Friday, May 30, 2014

seeking greener pastures

It's no longer a private thing, so I may as well announce that I recently signed a form confirming the fact that I won't be returning to Catholic University for a third semester. I'll be seeking employment in or near Seoul; my aim is to move back north to a sector of the peninsula that I can understand and relate to better. Even after nearly a year in Hayang, I can't say that I've gotten used to the local culture: not the mentality, and not the grating southern accent, which I still have trouble comprehending.

Some colleagues are shaking their heads: why tell DCU that you're leaving if you haven't confirmed where your next job will be? Is it wise to jump off the train without checking out where you're going to land? I can see why my colleagues might think that way, but I'm not overly exercised about my future; I'm confident that something, some opportunity, will present itself.

On the job-hunting front, I have a few irons in the fire—not as many as I had last year, when I applied to twelve different places, but that's fine: part of the problem, last year, was that I wasn't on the peninsula. This time around, I'm here and immediately available for interviews, and the latest place to which I'll be applying is Hanyang University's Seoul campus.* Hanyang is offering a deal that's comparable to my package at DCU: 12 hours of teaching per week, two 16-week semesters (plus possible optional vacation teaching), for a net monthly salary of about 2.7 million won (after taxes, I suspect it'll be closer to 2.3, but that's still a few hundred thousand better than what DCU pays).

So it's not as though I'm jumping blind. I have a few options before me, and I think something will eventually pan out. Rest assured, Dear Reader, that there has been a good deal of looking before the leaping.



*You may recall that I applied to Hanyang's ERICA campus, located in Ansan, last year. I need to visit the Seoul campus and compare it with Ansan's.


_

3 comments:

Charles said...

Well, the cat is now out of the bag. Were you asked to sign a form confirming that you would either renew your contract or leave? I'm just wondering what prompted the sudden revelation.

daeguowl said...

Don't know if they've filled their positions yet but a friend was looking for someone for their university recently.

Posted By: Hansung University

Hansung University in Seoul, South Korea, is hiring 2 well-qualified and responsible native English speaking instructors, who will be full-time (non-tenure track) staff member in the Hansung Institute of Language Education.

1. Job Openings & Description
(1) 1 general English teacher
- Teach credited university English classes(15 hours per week)
- Attend monthly faculty meetings and hold 4 office hours per week, 2 of which should be held in the English Lounge
(2) 1 English Lounge coordinator
- 30 hours per week
- Correct students’ writing at Write Spot
- Tutor small English study groups including both staff and students in the English Lounge.
- Coordinate student helpers, and other activities at the English Lounge.
2. Qualifications: MA or higher degree holders.
Minimum 2 year teaching experience at a university.
Language education majors with MA or TESOL specialists preferred.
3. Contract Period: September 1, 2014 – August 31, 2015 and renewable
4. Payment: 2,800,000 KRW per month (before tax)
Allowances such as medical insurance and private school annuity will be provided. Extra work demanded by the University will be compensated.
5. Housing: Free housing minus utilities can be provided if any vacant school house
is available. Otherwise, 300,000 KRW for housing subsidy will be paid.
6. Vacation: Two month-paid vacation per year
7. Required Documents:
(1) Application Form (downloadable)
http://2url.kr/amQQ
(2) CV with a cover letter
(3) Copies of diplomas and certificates
(4) Copies of academic transcripts for the screening process
Official sealed transcripts should be mailed to the University directly from the designated college or university for final approval.
(5) 2 recent Recommendation Letters from former employers or professors
including phone numbers or email addresses.
(6) Copy of ID page of passport

Please submit your application form first by e-mail to hyung8758@hanmail.net, which should be followed by all the required documents via regular mail to the following address no later than May 21(Wed), 2014.

Byung-eun Lee,
Chair, The Committee of General English Education Program
Professor
Hansung Institute of Language Education
116, Samseongyo-ro 16-gil, Seongbuk-gu
Seoul 136-792, Korea

Should you have any questions, please call us at (02) 760-5935 or email us at hyung8758@hanmail.net

Kevin Kim said...

Daeguowl,

If you click on the link in the footnote of my post, above, you'll see my insights into Hansung University.

Charles,

Yes: "I recently signed a form confirming the fact that I won't be returning to Catholic University for a third semester." To be more specific, the form was purely a confirmation of nonrenewal; it said "사직" on it, so it wasn't a "Will you or won't you renew?" document.