Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BlueFish]

Below is an excerpt from an email from a recruiter. I am in the process of obtaining a TEFL certification. I have been applying to private schools as I understand I missed the intake date for public schools. I thought the private schools did not have an intake date. Is this accurate information?

"...you will not receive any offers right in Seoul. You have no experience teaching in Korea, minimal experience with children otherwise, and no TEFL or advanced teaching certificates. It is already the middle of June, and most positions have already been filled in Korea for the Aug/Sept start. Most of our teachers secured their contracts in May, and those who haven't are not seeing many options left out there. Aside from the Poly schools (the schools with very long hours that you've expressed no interest in), there will not be any other options for you right in the city of Seoul. The schools in the desirable neighborhoods get upwards of 60 resumes per opening, and the people applying have education degrees, TEFL's and usually multiple years experience in Korea. Unfortunately your resume in its current form doesn't stand a chance against that many more qualified people."

[CentralCali]

The recruiter is giving you sound information. Nobody in Korea is concerned about what you are "in the process of" doing or getting. They make their hiring decision based on what you already have and already have done. Even if you had not missed the public school application window, you would not be considered as a TEFL-certified person before you actually have that certification.

Private schools do not have the same window as the public schools do; however, they generally hire around the same time, for the same reasons: school term begins for that school, applicants generally apply once they graduate from university. Those schools with, let's say, odd hiring dates are those outfits looking to fill an open position that opened suddenly. That last could be a red flag.

Wait until you get the certification, then apply again.

Personally, I don't understand the fascination with getting a position "right in Seoul". The public transportation system in the Seoul Capital Area is quite good; you can get to Seoul rapidly. Some of the other locales in the SCA, in my opinion, are far better than Seoul for living and working.

If you're looking for "the big city" experience, you're going to the wrong country. Seoul may be metropolitan, but it's not New York City. The other "metropolitan cities" as they are called in Korea (Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Incheon {part of the SCA}, and Ulsan) are even less New York than Seoul.

[JohnML]

Yeah, even if you had that TEFL certification I doubt you'd have much of a chance. Seoul is extremely competitive for English teaching jobs, with no experience + at this time of the year you are really up against it. The recruiter sounds a bit harsh but everything he says is spot on.

[J.Q.A.]

O.P.

I would not fully be vested in the hype, concerning Seoul.

Go on Craigslist and click on the education section. You WILL find plenty of jobs in Seoul and/or the Seoul area.

Watch out for the cowardly recruiters, though...they very rarely like to post to their true contact information...

I recommend bypassing recruiters all together and find a direct hire opportunity.

Go for it. Don't let the nay-sayers bring you down....especially the word of a recruiter.

[SeoulNate]

[CentralCali]

Here's one of my favorite questions: Op, why are you so focused on getting a job in Seoul, or in Korea for that matter?

[BlueFish]

I have lived in major cities, in suburbs, in small towns. I know that I am happiest in a large city.

CentralCali you said you prefer other places in the Seoul Capital Area. Such as??

I have now completed a TEFL certification course.

The recruiter kept pushing for a certain city, despite the preferences I stated. I will be looking into direct hire opportunities. I am absolutely working with multiple recruiters.

[CentralCali]

[oatmeal]

What the recruiter said is pretty accurate. It is very hard to find public school jobs in Seoul these days, especially if you are trying now (in the middle of the school year) and with very little credentials. Of course, some opening may occur due to teachers suddenly quitting, midnight running, or emergencies, etc.

I'd say try to look for hagwons, private schools, or other institutions (non-government) and you'll most likely find a lot of jobs there, or you can just wait until next year and make sure to apply well before the start of the school year. Remember, Korea's school year starts in March, not September.

[Patong Dong]

What the recruiter is actually saying can be pared down to " I don't have any jobs to place you at in Seoul." If Seoul is what you want and you're willing to work at a hakwan keep at it. They do hire all year round, and it's not necessarily because someone was fired or took off. They can add students at any point which means an expanding school needs a new teacher.

But as others have mentioned, there are plenty of places on the subway in the surrounding cities that are great places to live. They're often newer and cleaner as well. Seoul has a lot of dumpy areas and is usually too busy. Also, if you're a first-timer to Korea you'll find plenty of things to hold your interest provided you're not in some far flung town. Access to a subway is key need for me.

[BlueFish]

I'm starting to feel as cynical as many of the people on this forum. Trust in the recruiter began dwindling. The recruiter sent me an SLP school to consider. I declined. I couldn't find a single review for the specific location the recruiter sent. I did find many reviews where people referred to SLP as "Slave Labor Program". No thanks! The recruiter got a bit nasty in a lengthy email and said I should listen to the expertise of the recruiters. Nah, I trust the expertise of people who have actually worked at the school.

I will be patient and will continue to pursue Seoul. But I'll be doing it with a different recruiter.

[goat]

I've known a few people who have worked at SLP schools. They were always putting in time beyond the contract hours and not being paid for the extra time. This seemed to be the biggest fuss. 45 hour weeks on 30 hour class contracts. Many of the extra hours weren't directly related to the contract classes. Little extra projects, etc.

[goat]

I was involved with a couple of recruiters in the past. One became nasty when she realized I was no longer interested in a school she was recruiting for. I was really surprised at how vicious she became through the emails. She said the school was in the heart of Seoul, but with a little digging I discovered it was in Suwon.

[J.Q.A.]

[ttompatz]