Thanks…

Not really. First, by "tricks", I don't mean how to screw people over. I don't do things that way… and I keep people that do at arm's length.

I mean how to market efficiently, how to arrange government subsidies for certain classes of students, how to recruit teachers (or how not to), how to negotiate leases, how to hire and manage office staff, how to negotiate with corporate classes, how to deal with Immigration and Education departments, how to encourage 1-on-1s for wealthy students… things that many can do… but with advice and mentoring, many can do well and efficiently… which is the difference between making a living and making a life in the hagwon business.

Success in anything comes easier if a foundation of knowledge and social relationships is built over the course of years. I do this in several fields because, someday, it will be time to do something different and it is much easier to slide into whatever is best at the time than have to worry about starting from scratch then.

As for siding with them due to income… that isn't a specific reason. Sure, if all things are equal, rich/educated/successful friends are better than poor losers… not too many people funk their way to the bottom, so to speak.

I have mediated a number of disagreements between teachers and hagwons… and, I must say, the teachers are never less than 50% at fault… usually due to oversensitivity… frequently due to misunderstanding, miscommunication or just plain ignorance…

…but a large number of them don't dress professionally, most are running from something and a surprisingly large number are reused-clothing-based stinkers… even though many have a washer/dryer combo in the apartments they are given.

I can go on and on and on about this… but do understand I am not talking out my arse about the ESL industry.

I can't speak for recent history, but ten years ago, back when the Korean economy was in trouble again, many hakwons went bust and many were making nothing or taking a loss – and it seemed that most were not managed by business people and had people who didn't know how to handle the fierce competition or plan ahead for slow times. Most seem to have opened with a lot of loans whose interst took much of the incoming tuition.

I know my hakwon in Wonju was said to be one of only 3 or 4 making money in 1997, and I had seen the books as I helped the secretary figure them, and the owner was taking home $300 a month after expenses.

It seemed many places were opened by people with no business experience or were run by the wive's of business people who had used savings to open a place to get rich quick and lost money because the wife didn't know what she was doing.

But that was ten years ago…

once you have applied for your F-2 it will take three weeks to a little over a month in some cases to have your visa issued to you..

I should let it go… but I just can't quite do it…

"when you don’t even have any experience in the TESOL industry… "

For several years I have hosted a private party once a month for several top hagwon owners… and I have a really, really, really good idea about how the business is run, many of the "tricks" involved, the frustrations of hiring and dealing with foreigners, idiot students, idiot teachers, etc.

Apart from liking these guys, I study this just in case I want to open a hagwon someday… as all these guys make at least a 100 million a year off a 300 million-ish investment… without much work… boring as all hell, I think… but not a bad gig… especially if my wife is doing the management.

It is very much something to consider.

This is probably the main reason I generally side with management whenever the ESL topic comes up.

Like I wrote in the other post, that exchange from back then was one of the handful of times over the past 7 years of being around the K-blogs where I've made an ass of myself and would do it differently if we had a repeat…

And since I also advocate firing back – within reason – when people attack you unreasonably – I can accept your need for revenge.

It's kind of a long time to wait around for it, and taken to an unreasonable degree, but — I do believe – again – that someone fresh to Korea or thinking about taking the TESOL plunge — who manages to wade through all the comments and posts — will get a well-rounded view of different means to go about it through the exchange.

Or in other words not yet used — even though you were jerking my chain —– you were doing so in extended comments that also focused on the topic at hand —- and thus added real value to the discussion — since your actual advice is a way to go.

(Since the need was revenge, though, in closing, I'd rethink my ideas of how thick my skin is if I were you. )

I'll quit ribbing you. You are right. I'm just getting some satisfaction watching you squirm around in a cold dish of revenge for the unjustified sniping I received from you in the past.

Childish? Sure. Satisfying? Of course. Over? Yeah.

There are certainly many ways to find a job. You will find one.

May things work out for you… and I mean that.