Tefl in South Korea

Brokentime

zweton wrote: »

Is there much money to be made teaching english in South Korea?
Is it a career?

It can be a career, and it's a very transferable skill, which you can do around the world (assuming you gradually gain some qualifications etc.). It's also enjoyable and worthwhile, and certainly provides its own set of challenges.

And yes, you can make some good money in SK doing this. Initial jobs you get will be reasonably well-paid, but with perks like free accommodation and a cheap cost of living, you can save a lot. Do it for a year or two, get some experience, do some courses, and then you can move up the ladder quite easily, and the pay will increase accordingly.

So, yes and yes.

daesu

zweton wrote: »

Is there much money to be made teaching english in South Korea?

That depends on how hard (long hours) you're willing to work and what qualifications you have.

If you go there for the average job teaching children for 6-8 hours a day you can earn anything from 2 million to 3+ million won (2100 euro) a month and you have free accomodation on top of it. In Korea that is a good salary. Your average Korean officer worker would start on 1.5 - 1.8 million won without accomodation.

If you work two jobs, like a morning (7/9am - 10-12) and an evening (1/2pm to late) then you could earn twice that. It's easy to find a morning job for adults/kindergarten kids and couple that with an evening job.

If you get a job as a language consultant (training staff to work abroad, teaching English, helping them practice business negotiations etc) in one of the conglomerates like Samsung than you can earn up to 6-8 million won (5,500 euro) a month + free (And very nice) accomodation. I have several friends doing this and there doesn't seem to be any basic qualification except having a degree. They do, obviously, prefer people with experience, a relevant degree (business, international relations etc) and a self sponsored visa (Korean-Americans/Canadians/Europeans/Australians, Permanent residents etc) but I know an English guy who got in with only a degree in engineering and 2 years experience.

Some people who have lived here long enough to become permanent residents through marraige or through taking a points test coupled with time spent here can make up to 10+ million won (7,000 euro) a month by working for themselves.

Is it a career?

A lot of people make it their career.

Andy!!

zweton wrote: »

Is there much money to be made teaching english in South Korea?

Eventually. You'll most likely start out on 2.1 a month for the first year, they seem to have evened that out across the country. If you're lucky you might land 2.2/2.3, but that's a sure sign they are sticking you out in the boonies. Not sure if places like China offer better pay overall, any insight on that BrokenTime?

2.1 is fine, but I see people saying that's a fair bit of money. If you sit in your apartment every night and eat only rice and spam, or ramen, yeah, your bank account will soon grow substantially. But if you go out, socialise with other foreigners and koreans, it's just an ok salary in my opinion. The way it works out here, I was making about a grand more in euros back in Ireland per month (but less quality of life; a very acceptable trade-off). Electronics are expensive here, that's something I do miss; having the free cash to buy a new shiny toy every month :pac:

Don't forget that's before tax too, you'll be seeing 1.9 or even 1.8 of it most likely when they have finished all deductions/health insurance/pension payments (that I don't think we can even get back, again, BrokenTime, do you know different?).

zweton wrote: »

Is it a career?

I hope so. I plan to see many countries teaching English.

cloneslad

zweton wrote: »

Is there much money to be made teaching english in South Korea?
Is it a career?

I was able to save €13-14,000 in my last 12 months in Korea. The exchange rate was also worse than it is now, so that could have been pushed up by a grand or so, with today's rates.

It's definitely somewhere you can earn a good amount of money, as your expenses are very limited.

I make quite a bit more money in Ireland than I was making in Korea, but I couldn't possibly save that much here.

It's a career if you put in the work and educate yourself enough. You have to get the right breaks the make it a rewarding and enjoyable career.

MakeEmLaugh

I have a 2:1 Degree from UCD, majoring in English. Could this be used for teaching in South Korea, or would I need a TEFL qualification?

Any feedback appreciated.

cloneslad

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

I have a 2:1 Degree from UCD, majoring in English. Could this be used for teaching in South Korea,

Yes

would I need a TEFL qualification?

Nope, A TEFL is not a requirement for a visa, though some jobs may look for it.

It might look good on a CV and it would give you some help teaching, but it's not a requirement.

daesu

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

I have a 2:1 Degree from UCD, majoring in English.

They will absolutely love you. You would have a good chance of swinging a University job in the future with a major in English if you have a years experience behind you. University jobs here usually advertise that they want someone with a Masters (in anything, TESOL preferred) minimum but they settle on people with degrees (in anything) more often then they'd admit. Uni jobs are really good here, very low hours (14hrs+ a week) for relatively high pay (2.5-3 million+) and 5+ months paid vacation.

or would I need a TEFL qualification?

No you absolutely don't need it, especially with your major.

A TEFL qualification may help you get a job if you are competing against someone without one for the same job or it may help you get slightly higher pay in some schools but generally it is completely insignificant when compared against other factors such as major, nationality, race, age, and sex.

For example, in most cases schools want North American White people followed by English/North American black people, followed by the rest (Aussie, Irish, South African) in various orders depending on the school.

A TEFL cert may help you learn how to teach but it's really not worth much for getting a job.

camoramo

daesu wrote: »

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

I have a 2:1 Degree from UCD, majoring in English.

They will absolutely love you. You would have a good chance of swinging a University job in the future with a major in English if you have a years experience behind you. University jobs here usually advertise that they want someone with a Masters (in anything, TESOL preferred) minimum but they settle on people with degrees (in anything) more often then they'd admit. Uni jobs are really good here, very low hours (14hrs+ a week) for relatively high pay (2.5-3 million+) and 5+ months paid vacation.

or would I need a TEFL qualification?

No you absolutely don't need it, especially with your major.

A TEFL qualification may help you get a job if you are competing against someone without one for the same job or it may help you get slightly higher pay in some schools but generally it is completely insignificant when compared against other factors such as major, nationality, race, age, and sex.

For example, in most cases schools want North American White people followed by English/North American black people, followed by the rest (Aussie, Irish, South African) in various orders depending on the school.

A TEFL cert may help you learn how to teach but it's really not worth much for getting a job.

I have a degree in English and to be honest it didn't seem to benefit me at all. It only seems to make a difference salary wise for public schools.

Andy!!

camoramo wrote: »

I have a degree in English and to be honest it didn't seem to benefit me at all. It only seems to make a difference salary wise for public schools.

I would have thought it would make a big difference, at least in the amount of offers you get, if not a slight .1 bump in salary. Would you say it is more beneficial for negotiating than having a TEFL? I would have assumed so.

daesu

camoramo wrote: »

I have a degree in English and to be honest it didn't seem to benefit me at all.

In what kind of employment? Hagwon? The majority of Hagwons couldn't care less what qualifications you have. As long as you're a foreigner and speak english.

When I spoke about benefits I talked about Universities but I should also have mentioned public schools and adult schools. There are a lot of good jobs out there and they actually do care about your suitability for the role so someone with a major in english is obviously in a better position than someone with another major.

It only seems to make a difference salary wise for public schools.

I didn't say it made a salary difference anywhere but you're right it can in public schools and other positions.

All I'm saying is that people with a major in English are in a much better position to get one of the better jobs than someone else.

If 50 people send their resumes for a job teaching english and 49 of them have degrees in engineering/science, 1 guy has a degree in English, then, not considering other factors it's obvious who the school are going to want to hire.

Brokentime

Andy!! wrote: »

If you're lucky you might land 2.2/2.3, but that's a sure sign they are sticking you out in the boonies. Not sure if places like China offer better pay overall, any insight on that BrokenTime?

And despite what you think, and what an agency tries to convince you of, if it's your first time in Korea, AVOID the boondocks.

You know, I was fairly convinced that China paid less than Korea for an entry-level teaching job, Andy. But I did a check on XE.COM for what Y12,500 Chinese yuan (the average take-home salary for a new teacher) is in Korean won, and it's W2,236,243 (2.2). So it's more than the entry level Korean positions, it seems.

However, tax here is higher, and unlike Korea you have to pay for your own accommodation and bills. The jobs that do offer you digs here are usually schools and universities, but the quality of the accommodation can be... well, fairly nasty. My first job in China was like this, and I eschewed their offer of a room on campus in favour of getting my own place because the room on campus basically had mold and all sorts of filthy crud in it. But that was a very dodgy job, of which there are many in China.

Cost of living, depending on where you are, probably varies, too. Shanghai is at least as expensive as Seoul, if not more so for certain things. That said, public transport is cheaper than Seoul. Rent prices are good, and (compared to some of the kips I've lived in back in Dublin) you can get a pretty swish apartment in the city for about E550-600 euros.

Nightlife prices are pretty much on par with Seoul.

So, for an entry-level position, all told, you'll end up with more in your pocket at the end of the month in Korea. So, I suppose, for the first few years of teaching, it's a good place to begin and get some cash together.

Andy!!

But, thats 2.2 before rent right? So surely it works out as less than a Korean entry level job? I was offered 2.7 in Busan with no accomodation arranged, so that shows roughly how much rent is a month (approx 600,000 won).

To be honest I would really love to do a year in China; not sure I could live with a moldy apartment in a smog ridden city though. Methinks I would have to be far more cautious in choosing a position in China than I was with Korea. Though I really lucked out here, I got a great hagwon, was all chance really.

Interesting reading about money.. I didn't know you could jump up the payscale so much in Korea so my opinion of it has changed a bit.

I've mentioned that people should consider Vietnam before in this thread but no one cares.. Keeps supply low.

squeakyduck

Jisan this weekend anyone?

daesu

Ads by Google wrote: »

Interesting reading about money.. I didn't know you could jump up the payscale so much in Korea so my opinion of it has changed a bit.

Well the easiest way to make good money in Korea by far is to work 2 or even 3 jobs at once. Most people, especially irish, here on a first visa tend to go through a recruiter and end up in a relatively poorly paid position considering the hours they put in.

For example I know several people over the years who have worked, or rather have been at work, for 7-9 hours a day for 2.2-2.4 million won. And that's fine for many people. But when you consider that you can make 2.7 million won for an after school program for 4 hours a day (minus accomodation) its really not the best way to make money.

Recruiters get paid to stick people into jobs and a disproportionate number of these jobs which are through recruiters are the bottom of the barrel jobs which schools have problems filling.

Most of the better positions I've seen here don't use recruiters and instead hire directly from people who are actually here already.

Now don't think I'm saying all recruiter jobs are bad and all non-recruiter jobs are good. I'm just speaking in general.

Basically if you want to make money in korea get a morning job teaching kindy or adults and couple that with an afternoon position at an after school program, and if you really want to make more you can find another job teaching adults or possibly highschool kids at night.

Simple example; my friend works 8am-11am at a kindy school for 1.8 a month. 1pm-5/6pm at an after school program for 2.7 a month(2 saturdays a month included), and 7-9/10pm at an adult school for 2.0/2.1 a month. (2 saturdays a month included).

Now that's long hours yes but she makes 6.6 million won a month before tax. Just under 6 after tax I believe (over 4000 euro). 600,000 is rent as accomodation isn't included.

3 jobs isn't usual and my friend was lucky to find jobs where the hours and locations worked out well for her. 2 jobs are quite usual these days though.

I've mentioned that people should consider Vietnam before in this thread but no one cares.. Keeps supply low.

I was in vietnam for a business trip before and loved it. I certainly would have taken the chance to go there in the past or even possibly in the future if for no other reason than the food and beer. South Korean beer is piss. Worst in Asia by far. Even North Korean beer is better.

daesu

Here's an example of what I mean by an after school program.

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/index.cgi?read=53789

They want an E-2 transfer visa or permanent resident visa. What the E-2 transfer means is that you already have a main job that sponsors your E-2 visa, they want to be the second work place on the visa but will not sponsor it themselves.

Pay is 2.8 million won for 25 hrs (max) a week, so think 4-5 hours a day max. It doesn't state time but these jobs are usually 12/1pm to 5/6pm.

So if you had a position, like a kindergarten or adult school, to sponsor your visa and the hours worked out these kind of jobs are great for doubling your income.

Andy!!

squeakyduck wrote: »

Jisan this weekend anyone?

Sorry, heading to Jeju for the summer hols. Have a good one lads

daesu

Andy!! wrote: »

Sorry, heading to Jeju for the summer hols. Have a good one lads

First time ? I highly recommend the black pig (huk dey-ji 흑돼지). Ignore anyone who tells you anything nasty about their diet, that was in the past, not these days.

Make sure you go to Seongsan Ilchulbong. http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264207

Hiking up it will take you a few hours but it's worth it.

Brokentime

Deleted User wrote: »

I've mentioned that people should consider Vietnam before in this thread but no one cares.. Keeps supply low.

heard this and was interested; I'm contracted for 3 years to this job, but might make a move afterwards, if the missus can get a job there too.

Tell us why it's so good

camoramo

daesu wrote: »

In what kind of employment? Hagwon? The majority of Hagwons couldn't care less what qualifications you have. As long as you're a foreigner and speak english.

When I spoke about benefits I talked about Universities but I should also have mentioned public schools and adult schools. There are a lot of good jobs out there and they actually do care about your suitability for the role so someone with a major in english is obviously in a better position than someone with another major.



I didn't say it made a salary difference anywhere but you're right it can in public schools and other positions.

All I'm saying is that people with a major in English are in a much better position to get one of the better jobs than someone else.

If 50 people send their resumes for a job teaching english and 49 of them have degrees in engineering/science, 1 guy has a degree in English, then, not considering other factors it's obvious who the school are going to want to hire.

Yes I completely agree that it would be beneficial over another major, but the biggest concern with different recruiters that I used was the fact that I wasn't American/ Canadian.
It's good to know about future prospects in the universities though!

The first hagwon interview I had I was able to negotiate a better salary but didn't get the job (probably why :P).

After that it didn't change much. YBM were only offering 2.0 and I asked would my English degree not push that up and they said only if I had photographic proof of teaching experience along with it. I actually did but that only brought it to 2.05 so I took a job elsewhere.

The fact is that this year it has gotten much more competitive as more people are applying and there have been cutbacks in the public schools. I definitely would recommend doing a combined TEFL. I did an online one and one school was concerned about it only being online.

The job I got in the end I didn't even do an interview for, I just made a video clip and they were impressed so that saved me getting up at stupid o'clock

squeakyduck

I'm gonna do Jeju soon.But Jisan exceeded all expectations!!

Best weekend to date....need a serious early night tonight!

fleet

Andy!! wrote: »

To be honest I would really love to do a year in China; not sure I could live with a moldy apartment in a smog ridden city though. Methinks I would have to be far more cautious in choosing a position in China than I was with Korea. Though I really lucked out here, I got a great hagwon, was all chance really.

I work 23 hours (20 contact, 3 office) + lesson planning, teaching kids in China.
Two and half days a week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I really can't complain!

6000RMB a month (about €770) + accomodation (decent). Virtually all that is take home (say 5880RMB after all tax and utilities).
You could save about half that, which isn't much, but you'd still be living like a king.

Not all cities are smog ridden, but it's widespread problem in winter for sure.

Brokentime

fleet wrote: »

I work 23 hours (20 contact, 3 office) + lesson planning, teaching kids in China.
Two and half days a week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I really can't complain!

6000RMB a month (about €770) + accomodation (decent). Virtually all that is take home (say 5880RMB after all tax and utilities).
You could save about half that, which isn't much, but you'd still be living like a king.

Not all cities are smog ridden, but it's widespread problem in winter for sure.

What part of China are you in?

shivers84

Hi I'm thinking of moving to Daejon. Can you tell me what it's like to live there? Are there many English speakers and what is the social scene like?

squeakyduck

shivers84 wrote: »

Hi I'm thinking of moving to Daejon. Can you tell me what it's like to live there? Are there many English speakers and what is the social scene like?

Daejeonite here! It's a nice city. There is a good foreign population here and plenty places to go out in. Daejeon is smack bang in the middle of South Korea so it's easy to up to Seoul or down to Busan/Daegu.

JJayoo

Hiya guys

Have just been offered a job in Jinju. To be honest after reading the contract I am having my doubts about it. I am using a recruiter and this is the first job they have presented me with. Since contacting them they have told me to forget about trying to get a job in Busan or Seoul and are really trying to push this job.

The terms are 1pm-9pm five days a week and the salary is 2.1 million won. The recruiters are refusing to forward the last teachers email address.

Just want to hear people opinions

R.D. aka MR.D

JJayoo wrote: »

Hiya guys

Have just been offered a job in Jinju. To be honest after reading the contract I am having my doubts about it. I am using a recruiter and this is the first job they have presented me with. Since contacting them they have told me to forget about trying to get a job in Busan or Seoul and are really trying to push this job.

The terms are 1pm-9pm five days a week and the salary is 2.1 million won. The recruiters are refusing to forward the last teachers email address.

Just want to hear people opinions

What is their reason for not sending the teachers address? Seems strange....

JJayoo

I have asked a number of times, and each time I am giving an excuse. First it was because the last teacher was from South Africa, apparently being from SA means I shouldn't want to hear his opinion???

The second email was a long rant about how the teacher was very rude and always complaining about being bored.

R.D. aka MR.D

JJayoo wrote: »

I have asked a number of times, and each time I am giving an excuse. First it was because the last teacher was from South Africa, apparently being from SA means I shouldn't want to hear his opinion???

The second email was a long rant about how the teacher was very rude and always complaining about being bored.

It's up to you but personally that would be a red flag for me. They should be able to provide you with an email.

Don't panic, be patient, you'll get a job.

JJayoo

Thanks R.D. aka MR.D