Destination close up part 6. Job information.

There are a number of compelling reasons why Korea is a great destination for ESL teachers. Korea has an abundance of teaching positions available to all levels of teachers. The only requirements to teach in Korea are that you have a degree in any subject and are a native English speaker. The majority of positions available are entry-level positions where no experience is required. There are jobs with Universities and state run middle and high schools that require more advanced qualifications and would be appealing to the more experienced and qualified teacher. All these types of job are in constant demand and finding the right job to fit your circumstances is not difficult.

The compensation and benefits package in Korea is a big attraction. After university many students are left with high levels of student loan debt, teaching in Korea offers a possible solution to this. The salary and benefits offered to teach in Korea make it easy to put aside large amounts of money (in my experience at least 50%) and yet not have to compromise your lifestyle. You also will have your return plane tickets paid, for so there is no cost to you to travel there and start teaching and return home when you are done. The average wage for a teacher in Korea of between $2000-$3000 gross per month with the pay rising the more experience and qualifications you have. From that you will have around 5% taken in income tax. Other than tax you have very few other expenses to worry about. The school pays for your accommodation although it is your responsibility to pay the utility bills and in most cases you will have to pay 50% of your medical insurance (normally around $50 per month). This will be a total deduction of around $150 to $200 per month. So as you can see you are left with a very large portion of your paycheck to do with as you please. Living costs such as food are not particularly high either, especially if you like Korean cuisine. On top of all this at the end of your contract you will receive one full months salary as a bonus. Some schools also offer a resigning bonus to teachers who sign another contract.

Korea geographically is only a short flight away from other east and central Asian destinations such as China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia. It is very common to take a couple of months between teaching contracts to travel these countries and really explore the continent. Teaching in Korea gives you the flexibility to take a longer break between contracts due to the demand for teachers.

Korea has a lot of benefits for teachers but there are also some pitfalls that have to be considered and avoided. Proper research needs to be done before leaving to teach both on the school you will be teaching, its location and also the Korean culture.

Your time spent working at the school or "Hogwan" as it is known will play a huge role on how happy you are and where most people's problems occur. What must be understood is that these "hogwans" are businesses and like all businesses some are more reputable than others are. Teachers can have problems with non-payment of wages, breaches of their contract in regards to hours, overtime payments, or living conditions. If the right steps where taken before accepting the position most of these issues could will be avoided. Before accepting a position it is a good idea to speak with one of the current western teachers preferably by phone that can alert you to any possible problems.

When it comes to culture it is very important to do your research about Korea. Korea culturally is vastly different to North America or Europe and research on this should be done before deciding to teach there. Many teachers will experience culture shock in Korea and some will not be able to deal with these differences. These differences can be more distinct dependant upon you location within Korea. If you intend on living in Seoul or other of the large metropolitan cities then the differences will not be so distinct due to the large foreign presence. In smaller cities and towns there could be little western influence meaning these destinations may not be for everyone.

Korea offers numerous benefits to teachers both monetarily and through opportunities provided with by job. The labour market for teachers in Korea also means getting the right job is easier than many other locations.

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