Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mountainous]

Best and shortest advice i can give is TALK TO A TEACHER CURRENTLY WORKING AT THE SCHOOL....i have heard that advice given lots on the forum, good luck.

[cruisemonkey]

[mmace1]

[Atavistic]

Here's how you check subway times between stations.

http://www.smrt.co.kr/english_smrt/cyberstation_smrt/cyberstation.jsp

[cruisemonkey]

Sorry if that sounded curt, but I got the impression you were ready to 'throw caution to the wind' and make a rash decision that will affect your life for a year.

[chris_J2]

A copy of your degree, as opposed to the original degree.

[nomad-ish]

[articulate_ink]

It's thoughtful of you to want to be near enough to the airport to meet your friends, but you need to be realistic about flight arrival times vis-a-vis your own work schedule. If you work for a hagwon you may end up working afternoons or evenings, and it's not likely you'll be able to take the time off. Even a university professor has to be very judicious about cancelling classes. Your first priority ought to be on your own day-to-day quality of life. Bucheon is pleasant, and it's halfway between Seoul and Incheon. Jamsil's not near the airport but it's near the City Air Terminal, which would make travel easy, and it's a decent area. Transportation links at the airport are well-signposted in English, and it ought to be easy for your friends to get to the airport train, the subway, and so on.

For what it's worth, I live 2 stations away from Suwon Station. The nearest airport shuttle bus stops at a hotel nowhere near the subway, and it's about a 12,000-won cab ride from my home. The bus trip itself is another 1 hour 15 minutes when there's no traffic. In traffic, it gets there when it gets there. If I take the subway and then the airport train, it's about a 2-hour trip. If you factor in the taxi ride and the waiting time at the hotel before the bus leaves, the subway/train option is better: it takes forever but I know when I'll arrive.

Here's a link to the airport's transportation page. It has information about the shuttle buses, where they stop, and so on:
http://www.airport.or.kr/iiacms/pageWork.iia?_scode=C1204010000&fake=1192333389592

[chris_J2]

For ESL jobs in public schools, try contacting:

GEPIK (Gyenggido English Program in Korea)
http://gepik.ken.go.kr/foreign/application.php
EPIK (English Program in Korea) (NIIED)
http://epik.knue.ac.kr/sub3/sub3_4.asp
http://epik.knue.ac.kr/sub3/sub3_3.asp
SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office Education)
http://www.sen.go.kr/HTML/eng/2_5.html
http://www.sen.go.kr/en_index.html


All 3 usually have vacancies throughout the year, despite the websites stating that all vacancies for March 2008 have already been filled. Some of the 3 also have a list of recommended recruiters, with contact details. (see below)

eg, the interactive EPIK map shows plenty of current vacancies outside Seoul & Gyeonggido (but vacancies within these 2 districts are not administered by EPIK, so check directly with GEPIK or SMOE):

http://epik.knue.ac.kr/sub3/sub3_2.asp

District & number of vacancies, October 14 2007:

Incheon 20
Gangwon 20
Gyeongbuk 45
Chungbuk 27
Daejon 5
Chungnam 20
Daegu 20
Jeonbuk 4
Gwangju 8
Jeonnam 5
Gyeongnam 20
Busan 12
Ulsan 15
Jeju 30

I arrived in Korea on Friday 14 September, with no job (long story, don't ask!), & had a job on Monday, 17 September. I'd agree with other posts that it's not necessary to live & work in Incheon to be near the airport. If you do want to stay close to the airport to meet friends, "GuestHouse Korea" at Airport City Plaza are only 2 minutes away by free shuttle bus (if you stay there for 38,000 won a night.) Seoul is only an hour away by public bus: exit 5, platform 5B, bus 601-2, which is 8,000 won o/w, & all other express busses to Seoul are 13,000 won.

http://www.guesthouseinkorea.com/InCheon/

A list of recruiters I found on SMOE:

"NOTICE of Employment starting teaching from September 2007

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is to hire dozens of Foreign English Teachers starting teaching from late August.
Eligibility, benefits, duties and the other working condition of this position is the same as what�s put on this website.

Initial applications should be e-mailed to one of the following;

Footprints Recruiting Incorporated
�Contact Person: Ben Glickman, Director of Employer Relations
�Suite 408, 55 Water Street, Vancouver, BC V6B-1A1, Canada
�E-mail: [email protected]
�Phone: 604-677-6559
�Fax: 604-677-6557
�Website: http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com

Korea Connections
�Contact Person: Jay. M. Lee, Director of Employee Relations
�D-901 Tower Palace, Dogok-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea (135-534 )
�E-mail; [email protected]
�Phone; 82-11-716-0905, 82-2-2058-2888
�Fax: 82-2-2274-6911
�Website: http://www.koreaconnections.net
�North American Office: Cindy Bond, Director of Employee Relations
4928 43 Street, Innisfail, Alberta, Canada T4G 1M5
Phone: 1-403-227-4637
Cell ph:1-403-392-0944
E-mail: [email protected]

Herald Professional
�Contact Person: Eunice Kim, Assistant manager of Program management
�Address:281-1 Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea
�E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
�Phone: 82-2-480-4864
�Fax: 82-2-480-4950

WorknPlay Incorporated
�Contact Person: Gloria Hwang, Recruiting Consultant
�Address:Namkyeong Sulleung Bldg Room 202, 704-50, Yeoksam-dong,
Kangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
�E-mail: [email protected]
�Phone: 82-2-568-7536, 82-10-4560,8023
�Fax: 82-2-568-7236
�Website: http://www.worknplay.co.kr"

I've had very good assistance from 'ESL Planet'.

[mmace1]

Thanks, that info on public school jobs is very useful, I knew of Footprints & work n' play, but not the others.

And great, I had previously taken their hiring schedules at face value.

I notice to apply they want a physicians report, criminal background check, proof of former employment, essay, letters of reference, etc. That would mean it would take much longer to get all the paperwork to apply for these (and I assume longer to be approved).

I'd rather leave quite a bit sooner (kinda broke after college!) - Any idea how long the process would be with these public school recruiters? Before I'd applied with Korvia and they didn't want anything in advance, and I'd been offered some positions (but took 2 days to look up the towns and the positions were filled by then...except the position in the seemingly crappy town).

[chris_J2]

Yes. Public schools do now require the following:

* physicians report, (Chest XRay for TB / Blood test for Aids & Hepatitis, & a normal pulse)
* criminal background check, (ANY police check)
* proof of former employment, (or "prior teaching experience" if it's your 2nd year in Korea)
* personal essay, (Just a covering letter from your resume. I copied the format from internet)
* letters of reference: ORIGINAL signatures by 2 referees (Not electronic sigs either)