Should I Quit? Advice needed.

[monsoon257]

This sounds like a big pain but you did kinda sign up for a lot of work to begin with. If it's something that you can't negotiate with your school on perhaps you should try moving to a different place. Otherwise you might just have to suck it up and get through it. No one ever said teaching ESL was easy.

[hankmcmasters]

i'm not sure where you are in Korea, but I'm pretty sure there are jobs with less hours available in most, if not all, locations.

since you're actually in korea, you can visit the school, talk to the other native teachers (if any) and get a much better feel for what to expect.

i recommend that you look around.

[mdahl45]

If it's not too much to ask or against site rules, can you say what hagwon/organization you work for?  I'm a little curious.

It could be seen as defamation so it is probably a bad idea to say where you work.

[e72882]

I completely understand how you feel about your job. I felt the same way about my first Hagwon here in Korea. Fortunately that one only lasted 9 months and I was able to move to another Hagwon in another city. Unfortunately, I am in a worse situation now than I was before. This of course was my own doing, and if you want to know that story you can PM me.

Why did you come to Korea? And what I mean besides work what was your motivation? For me it was because I wanted to live my life in a different country and experience a different culture in it's natural state as well as sight see and try new foods. This is strong motivator for me and because of that I want to stay here despite my issues with my first 2 Hagwons. Also I have a two year phone plan I am in the middle of and I don't want to break a contract and be responsible for enhancing the negative image of foreigners with the Korean cell phone companies. It caused me enough trouble trying to get my cellphone to motivate, but I guess I am just weird like that.

If you really want to stay here and enjoy your time here you need to figure it out. Personally I understand the frustration because you agreed and you feel like they are breaking the contract, and yeah it sucks, but if you feel like you want to stay here and have a better work situation you're going to have to figure it out. Maybe you need to talk to your director and if that doesn't work talk to your agency. They might be able to help. Of course if this experience has soured you on Korea, then I am sorry to hear that and you could be missing out on some wonderful experiences. I hope you decide to stay and you can find a solution and give Korea a chance.

[asabranca]

I run myself into the ground just teaching 26 lessons per week. I can't imagine how you're going to feel on month 10 (where I am right now) doing what you're doing now. I would start looking for exit plans if I were you. Like the French say, you work to live, not the other way around...

Good luck!  :D

Hi, I just wanted some advice regarding my job. I've been in Korea just over a month working for a Hagwon and I was wondering how standard the conditions of my job are. Basically I agreed to 30 teaching hours a week maximum and my office hours are 9 to 7. As it's worked out I'm doing 35 lessons a week (30 hours) and I've generally got so much to do that I don't leave I don't leave until 8pm (the problem is not so much lessons and the lesson planning but the other stuff they've got me doing, writing and marking tests and stuff), I do more or less 11 hours without stoping. As a result I'm knackered all the time, my lessons are suffering and I've been looking at other jobs for an alternative
On the other hand I don't if these are normal working hours in Korea and I'm just whining, can someone tell me?

[kps1]

I teach about 4 or 5 classes a day. Make two lesson plans a week and spend the rest of the time looking at dumb stuff on the internet and reading comic books at work. And that children... is why you get an EPIK job.

[CSteven85]

Compared to the work I was doing back home in the UK, working with EPIK is a breeze - may more fun and much much less work!!! i'd think twice before quitting and possibly returning to countries where jobs (even crap ones) are in limited supply

[Atomic]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I've started applying for new jobs. Hopefully I won't be there much longer.

One more thing: Should I tell my employer sooner rather than later? The workload aside I can't say that they've been bad to me so I don't want to drop them in it, but I don't want to be fired, replaced and kicked out of my apartment before I've got a new job either.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

Thanks for the advice everyone, I've started applying for new jobs. Hopefully I won't be there much longer.

One more thing: Should I tell my employer sooner rather than later? The workload aside I can't say that they've been bad to me so I don't want to drop them in it, but I don't want to be fired, replaced and kicked out of my apartment before I've got a new job either.

You cannot get a new job in Korea for another 11 months unless your employer releases you from your contract. If you're determined to quit, start thinking about how you're going to get that letter of release. If not, getting fired may be your only option.

[dasdabass]

This may be a little late, but certainly there are better options out there.  This may be a well-known fact but university jobs are one of the best options.  Yes, many do require a Master's, but there are a lot of smaller schools, especially those outside of Seoul who will take those with only a BA or like over a year of experience.  I have several friends who have recently gotten jobs with only a bachelor's, and yeah, only 12-15 hours a week full-time, and then there's the 4 months of paid vacation!  Good luck!

[sweet_potato]

It sounds like a ton of work for just one person to do. I'm sorry that this is your first experience in Korea too. You have a few options....

You could talk to someone about the workload being too much. Explain that your expectations were to work 8h/day and have more time to meet people, explore the country, etc. Suggest that the school and children could benefit from an additional teacher. See how that is received by your employer. (My bf's hagwon requires him to be there 7h/day with 6h of classes. When he first started, he was there for 8h daily, lesson planning and what not - now he gets it all done within the 7h. It should get easier, but most people don't have to mark stuff.) Who knows, you might be persuasive enough.

If the chat doesn't work out and you don't want to work there anymore, you can quit. You should give about a month's notice. Expect your manager to get super mad at you. They'll probably be jerks to you for the remainder of you time there. They take these things personally here. They'll probably want the flight money back and who knows what else. Furthermore, they should technically give you a letter of release if you give notice (but you may have to fight for this).  You'll have to do a visa run, and come back and start your new job. If you just plan to quit without notice, you may get blacklisted and unable to get another decent job. Start looking for work now if you're serious about leaving. Because you're already here, your new job may not want to give you flight money in, but get them to at least cover your visa run if you can. Being here gives you the benefit of actually meeting the people and seeing the school, and with your experience, it gives you the right questions to ask about work conditions etc.

In any case, good luck!

[SK ESL]

Not yet, anyway. First of all, I'm also in about the first month of my job and I don't mind putting some extra hours of my own time in for class preparation and grading. When I was teaching in the States, I had to spend lots of time at home doing those things. However, if after about a month or two you still have to stay an extra hour because they're giving you extra things to do, I'd just plan really fast (and not as well) and grade those papers you're given with less attention so you can go home at 7! They probably won't even notice. If they do or complain, you can quit before they'd fire you, which I highly doubt they would.

[Atomic]

This may be a little late, but certainly there are better options out there.  This may be a well-known fact but university jobs are one of the best options.  Yes, many do require a Master's, but there are a lot of smaller schools, especially those outside of Seoul who will take those with only a BA or like over a year of experience.  I have several friends who have recently gotten jobs with only a bachelor's, and yeah, only 12-15 hours a week full-time, and then there's the 4 months of paid vacation!  Good luck!

Okay, I didn't realise that. If I tell them I'll either stick to the basic work requirements stated in my contract, which is a lot less than I'm actually doing, or give them one months notice if they'll release me from my contract they'll go for it?

Like I said it's not a question of writing lesson plans, they only take 15-20 minutes each, so that's 1.5 to 2 hours, it's the other stuff like writing & marking tests & babysitting the kindergarten classes over lunch & between lessons that's taking all my time. I'm doing a straight 10 hours straight and I still don't have time to get through everything.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

This may be a little late, but certainly there are better options out there.  This may be a well-known fact but university jobs are one of the best options.  Yes, many do require a Master's, but there are a lot of smaller schools, especially those outside of Seoul who will take those with only a BA or like over a year of experience.  I have several friends who have recently gotten jobs with only a bachelor's, and yeah, only 12-15 hours a week full-time, and then there's the 4 months of paid vacation!  Good luck!

Okay, I didn't realise that. If I tell them I'll either stick to the basic work requirements stated in my contract, which is a lot less than I'm actually doing, or give them one months notice if they'll release me from my contract they'll go for it?

If you do that don't take any verbal promises. Get it post-dated in writing, stamped and signed and then lock it away in a safe place. Believe me, I'm talking from personal experience. I'm also pretty sure they're not going to be happy about someone they just hired wanting to quit so soon. Try to work out some sort of agreement to cut down on the paperwork or something.

[luke]

If you're doing lots of preparation, marking and writing exams, could you perhaps be more efficient in the way you work?

It's not a dig, but is there a way to make your life easier? Hogwans are usually fairly straight-forward once you've been there a month or so and got into the rhythm of it all...

[SK ESL]

I didn't realize you don't get a lunch break!  I assumed a span of 10 office hours would have a real lunch break, and I know that eating with and helping kids is not a real break. You should tell them that although you agreed to those hours, you assumed there would be a break, and since there isn't, you should be able to go home an hour earlier, instead of later!!!

[Cands]

I guess I'm a little late to give advice since you've already decided to quit... I think you've taken the right decision to move on. Your happiness and well-being matters when living in a strange country and you should never be made to feel like a slave. I hope that the next job you're in is pleasant and you experience the joys that should naturally come with teaching!!! x

[Davox]

Okay, I didn't realise that. If I tell them I'll either stick to the basic work requirements stated in my contract, which is a lot less than I'm actually doing, or give them one months notice if they'll release me from my contract they'll go for it?

Like I said it's not a question of writing lesson plans, they only take 15-20 minutes each, so that's 1.5 to 2 hours, it's the other stuff like writing & marking tests & babysitting the kindergarten classes over lunch & between lessons that's taking all my time. I'm doing a straight 10 hours straight and I still don't have time to get through everything.

I'm not saying you should or should not quit or whatever, that's your call.  But there are a few things to be aware of before talking to your boss or deciding to quit:
Those extra bits (marking, writing tests, staying with the kindy kids) are actually assumed to be part of your job, at least in any hagwon of your type I've worked at or heard of.  A crappy part, but a part nonetheless.  Your contract will either say so, or if it doesn't, your boss will assume that the contract means that anyway (which is effectively the same thing unless you intend to lawyer up). Thus, doing nothing but waving your contract at your boss is not likely to produce the desired effect.  If your hagwon boss is anything like the ones I've had, they won't care what YOU think the contract says.  If you have a nice boss you might be able to swing a "this workload makes me a less effective teacher, which will eventually result in students dropping" argument.  Especially because it's true.  Or you can threaten to quit, but only if you're willing to follow through. However, if you have a more traditional (ie. less nice) boss, they'll hate you for even complaining about the contract/job, no matter how right you may be.

Also, make sure you've got everything planned and sorted out before you quit.  Things to be aware of:  Quitting could make it difficult or even impossible to get a new E2 visa until the date your old one expires....unless they give you a letter of release of course, but what do you do if they just say "no we won't give you one"?  Are you prepared to file an official report/grievance to get one? Are you prepared to complain to the labor board to get your last pay, which they may find a reason, valid or otherwise, to withhold?  Do you have the money to pay your airfare expenses back to them?  They're going to want that, at least. Also, you should know that your whole work history gets recorded here, so even if you don't list the job on your resume, it's possible future employers in Korea could find about your current job.  They could be really put off by your quitting after 1 month, or they could end up calling your current job for a reference.  Not every new job is that diligent in checking applicants, but I suspect universities, for instance, will be.  Of course, if you never intend to return to Korea, all you need to worry about is the money.

Just, before you do anything, make a plan and cover your ass.

[Nics]

I think you should definitely speak to your boss. You may however have difficulty, because they will argue that you "only" have 30 hours, which by the way is insane!

You didn't come here to be sucked dry. Find another job.

[Atomic]

Okay, I talked to my boss today and she offered to consider the time I'm babysitting the kindergarten kids classroom time (part of my agreed thirty hours) and take three classes a week off me and apy me overtime for anything over 30 hours a week, which I think will total 100,000 won a month on an average month so I'll be on 2.3.

Is it worth it? To be fair to them I've no reason to think they're a dodgy Hagwon who are going to fire me in my 11th month, and the boss seems reasonable. I've been thinking of agreeing if I'm garunteed at least a thirty minute break everyday and paid overtime when I have to stay beyond my normal hours on come in on weekends.

Of course that still doesn't stop the lessons being shit cos I'm knackered and don't have time to plan effectively.