The 7 Reasons People Teach in Korea
This comes from waygook.net, a foreigners in South Korea site I visit. It struck me as spot on.
***
Everyone is here for one of these reasons. At first everyone says it's about the culture and gives a brochure version of why they work here, but eventually the truth surfaces. Most people who make six figure salaries in their home countries and are content with their lives do not consider coming here. So here are the types.
1. Right out of college/university. No previous work experience.
2. Someone who had a good career, but got fired or sabotaged it.
3. No job offers in previous country or lack of lucrative ones/bad econmy.
4. Someone who is escaping something, (e.g. divorce, debt, family, toxic people)
5. Someone experiencing a mid-life crisis or major life change
6. Someone who wants time off and to travel (proximity to cool places like Cambodia and Philippines).
7. Someone wishing to gain teaching experience due to lack of jobs in home country (most entry teaching jobs in US pay more than Korea if you look at salary on employment sites).
***
Everyone is here for one of these reasons. At first everyone says it's about the culture and gives a brochure version of why they work here, but eventually the truth surfaces. Most people who make six figure salaries in their home countries and are content with their lives do not consider coming here. So here are the types.
1. Right out of college/university. No previous work experience.
2. Someone who had a good career, but got fired or sabotaged it.
3. No job offers in previous country or lack of lucrative ones/bad econmy.
4. Someone who is escaping something, (e.g. divorce, debt, family, toxic people)
5. Someone experiencing a mid-life crisis or major life change
6. Someone who wants time off and to travel (proximity to cool places like Cambodia and Philippines).
7. Someone wishing to gain teaching experience due to lack of jobs in home country (most entry teaching jobs in US pay more than Korea if you look at salary on employment sites).