Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cchude1]

Hello guys. This is my first post ever on this website so please do not criticize me if I am repeating what someone else has posted a while ago. Anyways, for the last two months I have been Resume bombing this website's job postings. My recruiters have said that my Resume and photo looks good. But for whatever reason I have not even gotten an interview from any employer. Recently I have been reading about how African Americans (I am one myself) have faced significant difficulty in landing a teaching position. To be honest, I knew a little bit about the racial discrimination in Korea before, but didn't think it was this strong. I knew there were many black English teachers in Korea already, therefore I thought I would at least see some interest. So my questions are...1. Is race this big of an issue in South Korea in regards to getting a job? 2. Is EPIK a better option for me since (from what I hear) are more progressive and are willing to hire anyone regardless of race? 3. Are there any other options beside EPIK that would be viable for an African American to land a job? I really would love teaching in Korea. I have visited the country before and I wanted to prove my dad wrong about Koreans not being racist, but unfortunately he is being proven right. Any suggestions? Thank you!

[i_teach_esl]

are you on fb? there is an fb group for black expats, "bssk." Short answer, yes, your color makes getting the job more difficult. But if a school doesnt want to hire you b/c of your color, it's not a school you want to work for anyway.
http://facebook.com/group.php?gid=25747883752

[metalhead]

I don't know man, I doubt it's because you're African American as there are many South Africans working in Korea, so I just don't think that Koreans discriminate against Africans.

[Sector7G]

[radcon]

I hate the term African American. If I ever witness a terrorist attack perpetrated by an Arab, I will tell the police "I saw the perp, he was definitely African American" Well he did look Libyan or Egyyptian.

[Sector7G]

[Stan Rogers]

[Stan Rogers]

OP Koreans are not so much racist as they are focused a lot more on doing what they believe is in their best financial interest. It's all about the money with them. It's a business, not a charity. They want to do everything they can to succeed and not go bankrupt. How you or your father wish to preceive that is up to you.

[radcon]

[ttompatz]

OP:

It is a combination of many factors.

Racism plays a part in it.
Timing plays a big part in it.
Economics plays a part in it.
Your resume and paperwork play a big part in it.

Racism:
-The impression of Blacks (of all nationalities) is often made after watching young US army boys out on a Saturday night (boys, booze and testosterone) and seeing it sensationalized in the news on Sunday.
-They also get a strong hit from US movies and to a lessor extent, TV.
-Thirdly, they see the results of Black Africans and their behaviors in Korea.
- If you emulate the likes of Geoffrey Canada you have a better chance than if you emulate your favorite rapper.
-Racist or not, it is what it is. You have to live with that legacy and not just in Korea but all of Asia. You'll face the same hurdles in China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.

Timing:
- It is almost the end of the 1st term.
- Recruitment for PS jobs usually takes place about 5-6 months before the start of each term
- - - March/April for Aug.
- - - Oct-Dec for March
and recruitment numbers are down:
- a combination of people not leaving and
- reduced numbers needed to fill a reducing number of spots (reduction in budgets).

- Hagwons hire year round but largely try to emulate the PS school cycle since a lot of their enrollments happen on that same cycle.

Economics:
- Budgets are down for PS jobs so fewer recruits are needed/wanted.
- The general public has been belt tightening so there are fewer kids in hagwons ergo - few teachers needed.
- Lower numbers also mean lower profits so hagwons (they are businesses not schools) attempt to maximize work loads and minimize costs (more work and few benefits for teachers).

Your resume:
-Check for errors. There is nothing worse than spelling and grammar errors and they usually get your resume tossed without much ado.
-Also check for colloquial language usage in your resume and cover letter.
-Finally, keep it simple. The nuances of fine resume writing are lost on non-native speakers. If they can't understand your nuances you just get tossed.

And for some parting suggestions:

To improve your chances of success, get some photos of you working with kids (in a fun way) and attach them to the end of your resume.
- formal classroom style
- on the playground
- at an event (4th of July community event).

They will go a long way to helping to sell your resume to a prospective school.

Don't just focus on Korea.
It's not just about the base salary.
2.1 million won + housing and airfare lets you save about $500-1000 month. The typical newbie who is focused can usually save about $10k/year.

On a package in China (air, housing, etc) + 9-10k RMB you can also save as much.

Salaries in Taiwan are comparable to those in Korea. The benefits aren't there but the savings at the end of the year are.

There are some academies in Vietnam who offer packages similar to those found in Korea but with a MUCH LOWER cost of living the savings are good and there is a lot to be said for having a 3bedroom house with maid compared to a 225 ft studio apartment.

.

[Yaya]

I second the vote for Vietnam. You might also try China.

[Sesame]

[ttompatz]

[Sector7G]

[jazzmaster]