Maven Language Center (City Hall)

[redacted] From day one, teachers feel undervalued and overworked. The expectation to arrive 30 minutes before contracted time without pay is unreasonable, and if they re not walking in the door exactly on time, they face scrutiny.

Prep time is virtually nonexistent unless a student cancels, which is absurd. Teachers are required to use ChatGPT to create homework based on news articles, but there s zero training on how to do this effectively. When feedback comes, it often feels like blame rather than guidance, leading to a toxic atmosphere.

The demands don t stop there. They re expected to send encouraging emails, follow up on class sign-ups, and chase after students who haven t completed their homework all during those precious few minutes when a student cancels. To add insult to injury, teachers were pressured to work through illnesses like COVID and influenza, and [redacted]

Management's tactics are alarming, including xxxxxx. The so-called "mandatory" Saturdays seem selectively enforced, targeting those the administration doesn t favor. Salary gets xxxxxxx. At the end of your shift you cannot leave until someone at the front desk checks all your daily notes. And as everyone leaves around the same time, it's a rush to get there first.

Teachers have been banned from using the staff room, supposedly to prevent a "revolution." If they manage to work a split shift, they get a half-hour break, but taking it is frowned upon.

To top it off, the location near City Hall means constant protest disruptions, making commuting a nightmare and if you happen to have your office on the eastern side the noise from protests and sirens made it hard to hear the students.

Overall, Mavens lacks proper training, support, and respect for its staff as employees and as humans.

Working there for more than one year, I was able to take my time in observing the environment there.

My view of this institution will likely be the most balanced of all reviews online because I am willing to list both pros and cons of working there.

Con: When a lot of new teachers begin training and start working there, they become a bit overwhelmed because of how much there is to learn and do as an English teacher at the institution.

Pro: If you have ever worked even remotely hard in your life, adjusting to the workload will not be a problem. In addition, if you show that you are putting in effort and using your time wisely, mistakes will be forgiven, and you will be given enough time to get everything down.

Con: It can feel like there are unnecessarily strict rules that making you feel babied or monitored at all times.

Pro: If you have experience working in Korea and understand the culture of work there, you should have no problem adjusting. Furthermore, it should make sense that rules are strict at that institution. The students who attend are heavily accomplished and important people in society. They require your attention to detail.

Con: The split shift is not ideal.

Pro: If you want to challenge yourself and become more disciplined to better yourself, the split shift is not going to intimidate you. It will be a struggle at times, but if you set your mind to it, you can do it. Some people actually prefer the split shift because it means that they can rest and recharge in the middle of the day, run errands, and avoid rush hour. If you don't already know, avoiding rush hour in the city is HUGE plus.

Con: You can't expect pay raises.

Pro: If you do a good job while working there, and the managers and boss acknowledge that, you will be rewarded. If you don't do what you are supposed to, you won't. It's as simple as that. That's how Korea works.

Con: There can be periods of high turnover.

Pro: If you have any experience working as an English teacher in Korea, you know that turnover doesn't necessarily indicate how bad or good an institution is. It is often related to what the teacher's goals and desires are. You should be aware of the fact that [redacted] In addition, although this never got talked about, some teachers found themselves in unfortunate situations, and the boss was surprisingly quite understanding. I want to reiterate that if you are a good employee, they will be willing to work things out with you.

Con: No sick leave.

Pro: If you get to work on time every day and do a good job and communicate well with managers overall, they will be understanding. They are human, too.

Con: Unnecessary meetings.

Pro: Guess what? All companies have them. But to be honest, they really cut down on the meetings. In the past, meetings were held monthly. They weren't even held monthly by the time I left.

Con: You can't use your phone in your office.

Pro: No. You can't use your phone in your office when you are supposed to be working. I had certainly looked at my phone at times when something was urgent or when I needed it to actually do work, and I was never once scolded. But if it is clear you are using your phone unnecessarily when you are supposed to be working and doing your job, of course you're going to get scolded.

All in all, I never really understood why people found it so hard to work at this institution. No job or workplace is perfect, but it's the easiest job I've ever had. And you are much more respected as a teacher when teaching adults than when teaching kids. You genuinely get to make a difference in so many people's lives while working there because as I said above, you help respected people with very important matters. I hope that this more balanced review of the Mavens is useful for anyone thinking of applying. Just give it a shot if you are ready to work. They sponsor E-2 visas, and you can sign one-year contracts. A year flies by. Why not?

You know the saying, "Life is what you make it," right? I made a choice to work there, and I took responsibility for my actions. Because of that, I learned a lot about myself, Korea, work, helping others, and so much more. If you make the same choice, you can do the same. I have absolutely no regrets. In fact, I encourage you to apply there. The students that you are going to meet are amazing in so many ways, and when you really, really need help, the other teachers, managers, and boss are all going to be there for you.