Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SeoulShakin]

Hey All -

I'm in the middle of updating my resume and cover letter, and was wondering, for those here who are in the position to hire others, what do you look for in a cover letter or resume. (Most specifically the cover letter)

I know all the basics, but I'm looking to stand out in a crowd.

Appreciate any tips

[laogaiguk]

First thing first: Bloody well check the entire thing for spelling and grammar. You might be able to get away with a grammar mistake (maybe), but spelling mistakes are horrible, and way to common among people looking for jobs teaching English

2) Keep it short, if you can keep your resume to one page, it's great. Do not use under 12pt font either, it will piss people off. Two pages is acceptable, three the absolute max, but no one should need three pages.
Put your work history in descending order, from the most recent to the oldest. You do NOT have to put every single job you had on your resume, nor every skill.

3) Put only things relevant to the job on your resume. What some people put in those things is priceless. Use formal language.

4) Always write a cover letter, even if they don't ask for one. This will ALWAYS be only one page long. If it's too long or looks like a story book, the person will just skim it. Start it off with what YOU can do for the school. The second part should be why you want to work there (this is not as important, so keep it shorter). Put things you couldn't put in the resume due to length here.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[laogaiguk]

[PRagic]

...another university grad seeking tips on writing a bloody resume. Some people really aren't getting their money's worth at school.

[periwinkle]

Make sure you use a professional looking photo. We've gotten a ton of photos of people who: look drunk or stoned ; are showing too much cleavage or skin; are somewhat inappropriate (there have been a few guys who sent vacation photos with bargirls sitting on their knees), etc. Make sure it's a clear photo, too.

Some people have sent 3 page resumes with too many details. I'd keep it to one page, and try to make it relevant to what you're applying for.

As for your cover letter, I'd keep it short and to the point. Some places get a lot of resumes, and don't have time to read through lengthy cover letters. Make sure it's appropriate, too. One guy was basically pleading for a job, and he had kind-of a pathetic story to tell. I'd try to sound professional and upbeat!

Also, if your resume stands out in some way, that will grab the attention of a prospective employer. I've seen some really, really well put-together resumes, and it's obvious those ppl took time and care in trying to present themselves. On the other hand, it's obvious that some ppl need to brush-up on their computer skills!

One more thing- make sure you use common sense! One guy sent his resume out in a mass-mailing, which was pretty tacky...

P.S. If you're looking to stand out, I would just try to organize eveything really well, and put some creative touches on your resume and cover letter. We've seen a lot of boring, standard resumes. You might want to try playing around with fonts, use different colors, play with bold and italic type, etc. One guy integrated his photo onto his resume (most ppl send theirs as attachments). Another guy didn't use microsoft word- I think he used publisher or something, and his resume almost looked like an advertisement. It was really well-done, and one I'll never forget!

[SeoulShakin]

Ok, if you read my post - I said I pretty welll had the resume down, and was more or less looking for cover letter tips.

Second of all, I know how to write a cover letter, but was looking for stuff that would pop specifically for the EFL industry.

Thanks for that though, it was really insightful

To everyone else, thanks

[Pak Yu Man]

Make sure you don't have a retarded email name.

"yes we'll be sure to call you [email protected]"

[pest2]

I'm not doing hiring now, but I did at my last job.

I looked for apps. that would be likely to yield the best employees. The best employees are dependable, professional, calm, and enthusiastic about Korea (I probably would not have hired myself )

So, if I got resumes that had huge misspelling errors, weren't attached or, worse still, improperly pasted into the resume, I sent em to recycle because it was likey their senders would not take the job seriously and would not possess some of the characteristics above.

At first, I looked at people who had teaching experience because my boss told me it was better. Later, I convinced him that someone who is competent and professional and outgoing and HAS NEVER BEEN TO KOREA would be the best choice; whenever we tried to interview someone who was already here, they just kept making so many more demands than my boss could respond to. They wanted an airconditioner in the apartment, not to have to wear dress slacks, the market equilibrium wage, etc etc... My boss and I both figured someone who was new and had no idea what to expect/what the standards should be would be better.

Also, obviously someone who is new and has no experience here will also be more likely to start out with a positive attitude and NOT necessarily be in it for the money alone... on that note, I tried to look for people who were mostly interested in coming because they like Asia and Korean culture.

[ChuckECheese]

[pest2]

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Homer]

Resume:

Not longer than 2 pages.
Clear and well presented.
List only relevant experience (leave out the jobs that are not related to education/training).
Do not list all of your degrees, only the most recent one.
Do not list all of your hobbies and interests.
Either include references or list that they can be furnished upon demand.


Cover Letter:

One page.
Highlight what would make you a good teacher.
Do not do grandstanding...it actually works against you.
Personalize the letter (address it to a person or a hiring committee).


Present your documents clearly and mistake-free.


As for what is considered, it varies from place to place (Hakwon, Universities, Public Schools) as do the requirements.

I know we look for certain qualifications and experience but we also evaluate personality and general demeanor when the interview takes place (we also send a questionnaire in advance of the interview). My university does most of its hiring locally as they prefer face to face interviews. The interview is conducted by a small committee of Koreans and Westerners.
When hiring from abroad the university relies on recommendations from its staff and asks for a few more references.

Best of luck.

[oneiros]

Do not tell me how well you did in high school. I don't care if you got 95% on your grade 11 math final. I don't care if you won the grade 10 drama award. I don't even care if you wrote for the school newspaper. That's the stuff that got you into university. If you've still got it on your resume, it makes you sound desperate.

As others have mentioned, use professional photos please. No pictures taken in a bar. (On a related topic, why do people think that they can be drunk during their phone interview and I won't notice?)

Proofread, proofread, proofread. If I see any errors, your resume is going to the bottom of the interview pile.

In terms of cover letters, keep it clear and concise. I don't want to read things like "After a damp morning in May, in the midst of a cloudy afternoon, after years of hard work and sacrifice, I received my degree and moved one step closer to achieving my dream, my dream of being an English teacher." This is a quotation from an actual cover letter I've received. This person did not get interviewed. Just tell me why you want to work for us, and why I should hire you.

Good luck!