Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DC in Suwon]

Hello,

This is my first post of many! I will be starting my first teaching position in Korea in January. I'm still waiting to get the visa info so I can go to the local Korean consulate.

My main questions are:

What happens when you land in Korea? Is someone there to pick you up?

Do they drive you to your apartment/home or to the school?

When they schedule your flight, how many days do you normally get before your first day or work?

[oskinny1]

Thee are all great questions that you should be asking your future boss, not random people that know nothing about your job.

That wasn't supposed to sound condescending.

[Xuanzang]

[DC in Suwon]

[sarbonn]

Yeah, double check to make sure someone is picking you up. I was picked up by the guy who runs my school, and to be honest, I didn't even realize it was the guy I'd been talking to on the Internet all this time. I thought he'd send some flunky, but he wanted to make sure I got there okay. Everything worked quite well, although I did end up teaching practically the next day. Be prepared for that, because that happens to a lot of people.

[DC in Suwon]

Thanks for the info Xuanzang. I've done a lot of research and taken a bunch of notes off this site and I'm really just anxious because I'm waiting for this whole visa process.

[Xuanzang]

Make a packing list and bring stuff you love and have read that you cant find here. Favorite brands, stuff like that.

[DC in Suwon]

[Xuanzang]

[BS.Dos.]

Of course they'll send someone to collect you from the airport. Just don't be disappointed when you see they haven't sent a brass band as well.

[rich45]

I second what somebody else said, about trying to time it so you get here on a friday. Wait until a Monday before telling your recruiter that you have a visa, so they'll book the flight a few days later, and you'll arrive at the tail end of the week. I slept until about 4pm the day after my flight...in no way shape or form could I have gone into work!

[Otherside]

Public school in Suwon...

Someone from the school will be at the airport to pick you up. They'll take you to your apartment and pick you up the next day to take you to school.

January is a strange time to start, the public schools are on Vacation, and the semester only starts at the beginning of March. Assuming you do arrive in January, It's a total crapshoot to what will be happening until March. Most likely, you'll have a day or two to orienate yourself and then start working, but these will be summer classes, which you should have prepped yourself as there is no set-curriculum (I'm currently prepping mine now, my plans are due Monday). Simply put, you're landing in the deep end.

It would be better to start at the beginning of March, this is when the major intake is, and as such you'll begin at the beginning of the semester and have a whole lot of other foreign teachers starting at the same time as you. If you don't already have your criminal background check, I'm pretty sure you'll be starting in March, as that alone can take 6 weeks to get and then there is NO reason for you to start 2 weeks before everyone else.

[DC in Suwon]

[DC in Suwon]

[Xuanzang]