Korean University Jobs are Not What they Once Were, Part 2

A couple weeks ago, I talked about how I think university jobs in Korea (and actually all ESL teaching jobs in Korea) are on a downward slide to the bottom.

Korean University Jobs are not what they once were, part 1

Yesterday, at my staff meeting I got a bit of new information which just further confirms what I originally thought.  The head of my department was talking about how the Korean government is deadly serious about shutting down a good number of unis in Korea (although he didn't say this, due to a very low birth rate there are fewer and fewer Korean students going to uni so something truly does need to be done).

Starting this year, the government is instituting a ranking system with 5 grades: A, B, C, D, F.  The F-rated schools will be forcibly shut down. The C and D-rated schools will have to reduce enrollment by 30 and 50% respectively, which will in essence mean their closure because it will just be too hard for them to be profitable with such reduced numbers. The B-rated schools will have to reduce their students by 10% and the A-rated schools can do whatever they want. 

The writing is on the wall, especially for those with working at lower-ranked universities. You could be losing your job, sooner rather than later.

Anecdotally, my school which is the 2nd or 3rd highest ranked in Busan (the second biggest city in Korea behind Seoul) lost a good number of students and some of the extra-curricular English programs that I would normally do for overtime got cut. There is just less money floating around and often the first thing to go is English programs.

Exit-plan = put into full effect.  Want to know my choices for up-and-coming English teaching destinations?  Check out: The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Future

   

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The Wealthy English Teacher: now available on Amazon

My second book, The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Futureis now available on Amazon in Ebook format. But, you don't actually need a Kindle to get it. Any Smartphone, tablet or PC will do if you get the Kindle App.  The hard-copy book should be out in a couple of days if do books that way.

In the book, I talk about the 10 steps to securing your financial future including:

1. Choosing a job wisely (with advice most specifically tailored to ESL Teachers)
2. Building a small emergency fund
3. Living frugally and paying off debts
4. Advancing your career
5. Building a full emergency fund
6. Saving your first $10,000 to invest
7. Investing in the financial markets and enjoying life
8. Building passive income streams
9. Planning for the future
10. Enjoying financial freedom

There are a couple other books out there related to expat investing, but this is the first one that I know of with financial advice specific to ESL/EFL teachers.  Check it out and please leave a comment or email me with any questions or feedback that you might have.  I'd be happy to connect with you.

You could also check out the book's website, The Wealthy English Teacher for some samples from the book and other Internet goodness.

Teaching English in Taiwan

I got an email from Dominic the other day over at TEFL One, mentioning that he had written this guide to Teaching English in Taiwan. I had a perusal through it and I have to say that it is a lot of great information for anyone considering a move over to Taiwan to teach ESL.  Check it out if you're interested.

As a kind of aside, I visited Taiwan a few years ago for a couple of weeks and really enjoyed it. Bubble tea in abundance. Warm weather. Bicycles and scooter lanes. Decent, cheap food. Nice hiking and scuba diving. What more could you want?  It'd be a prime ESL teaching destination if the pay was a wee bit higher I think. But, if you want a decent quality of life, definitely consider Taiwan.

If you like this blog, consider signing up for my monthly newsletter which will contain excerpts from my books and other such fabulous stuff. 100% non-spammy goodness guaranteed.

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Why I Love Working at a Korean University

A guest post of mine over on another blog (TEFL Tips) about Why I love working at a Korean University.

Sharon's blog is quite fabulous by the way and I strongly recommend checking it out, especially if you are looking for a job somewhere else besides Korea.  You'll want to check out her series on, "The Best TEFL Jobs in the World," which is helpfully grouped by country.

Reader Question: Airfare covered?

This question from David:

"Do I have to pay to fly over or is this covered by most programs?"

My answer:

With the exception of unis, most programs/schools in Korea cover airfare.  Although I think those days are kind of numbered and we'll probably see more and more contracts offering higher salaries in return for no airfare and housing.  If you think about it, it's a pretty big risk for a small school to pay that much upfront for someone, sight unseen.

Outside Korea?  Generally, you'll have to pay your own way with maybe the exception of the Middle East, but most of those jobs require serious qualifications/ experience which is doesn't sound like you have.

Save your pennies!  Another alternative is to find a camp of some sort (common in Asia) which offers you a modest salary and covers your airfare.  It's a way to get your boots on the ground without fronting too much out of your own pocket.

Korea vs. Taiwan vs. Japan vs. Hong Kong vs. China

Teaching ESL in Asia

There are an outrageous amount of choices when it comes to choosing a country to teach ESL in.  And they all have their advantages and disadvantages.  Take my advice for what's it worth, since I've only ever taught in Korea BUT I have traveled to all of the above countries for as least a few days.

Things I like about Korea:

1. The free airfare (in general if you work at a hagwon or public school).

2. The free housing.  This is the case for almost all jobs.

3.  Money saving potential.  Tax and health care expenses are very low.  You can save 80% of your salary here if you are thrifty.  And starting salaries are not so shabby.  If you like to eat, drink and travel around, it's cheap and you can do that every night and every weekend and still save 50% of your salary. 

4. The ease of getting a job.  For a hagwon, just a phone interview will usually suffice.  Of course, you have to jump through all the hoops for immigration, including criminal background checks and interviews and stuff.  But there are more jobs than applicants usually. 


Things I don't like:

1. The stares.  You are like a zoo animal/celebrity here, unless of course you look Asian.  People always staring, always wanting to talk to you on the subway and say hello.  It's fun at first but old after a while.  Seoul is not so bad as the countryside, to be fair.

2. How weird of a place it is.  And actually I kind of like it.  Korean culture is way, way, way, way different from anything in the West and some foreigners just can't adapt to it.  I can and have, which is maybe why I've been here for 5 years.  And it seems that those can adapt reap the rewards with jobs (such as mine!) that are amazingly sweet. 

3. The difficulty in making Korean friends.  I've only had 2 sincere, good friends here in my 5 years.  Maybe I have some sort of defect, but to be fair, this often seems to be the case with foreigners.  I think Koreans have a very hard time thinking outside their Korean box and outside of their own Confucian circle of family/coworkers/classmates and just don't know how to interact with foreigners.  Maybe it's me who doesn't know how to interact with Koreans.  Whatever. 

4. You are tied to your school for one year by way of your visa.  It's like indentured servitude if your school is crap.  Everyone gets ripped off here at some point.  And the government has a kind of toothless labor board to "help you."  I can tell you from experience that's basically worthless.  Buyer (or  foreign worker) beware. 

Anyway, other countries all have their good and bad.

Japan: you own your visa, which means you can switch jobs easily.  The bad is how expensive it is, and how much you have to watch your money.  Also, it's not so easy to get a job there but check out this guide to teaching in Japan for some tips.

Taiwan: is a very chilled out place.  No stares or weirdness in dealing with foreigners.  The bad: no free rent or airfare.  And the hourly pay is only okay.  Check out this Teaching Adventure in Taiwan.

Hong Kong: I loved it.  For sure the most Westernized place in all of Northeast Asia.  Amazing.  But again, not so easy to get a job there.   If I was a certified teacher though, I'd be all over their NET program.  Check out Culture Shock Hong Kong to learn the do's (and don'ts) before you go.

China: More of the wacky, "There's a foreigner" kind of thing.  And the pay for now is not comparable to the other places listed.  And the air.   It really is polluted, as least in Beijing.  And coming back to Korea was like a breath of fresh air, which says a lot. But hey, you want culture, it's all there.  In abundance.  And learning Chinese actually has the potential to be a valuable life and career skill for you.

For my thoughts on the best places to teach ESL in the world, financially speaking, check out: The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Future.