Job Discussion Forums

[PeterDragon]

I'm getting closer and closer to leaving Korea--- my 3rd and final contract is up in a few months, and I have not bothered to hunt for any new jobs. I'll stop over in America to relax for a little while, then after that--- not sure yet.

I have 3 years of full time ESL experience in Korea, and I hope to use those credentials to land jobs in other countires.

My question is--- what proof of my past experience do I need? Should I have letters of reference on file? Do I need a certificate of experience translated and notarized? Will prospective ESL employers simply accept contact info for my previous schools so they can chekc up themselves? What's the best way to go about this?

Since I'm imagining standards vary in different parts of the world, please note that I'm most interested in the Middle East, Latin America, or Southeast Asia for future employment.

[naturegirl321]

I imagine letters of reference with the school letterhead, contact info and title of the person writing it should be good.

THey'll probably want to call or email your former employers.

I can speak for Latin America and they often just look at your references, once in a while they will call or email

[denise]

I have a few letters of recommendation filed away, but since so much communication is done over email these days, letters seem a bit obsolete... I am hesitant to send out the few copies that I've got left, so I include a page of contacts with my CV. For lengthy/excessively bureaucratic applications I will part with my actual letters or even beg people to write current ones, but otherwise I assume that they will be contacted via email or phone (assuming that the time difference isn't too great--I'm not sure how often prospective employers call old schools in countries that are 12 hours off).

d

[PeterDragon]

Denise---

What regions/kinds of schools have you worked in?

And naturegirl, thanks! Your responses are informative and helpful, as always.

[denise]

I went from the Czech Republic to grad school in the US to Japan to Peru to Oman. Some of the schools that I worked for have since been shut down, which for me is just another reason to have current email addresses for contacts.

d

[naturegirl321]

Another helpful tip I always ask for TWO letters. I tell them that one is for me and one for my future employer. Helps me out. When applying I send scanned copies and if necessary, COPIES of my rec. letters. ONLY if they ask for orginals will I give them to them.

I find that for contacting references, places will much rather email, especially if it-s in another country, they don-t want to pay for intl calls.

I second what Denise says about current email addresses, people change jobs or places go bust, so try to keep in touch with your old employers

[denise]

[veiledsentiments]

Why would you give the originals to an employer? I still have all my original letters of reference and used them repeatedly at various jobs over the years... handing in copies. No one ever asked for originals - though I may have showed them... and most never even bothered to get in touch with the writers.

VS

[naturegirl321]

Maybe it's an ASia thing, I've seen many adverts that require orginal reference letters. Must be because lots of them are faked.
About getting in touch with past employers. I worked with a guy who said that he would create email addresses and say that they were his past employers and that no one had ever bothered to email and check things out.