Next Step after Job offer

Let’s say you have job offer in Korea, what’s next ? This step is assumed after you received an offer letter from a Korean company or from an international organization’s Korean office. I will try to explain what you need to think through before accepting offer and what happens when you accept offer. 

Before accepting Job offer

1. Salary Negotiation
   1. This is step is needed, if you have family or kids, I would says especially if you have kids make sure you have enough salary to cover your expenses, international schools are more expensive in Korea compared to other western countries. Make sure you read Expenses in South Korea blog to understand whether you expense are going to be covered or not 
   2. Initial Bonus amount/provision for relocation : assuming you need to take care of some expenses after you relocate to South Korea this includes paying huge amount of money for house deposit (Wonse), buying furniture, air ticket for family members or even paying for additional luggage cost to greedy Indian staff of international airline. Make sure your offer letter covers some aspect of this cost 
   3. Read your offer letter carefully, try to understand all clauses before you make your final decision sometime you may have to return some money if you leave your contract in between or ahead of your schedule period. 
2. Schools education for children
   1. Korean schools are cheaper but all curriculum is based in Korean language while English or international schools are expensive, costing around 20,000 USD to 30,000 USD per child per year. Make sure either your company sponsors that or you have enough money in hand to accommodate that cost while in Korea
3. Job location
   1. This is an important factor that people neglect while accepting offer, do your research as where your company or office location is going to be, if you are going to work at customer location or client location then consider renting house near by location, check if near by area has enough expat community or presence, usually wherever you find expats that location is most of the time near to international schools or universities. Having someone to guide you during your initial day definitely helps in a new environment. For this feel free to you check your countries Facebook groups in Korea such as for Indian there are “Indians in Korea”, “Indian Youths in Korea” etc 

After accepting Job Offer

1. If you are coming from India or any developed nation which has cellular service then convert your cell phone into prepaid cellphone plan. So that you can keep same number active for your banking OTP (one Time passwords) and to be in contact with your friends and families during initial time. As getting post paid SIM card in Korea may take time till you get your Alien Registration Card or Foreigner Registration Card. In case of Indian it also helps in keeping their phone number active which linked to their Aadhar Card. 
2. Create Non Residential Bank account or convert your existing Bank account  into expat account. In India it’s called NRI/NRO account, this account will help you in using your international debit card directly in Korea and also will help in remitting money from Korea to your country. Depending on tax law of your country having appropriate bank account for financial transaction is safe.
3. Get your medical checkup done, Go through medical check up and dental checkup in your country with whatever existing insurance you have. For initial few days you might be not in Korean National Heath Care system till you get your ARC/FRC so you may have to pay a large amount for any medical expense or dental expense. Having a checkup done in your own country and getting appropriate medicines before arriving in Korea would help in cutting down those initial expenses. Offcourse you may get those reimbursed or refunded once you get ARC/FRC but you need pay first from your own pocket. 
4. As briefly mentioned in above point get your regular medicines and any new medicine that doctor prescribed to you. Usually any 24 hrs stores such as 7-11 or any pharmacy in Korea can provide general medicines such as pain killer without prescription but it’s advised to bring your own medicines especially during 2020/21 when due to Covid-19 you need to be self isolated for period of 14 days. Medicine includes your contact lens solutions, deodarents, cosmetics and sanitary material for ladies and diaper for babies. 
5. Install communication apps such as VOIP based calling App Nymgo, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, WeChat etc, Korea has free WiFi almost everywhere though it’s unsecured but can be used in case of emergencies, Any coffeeshop also offers WiFi (Usually WiFi password is written on bill or close to billing counter) 
6. Check weather and be prepared for weather conditions, if you are coming during winter season such as from Nov-March make sure you have thermal wears, Jackets and sweaters along with hand gloves for initial few days, Once you are settled you can buy Korean brands which are suitable towards Korea weather conditions. If you are traveling during Jun-Aug carry an umbrella it would be rainy season and humidity might be very high during that time frame. Rainy season sometime extends unto Oct as well. 
7. Check and confirm your weight limit on your flight ticket then start weighing your luggage as early as possible if you think you are exceeding your airline limit then try to send extra non essential items by post, it’s very important that you travel as light as possible, I have seen people arriving with broken bags due to heavy luggage, cost of repairing bags is very high in Korea sometime almost identical or even more than buying a new or used one.  If you are coming from India then make sure your carry in baggage is also within 8 kg limit including your laptop bag as I had experience with multiple airlines that they will try to mint money out of you at the airport so you end up either throwing your non essential items or giving it to someone else. Better to use EMS service of Indian post and send your extra luggage by cargo than carrying yourself. It’s very cheap also. 
8. Power plug, Korea operates on 230V supply so make sure laptop charges/adapter you are brining are compatible with Korean adapters or wall plugs, make sure you buy a universal adapter at cheaper rate than buying it at airport.
9. In 2020/21 Consider possibility of quartine as due to Covid-19 South Korean governement imposes 14 days of strict quaratine for anyone arriving anyone South Korea due to Covid-19 pandemic. Be prepared for this in advance so either carry essential food items for 14 days if you follow certain diet such as Vegeterian or vegan or Halal. Do your research and find out what option you have, try to connect with fellow travellers through communities on facebook or reddit.
10. If possible try get replacement parts if you are getting specific items for your home cooking as an example gets valve for pressure cooker, it’s difficult to find exact matching pressure valve for pressure cooker in Korea. Another part is if you are bringing mixer or grinder then get rotating blades/bottom plastic rotating part etc. If it breaks you have to buy a new one as compatible part won’t be easily available in Korea, you may have to ask someone to ship from India. 
11. Driving license, Korea has tie up with several countries from which they accept driving license, what it means is with small procedure involving attesting that document from embassy and eye test you can convert your exiting driving license into Korean driving license. SO carry original driving license from your country, More information can be found on this Korean Road and Traffic Authority website. 
12. Some initial groceries, if you can’t eat meat or Korean food then it’s better to carry necessary items that you eat everyday such as for Indian listeners it would be rice, daal, wheat flour, oil, refined butter I.e Ghee, etc You can get most of the items in Korea now a days but you need Korean banking system to pay so it’s better to carry for few days till your online banking is sorted out and you have enough money in it to pay as you may not receive salary immediately after joining. 

Good Luck and all the best, listen to following podcast for more details

Next step after Job offer : part 1 – Life Where We Live

This episode will help you in understanding what are things you need to considering before accepting job in Korea ? another aspect is after you accepted job what you need to take care of such what are essential things to carry ? how you can save some money by organizing your luggage better? 

1. Next step after Job offer : part 1 18:06
2. 5 misconceptions about job in Korea and 3 misconceptions about Korea in general 16:16
3. How Expensive is Korea ? 16:19