Chungdahm Learning (CDI) – Pyeongchon: Hogye-dong, Gyeonggi-do

Overall a pretty kicked back branch in relation to other Chungdahm branches. As the case with any branch, the pay is generally hourly and based on your credentials (IE what uni you attended, relevancy of your major, experience, etc.), the standard working hours are from 4:30-10:30 with 5 minute breaks on the hour, and your every action as an instructor is monitored and reviewed on CCTV. All in all, it’s a very tolerable place to work, so long as you do what you’re supposed to do.

My biggest problem when working at CDI was the soulless, rigid corporate structure that did its best to control the instructors in every way possible, with fear tactics being par for the course. From the moment you begin training (5 days of unpaid hell), you are made to fear the idea of not passing the training course, which would result in your deportation of Korea. Depending on the mood of the higher ups, threats of probation / termination can be tossed around for simple infractions such as sitting down too much or leaving the room to use the restroom during class time.

That said, CDI beats out most other hagwans in terms of pay and reliability; you always get paid on time, in full. The contract is very clear and specific as to what is expected out of you, and the company stays true to its word for the most part. Read carefully before you sign up, because almost every thing is explained up front, from the shitty vacation policy (7 days unpaid per YEAR), to the lack of health care. Expect to make pretty good money, but don’t expect it to be a walk in the park.