Korean Job Discussion Forums

[root555]

So this is yet another uncomfortable situation that I've found myself in, and as usual- I'm looking for advice.

So my bf and I are trying to apply for teaching jobs outside Korea. However, some of these jobs require letters of recommendation. I'm having a problem asking for these from the schools we're at right now for a number of reasons:
1. My school is under the impression I'm not resigning my contract because I'm going home, not that I'm unsatisfied w/ the atmosphere there, and want to leave Korea- and I'm worried they wouldn't write a letter for me if this was the case

2. This is the same situation w/ by bf's boss. He couldn't FATHOM that anyone would want to

3. It's recently come to light that my bf's boss hasn't been paying into his pension (which he should be getting back- as a U.S. citizen.) So he's in the process of trying to decide how to go about this- i.e. whether he wants to risk his 3k bonus, plus flight $- for pension money if he turns him in. His estimates are that his boss has pocketed roughly 4k USD....

Anyway- how could I go about telling a potential employer that I can't get letters of recommendation from our current schools??? I know they want some from the places where we have experience w/ kids. But we're caught in these ridiculous situations.

I swear- lately w/ our jobs it's been one thing piled up after another, and I'm really starting to loose my cool.

HELP!!! Advice anyone???

[Squid]

2 options I can think of:

1. Be honest with your future employer. Most understand not all contracts go well... or...

2. Write the letter yourself and ask a friendly staffmember at your current school to sign it, and accept any call for verification...

It's just a recommendation...

Good luck

[root555]

I'm thinking the honesty may be my only option. Yet I'm not thrilled when it comes to explaining to someone that a boss is breaking tax laws, and that this somehow affects the letters.. blah, blah, blah..

My bf's situation is the hardest- because along with the whole tax thing, there are only 2 ple who work at his school- him and his boss. So there's no one else to turn to.

I'm seriously starting to just go insane with all these issues that keep popping up. I've finally accepted the fact that we have to leave...and we can't even do that without difficulty.

I don't mean to become one of those ple w/ endless rants on these boards. But I've honestly had enough.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Pretend you don't know each other and write each other reference letters.

[icicle]

In your situation ... where your boss thinks you are going home ... why not just tell him that you need a reference / recommendation letter that you can use when you start applying for jobs at home ... to explain what you have been doing all this time ... It can be a letter which is not addressed to a particular person ... because you don't know who is going to need it ... whether you are at home or in another country the situation and need for it is the same ...

I think yours is easier than your boyfriends ... He may have no option but to take the honest approach and saying what has happened re the pension .. etc ... as the reason why he doesn't get one (if he doesn't get one... )

Icicle