. They kept their private life and work life separate just as everyone should do regardless of career or industry. There will be no witch hunt or anything else at work either. If you speak too openly with Korean colleagues about it then you might run into a few snags, so I caution you there as well. I know it might be hard to hide your sexual orientation and in many cases you won't have to, but at school and around your students (if they're children), I'd play it safe. You can still have a wild time on the weekends and act and dress however you please, so don't worry about that.

Dating Co-Workers and Potential Risks

Here's the question:

I'm interested in my Korean co-teacher and I think she's into me. How should I handle this? Should I ask her out? What happens if the school finds out?

First of all, I'm not the guy to give dating advice (see Dear Abby). I would suggest talking to friends about that one. Remember, dating is dating and love is love. The rules that applied to romance and dating at home pretty much apply here. There is no turn-of-the-key pick-up line or gesture. Men and women are pretty much the same all over the world.

However, I think dating co-workers, regardless of where you are employed, always creates problems. In a school, it creates even more problems and dating a co-teacher in a Korean school has the potential to create the most problems. I wouldn't recommend it, but you might not be able to resist, so I'll try my best.

You should consider how this arrangment is going to effect your job and ability to teach well. I have a hard time believing that your attention would be on teaching and in the end, that's what you're here to do. The school is paying you, so it's your responsibility to do a decent job in the classroom.

Let's pretend for a minute that dating your co-teacher wouldn't interfer with your teaching ability. In most cases, you'd still need to keep it a secret from the school. Not only is the administration going to frown upon the relationship due to obvious problems that could arise, parents are not going to be thrilled about sending their kids into the love-nest either. Whether it be your co-workers, bosses or even students, someone is bound to find out and they are likely to spill the beans to someone who shouldn't know. If the school, principal or director thinks that the relationship is a big enough problem (regardless of what you think), someone could be fired or removed and I'm willing to bet that it wouldn't be the native teacher. Do you want that responsibilty?

And just think about it. What if you start dating and then break-up? This isn't a big corporate office where you can duck behind desks. This is a small shared classroom where communication is paramount. If you dated and broke up, what would happen? Would she have to quit? Would you? I think the whole thing is very risky and doesn't sound worth the potential stress.

Of course, love blinds logic and if you're really set on it, then you must be discreet. No long stares, unecessary touching or flirting in front of students, other teachers or your principal. That's just crazy.

I have a friend who has been dating his girlfriend for nearly 8 months. They don't work for a public school, but they still have problems. The powers that be have forbidden the relationship, moved them to separate institutes and now their relationship is heavily strained and destined to fail. I could come up with dozens of reasons why some schools dislike inner-school romance and some perhaps might have to do with the fact that many of them are between Korean women and foreign men, but I think the main reason is that once the relationship starts, work performance declines. Once that goes, students leave the school or complain about the classes. The rest is history.

I know that I'm painting a rather nasty picture here and there are probably tons of teachers who have managed the work/romantic relationship with relative ease, but I think a nice cold splash of reality never hurts anybody. I know that you're in Korea not only for work, but to live, learn and love. Still, your school cares about education and that should be important to all teachers as well.

Any personal stories out there?

6-Month Contracts in South Korea

Here's the question:

I'm interested in teaching English in Korea. However, I cannot commit to a 1 year contract. Do you know of any places that have 6 month contracts? Or anything less than 6 month contracts?

Most schools and jobs offer the standard year contract. There are six month gigs out there, but they are hard to find, offer less benefits and no airfare or severance. Most schools don't want to mess with them because having a constant flow of short-term teachers damages reputations and decreases re-enrollment. So, I couldn't point you in any solid direction for those contracts, but if you cruise the jobs sites well enough, you might manage to find something. They surface from time to time on Daves though.

You have a couple options though. If you're totally into coming to Korea, then you can try to find a summer camp or a winter camp. They're usually five weeks of pretty full teaching days, but you can make some decent cash. Since it's nearing the end of the summer now, you'd have to shoot for the winter camps. However, those jobs typically get snatched up by F2/F4 visa holders or E2 holders who are already in country.

Of course, you don't have to teach in Korea. I would take a look at some international job boards. You can find some pretty good 6-month jobs on there.

Tips on recruiters and where to look for teaching jobs in South Korea

Here's the question:

Do you have any suggestions on where to find a job? I've applied to dozens of positions through eslcafe.com and the recruiters found through the site. I've had 6 interviews now with different recruiters and two offers. The one I accepted for Seoul, emailed me a few days after and said that the position was filled since another candidate managed to get their paperwork to the school before mine. I'm frantically applying so that I can move and start teaching mid to late August. I currently live in Seattle and have all of my documents ready for an E-2 visa.

I feel your frustrations. As any manager would know, I've had to deliver the grim news to many prospective teachers whom I had already told had a secure position. Since most foreign managers are not the be all and end all when it comes to hiring, this type of thing happens way to often. Recruiters want to connect as many teachers to schools as possible which makes the whole hiring process a first-come-first-serve type deal. Korean management wants their openings filled BEFORE previous teachers leave. In many cases, qualifications don't matter. All that matters is expediency on delivering required documents. The whole process is a headache for everyone involved, especially frustrated teachers who are doing everything they can from their end.

I would recommend a couple things for you. Rather than surfing around Dave's and sending out resumes to countless recruiters, try focusing on just a few recruiters in your target area. For instance, check out Work N Play. They typically have more specified positions and sometimes schools will even advertise individual openings. I say this because recruiters are simply trying to funnel teachers into positions that need filling, regardless of stated preference. It wouldn't hurt to check out Club4Teacher, You Love It or My ESL Job either.

When you contact these schools or perhaps recruiters, make sure you are very up front with them and even a bit aggressive. They will pursue anyone who appears to be easy to recruit, so if you make yourself appear available (not desperate) and flexible (especially about location), then you should have no problems finding a decent gig.

You should also remember that it takes an average of five to six weeks for the whole process (interview to flight) to be completed. If you have a little time to spare then you should be able to land a good job in your target area.

Private Tutoring in South Korea: Is it safe?

Here's the question:

I understand that teaching privates for E-2 holders is illegal and lucrative, yet many people do it anyway. I have quite a bit of debt and some financial obligations back home, and teaching privates or some other form of supplemental income would help me alot. How often do they do private tutoring crackdowns? What is the general safety of this practice?

I was wondering when I was going to get a question about privates.

Private tutoring is one of those things that nearly everyone seems to have done, speaks relatively openly about and is paid very well for. Sometimes people are approached on the streets, in subways or restaurants and other times, parents of students and adults in class ask for some extra help. Koreans are hungry for tutors in all subjects and many are willing to pay big bucks for it. Some might wonder if there is such a demand for it, then why has the government taken such a strong stance against it? Why not regulate it? They have. They're called hagwons.

I could opine if I wanted, but much has already been written about it. The gist is that the government has been working very hard recently and over the past decade to level the playing field so that all students and households have an equal shot at succeeding in school. There's also the growing concern that education costs are linked to the rapidly decreasing birthrate as well. Again, if you're interested in that, I'd suggest digging around Google and the K-blogosphere as nearly everyone has added their angle to the story.

As you know, it is illegal and there have been the occasional crackdowns and threats from the government, but in general it's pretty safe. I "officially" state that you should not do it since it is illegal and getting caught is always a possibility. If the police do catch up with you, then you can expect to be jailed, fined or deported. From time to time you'll also hear about small groups of citizens who band together in an effort to snuff out illegal teachers by propositioning them and then turning around and calling the police. (Think that's bad? Look at what the crazies over at Anti-English Spectrum do.) There's also the lame people who try to sell their privates (pun intended). I couldn't find any ads for them today, but just for the extreme levels of their douchiness for trying to squeeze cash out of other expats, we should all ignore these guys.

Bottom line is that many Koreans want tutors, they'll pay well (usually around 50,000/hr) and that's good for teachers (and them if you're effective), but if you are really set on tutoring privately, only accept gigs from people you know or from solid recommendations. Other than that, it's not worth searching. If they land in your lap, well, then there you go.

There are, however, legal routes to go if you want to make some solid extra cash. If you really love working all day, well, then get two jobs. It's possible. You can teach adults on the split shift and do an afternoon school gig in the middle. It's a lot of hours, but you'll be pulling over 5-6k a month, plus benefits and the potential for double housing cash. Or you can teach at a kindergarten place in the morning and early afternoon and then a hagwon till late into the night. There are plenty of ways to make solid LEGAL cash. Of course, if you're on the E2 then you'll need to get permission from the school who sponsors your visa. That can be tricky sometimes, but as long as the two mediums aren't vying for the same market, then you should have no problems.

You could also consider getting involved in some aspects of the entertainment industry, but that's for another question and another post.

In the end, teaching privately is a lucrative business and can make you some big bucks. However, it could also end in deportation. If you have the F2 visa, then you can teach privately, but you're supposed to register with the government and report all earnings so you can pay taxes on them.

Making and saving money is important and you will be tempted to privately tutor. If you do, then that's your business. Just know that it could lead to problems.

Has anybody been caught in the game?

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Midnight Run or Letter of Release? How do I get out of a bad school?

Here's the question:

I am looking for advice about E2's. My 2 friends are at a shit korean kindergarten (not hagwon, but a korean school that thought it would be cool to have English teachers but have no idea how things work). things have not worked out and they have agreed to give them release letters. they have been there 4 months and have agreed to pay back the flight here. The school is now telling them they must pay back the recruiter fee too since the recruiter is not agreeing to pay it back himself. as we know this is bullocks!

My questions are 1) can they just do a runner (and pay back the flight by working the last month free) and still get a new E2 for with a new school? or do they have to wait for their year to be up on the original visa? 2) if they get the release letter do they have to go to Japan to get a new E2 or can it just transfer over to their new schools?

thank you in advance.

f

This is one of those stories that everybody reads about on countless sites and blacklists. There are a couple ways to approach such a situation, but each must be done done well and with relative calm and finesse.

This is total advice since there is no proven formula for a painless exit from a bad school.

Technically speaking, your friends "shit kindergarten" has every right to demand repayment of the flight tickets and it's not at all uncommon for them to demand recruiter repayment as well. A lot of schools will dock fifty or so bucks from each paycheck for the first six months as a safety net in case a teacher doesn't work out or decides to pull a midnight run. So unless this school has a deduction system in place, they will try to get that money from them. Since contracts in Korea are not binding in the least, they have very little ground to stand on.

The Runner

You ask if they can do a "runner". Of course, you're referring to the infamous "midnight run" where a disgruntled English teacher bent on sticking it to the man picks up in the middle of the night, catches the red eye and laughs all the way home. I don't recommend this option in most cases (and especially not in public), but in all honesty, your friends are going to lose a lot more if they don't. If they run, then they need to do it sooner than later. Ethics aside, there is no reason to continue showing up to work if they are going to surrender all of their wages to the boss for repayment. They should quietly pack up, store their stuff at a friends place and hop on a cheap flight to Japan. Their absence at school will obviously be noticed and once the school discovers that their apartments have been abandoned (but don't trash it as that presents other problems), they will cancel the visa within a few days. Schools do not want the responsibility of having sponsored teachers MIA and wondering the countryside. That said, it is important to be out of the country by that time and/or be in contact with a new recruiter.

Once the school has cancelled the visa (and their new recruiter will know if it has been done), they can start the process over again, totally new and unknown to the unorganized and unmotivated immigration officials. All they need to have is their documents (diploma, criminal background check, transcripts, health exam...) and be out of the country to get another E2 visa. Some say that a midnight runner must remain out of the country until their previous contract expires, but the contract has little to do with the visa itself and should not be a problem.

I recommend this, but I don't really like it. It'll save your friends a heap of money, but it might screw a fellow teacher. And like always, they might have to deal with some unforeseen song and dance with immigration.

The Release

The release would be the safest option, but it looks like it's going to cost them. Traditionally, they would not have to fly to Japan since E2 sponsorship would simply to transferred, but if their current school is playing hardball and doesn't want to issue the letters until all debts have been repaid, then it would make a smooth transfer difficult.

It's a difficult situation to be in really and one that could be so much easier if their current school was being just a little bit more cooperative with the recruiter fees. Personally, I would get in contact with a recruiter, be honest with them about the situation, take a boat to Japan, save some of that repayment cash and start over at a well-researched and established school. Publicly, I would press for the letter of release as soon as possible and move on with as little hassle as possible.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment

Contribution and Collection of Pension Money in South Korea

Here's the question:

I'm worried that my school (hagwon) isn't actually contributing to my pension. My pay stub says they are, but is there anyway that I can find out before I try to cash in?

Trevor

Valid concern. Depending on what country you're from, you're entilted to a lump-sum refund. Some teachers, however, are not covered by this. I pulled this from the National Pension Fund website which is surprisingly throrough.

Who is excluded from Coverage?

① Those nationals whose country does not mandatorily cover Korean citizens
under its pension scheme. => Under this rule, only the nationals from the
following 18 specified countries

• ※ do not have to enroll and pay the NPS contributions.


• ※ the Republic of South Africa, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar,
  Bangladesh, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, Tonga,
  Pakistan, Fiji, Cambodia, Singapore, Belarus, East Timor

② Foreigners who are not registered under the Immigration Act, or to whom the
forced deportation order has been issued under the same Act, or who are staying
in Korea without being permitted to extend their term of stay.

③ Among the registered foreigners under the Immigration Act, those whose stay
status falls under any of the followings; culture & art, studying abroad,
industrial training, general training, religion, visiting & living together
and others.

④ People excluded from the mandatory coverage of National Pension Scheme, by
the social security agreement.

Also, check this out if you happen to be British. There is a lot of rumors surrounding what happens with citizens from the UK. Here's a another post I wrote about that.

Most schools will match your 4.5% monthly contribution into your pension fund, so each month you're actually investing 9% of your salary. It's a good system because it's essentially a forced savings plan for teachers who prefer to spend there money on booze or shoes.

The best way to find out if your boss has been matching your contribution is to either call the pension office or go down there yourself. I would recommend you go down there just to make sure. The website won't let me link individual pages, but if you click the mini-map on the home page, you'll find a very comprehensive list of telephone numbers and addresses for your area.

If you have determined that your school or boss is matching your contribution and it's time for you to leave Korea, you need to go to a regional pension office and follow these directions which I also pulled from the site.

An Application for Lump-sum Refund (This form is available at any regional
office.)

• His/her passport


• His/her Alien Registration Card


• A copy of bankbook or similar (registered in the applicant's name)


• A copy of an airline ticket. (the date of departure has to be in less than a month from the date of the claim)


• ※ In the case that an applicant has been insured under an other public pension scheme since before July 23, 2007 and he/she had insured periods under the National Pension Scheme before being insured under the public pension scheme, he/she can receive his/her national pension contributions as a lump-sum refund if he/she submits a certificate of employment and a copy of a certificate of coverage.

If , for some reason, you needed to leave Korea in a hurry or forgot about your pension money, then you'll need to follow these directions.

An application for Lump-sum Refund (it must be notarized from a
notary's agency in the country where the applicant resides and be attested by
the Korean embassy).

• A copy of bankbook or similar (registered in the applicant's name)


• ※ If the applicant applies for overseas remittance, an application for
  overseas remittance and a bank statement or void check which shows his/her name
  and account number are required.


• A copy of his/her passport

And if you need a third person to collect your funds...

A letter of attorney (it must be notarized from a notary's agency in
the country where the applicant resides and be attested by the Korean
embassy).

• ※ An applicant should specify that he/she intends the agent in Korea to
  receive his/her lump-sum refund on behalf of him/her. In this case the applicant
  must provide a signed or stamped letter of attorney containing the agent's full
  name, address, etc.


• ※ An agent living in Korea who has received the letter of attorney should
  get their Korean-translated texts notarized again so the letter's contents can
  be generally identified.- A copy of the applicant's passport


• An application for Lump-sum Refund


• ※ An applicant must fill out the "Application by Agent" section in the
  "Application for Lump-sum Refund" form and then notarize it in a notary's agency
  of the country where the applicant resides and attest it in the Korean consulate
  or embassy. If the applicant's letter of attorney is tested by a public notary
  in the country where he/she resides or a Korean consulate or embassy, the
  "Application by Agent" is not necessary.


• A copy of applicant's ID card (public documents issued by the
  government of the applicant's home country including a passport, social security
  card or other forms of identification)


• Applicant's bank book (it must be notarized from a notary's agency of the
  country where the applicant resides and be attested by the Korean embassy)

I have never heard of someone not getting their pension money back, so it seems that this is a pretty sure thing if you follow the steps correctly.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Jet-Lag and Settling-in Time for New Teachers in South Korea

Here's the question:

Is it pretty typical to have to start work the day after you arrive in Korea? This has come up a few times on a couple message boards and it kind of freaks me out that I may not even have time to get over jet lag - much less unpack - before I have to show up at school.

Emily

Unfortunately, it is common. I have known many teachers who arrived in Korea in the morning only to find themselves at school that afternoon. However, this is only the standard for hagwons. Most public schools have two big hiring drives (September, March) where the teachers arrive in Korea around the same time and are put into a week long orientation. From what I've heard, the orientation is pretty lame, but it does allow for some settle-in time as well as getting over jet lag.

Hagwons and other private institutes are usually hard-pressed to get a teacher to start just as the previous teacher departs. This is usually why teachers are thrown into classes or at least immediate in-class training. The best way to combat this is to make sure you'll be getting some solid training/observation time which usually requires less on-site time. That's easier said than done as it's practically clockwork for recruiters to promise such settling time, but it wouldn't hurt to try. If you can help it, try to arrive on a Friday or even just as a holiday starts. I arrived the day that summer vacation was starting, so I got here on a Friday and didn't start until the following Thursday.

If you're really worried about jet lag, then you have a couple options. You can either take some meds on the flight over and try to start the sleeping pattern or you can power through and drink heavily your first couple nights which will lead to you passing out and therefore forcing yourself to adjust. Your call on that one.

I have never really been that affected by jet lag. I think it's one of those things that really gets to some people while the rest of us just like to talk about it as if we also suffered from it. If you're working for a hagwon, especially a small one, expect to start that day or the following morning. If you're going to be in some other type of school then you might get some more time. Either way, after a week or two you'll be adjusted and ready to go.

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.

Non-Teaching Positions in Korea and Visas for Wives

Here's the question:

My girlfriend is fluent in English and has a master's degree, but is not from an English-speaking country. Is there any chance she could get a job as an English instructor in South Korea? If not, and we were to marry, what difficulties would we face in her being here? Could she find any kind of work, not knowing how to speak Korean?

My follow-up question: Where is your girlfriend from? What is her master in?

She's from Hungary with a master's degree in sociology from a Hungarian university. I think she's passed the English language exam but I don't know enough about it to say for certain. She has to write her thesis in English, I think, and her undergraduate degree was in American studies.

I touched on something similar to this in a previous post. First of all, there is very little chance for her to get a standard language education visa (E2) since she is from Hungary. If she were to speak and teach another commonly taught language in Korea, then perhaps she could find a job here, but I'd say her options are limited on that front.

So, I would suggest you take a look at some of the other visa options. Perhaps she would be able to get a job in one of those fields. Take a look at this site and this site. Here's a forum discussion which also has a few links. They're mostly related to English, but might give you a couple ideas at least.

You mentioned getting married and if you do, then you'll have the option of obtaining an F-3 visa which is for accompanying spouses of visa holders. That gets her into the country, but it doesn't get her a job. If you decide not to get married and she does not have a job that provides a visa, then she will have to apply for a tourist visa at a Korean consulate in Hungary. The consulate is in Budapest, but even then her visa is only good for 90 days. If you're heart is really set on coming to Korea with your girlfriend (or soon-to-be wife), then marriage is the easiest way to do it since it gives her an automatic visa.

There are other things to consider though. If she does come here and isn't working (which is a real possibility), she could get bored and feel isolated. (However, a few people over at Ask a Korean think that Hungary and Korea are strikingly similar.) Furthermore, the apartment provided to you will most likely be small and pretty cramped for two people. There is also a stigma that some Eastern European women must endure as well.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from coming as I'm sure you and your girlfriend/wife will enjoy your time, but I think it would be better if you knew what you might be getting yourself into. Good luck!

If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment

Teaching Adults in Korea: Is it worth it?

Here's the question:

I've been researching about teaching English in Korea and was considering Pagoda until I began hearing horror stories. I'm also considering Asknow (I see you also suggested them) and they seem really nice and legit. I haven't heard anything bad about them. What do you think? Any helpful suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

Leeh

Some of these questions are really hitting close to home and this one is just about as close as you can get. I was once a teacher for the 1:1 adult mega-hagwon Pagoda and it's sister company Direct English. And while there are some good things about the job, there are some things that one must be aware of before really considering signing the contract.

First of all, teaching adults in Korea gives you a much different perspective on the nation. You will be exposed to adults, who will obviously share their life with you, rather than kids who will most likely spill their lunch on you. However, most adult jobs offer the split shift (7-11am and 5-9pm or some variation of that). With hours like that, you will discover that weekend getaways, benders and even normal social life will be difficult. Secondly, from my experience, some of the teachers at these places have a tad more baggage (large debt, marriage, old age, unable to interact with kids etc..) than your average hagwon or school teacher. That doesn't mean you won't find some good friends though, but it might take a little digging. The shift seriously hinders your ability to get out there and interact with the Korean people and culture.

Rather than opining about the ups and downs (we will do that on the podcast which will be out tomorrow), I'll tell you my personal story from the interview to when I decided to quit.

I had just finished a couple years of working at a kids hagwon in Daechi-dong and had just gotten married, so I was looking for a job that offered more than the basic two-point-something that often comes along with teaching kids. I took a look at Daves and Worknplay and eventually was contacted by Pagoda's recruiter that I'll call "Bill". This guy was an overly friendly Canadian who didn't appear to have anything to hide. At the interview, he spoke bluntly about how teaching for his company was more about "perception", hence the coat and tie, and less about "quality instruction". He painted a picture that working there was so simple, that no matter what you do, you'll always hit the minimum or base pay of 2.4 million won a month. Of course, no one wants to do to the bare minimum, so he addressed that mindset with a quick glance at what some of his teachers were making. I saw 6.5m, 5.8m and 4.3m a month. He said they worked a lot, but not that much. I was pretty thrilled.

Between the probability of a higher salary, great chances to make close to 5m a month and a relaxed boss, I was totally pumped up. I told my wife and she was equally excited. So, I decided to take a good look at the contract. The contract is written in a very sneaky way. First of all, that minimum pay is before you pay all your bills and your rent (which they only pay 100,000-150,000) a month. Then you start to look at what they hours are, what your vacation is and how your pay is calculated. In the end, hitting that 2.4 minimum would have been a dream. Of course, I didn't know that yet. The promise of a huge ESL teacher salary blinded me from the glaring problems with such a job.

I started my first day. It was fine. I liked teaching there. I had my own office, my own computer and good students. Right away, I discovered what was going to be an issue. There is a tendency to ignore teaching English and begin teaching your life. I did this. Luckily, my students liked it and continually enrolled in my classes. After a few months, I got the highest raise possible which was an extra 1,500 per class. The management applauded my hard work and thanked me over and over again. I was proud of that of course, but when it came time to have my paycheck meeting, I always left angry. I worked there for six months and only one of the six paychecks were close to that minimum.

Why? Well, you're not paid for your time, you're paid for students. If you have a lot of students, then you'll do okay. I constantly had the most students at my branch and still had trouble keeping a full schedule. I had some days where I would work for 2 hours. Sounds good, but if you want to earn money, especially the money promised to you by "Bill", it hurts. 1:1 English is the most expensive hagwon for adults with prices typically ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 won an hour. On top of that, most 1:1 places require the students to pay several months in advance which totals between 1m to 3m won. That's a lot of money to ask students to pay BEFORE they have even had one class. This system is extremely susceptible to the economy as well. If the economy goes down, then students don't enroll and you get paid lass. I have friends who are teaching there still and they have yet to make over the minimum and have very limited and mostly Seoul-based experiences in Korea.

So I left. They tried to get me to sign a bunch of things and scare me with heavy penalties, but I did not relent and in the end I escaped having only lost 6 months of decent salary.

My advice?

Don't work for Pagoda, Direct English, or Wall Street. They promise big things, but offer nothing but low wages, bad hours and a big headache. If you want to teach adults, then stick to teaching groups, not 1:1.


If anybody has any questions, just send me an email at asktheexpat@yahoo.com or leave a comment.