Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rae]

I looked up all the EPIK posts and couldn't find an answer:

Is it better to apply directly or use a recruiter? Are there any advantages with using a recruiter?

The reason why I'm asking: An agency is offering me a position through EPIK this December. I'm thinking this is a little too soon for me and prefer a different province. I'm still undecided, though I think I'd prefer dealing directly with EPIK since they have an application office in the same city I will be visiting come next week.

Note: I'm not thinking about shafting my recruiter for the December position. But if I chose not to take it, I was thinking of going ahead and applying for Spring through one of EPIK's official application offices (which would be convenient since I will be in the same city).

Am I doing anything wrong? Technically I'd be rejecting a current offer and applying for a new term (that has not been proposed by my recruiter yet), so I don't see anything wrong with it. Plus my contact would be in the States, and that on its own makes mean feel more at ease. Dealing with EPIK directly without a middleman makes more sense to me. Or does it?

Should I do this? Or can recruiters finesse me a better deal/accommodation/location? Any advice would be highly appreciated!

Thank you ^^

[schwa]

Essentially the same difference.

Unless youve got some strong connection with a certain locale (years living there, a principal vouching for you, youre coming expressly to live with your grandmother, etc) EPIK will place you wherever a teacher is needed. Your preferences might be taken into account, might not.

Recruiters can offer a bit of added assistance with visas, flights, etc, & are of course free to you, but are also known to make promises they cant keep. If you bring some special qualifications to the table they might be able to advocate for you, but placement decisions are ultimately made by EPIK.

[Horangi Munshin]

If you use a recruiter. The recruiter might have some kind of contract to find teachers for a particular area.

[Rae]

[cruisemonkey]

I'm with EPIC and got to choose my actual school (it's in my contract) by going through http://uni.nayana.com/~getscenter/aboutus.htm. There was no way I would do it otherwise.

[n�fara]

If I had to to it over again, I would probably apply directly through EPIK and skip the recruiter.

My recruiter was good. He answered, or sought the answer to any questions I had. However having a middleman between me and the people who would actually have the answers to my questions meant that I might get some garbled or incorrect responses. It was much easier after I started to speak directly to an EPIK coordinator, and to do that I could have just as easily applied directly on the website.

The GETSCenter(Gyeongnam English Teacher Supporting Center) looks interesting, but only if you're heading to Gyeongnam.

If you have a specific place you want to go, go through EPIK directly and try to establish a contact there who will remember your name and what you're looking for.

[Rae]

Thank you so much for that link cruisemonkey and also thank you nifara for the advice. I thought it makes more sense to deal with them directly if possible. I will try to contact the EPIK consulate in the area I will be visiting. My only concern is the Visa section is not included in the regular EPIK contract like it is with ones found with recruiters (like shwa mentioned).

[shimmyshimmy]

Thread hopping!!!

So the reason why people choose to go through recruiters rather than government programs like EPIK or GEPIK is because they want positions outside of those provinces EPIK/GEPIK is associated with? Or they want hagwon positions?

Just wanted to make it clear...that there aren't that much more incentives to apply through EPIK/GEPIK than a recruiter.

[Rae]

OK I just spoke to the EPIK consul in the area I'm about to visit and they seem clueless. It seems the website isn't up-t-date with the people in charge and they emailed me saying the deadline is Nov. 15th - if I can't make it by that time, I'd have to wait until the Sept 8th start date =_=

Yeh, OK I'm dealing with a recruiter.

[Rae]

[n�fara]

I don't think you'd be SOL if you weren't able to make the November 15 deadline. In fact, considering how I applied rather late (er, about a month before school was going to start... ) and still found a position, you should be Ok. I don't think that EPIK has ever completely filled all positions ever, so there is always space available.

The thing with the consulates is that they kind of act like a middleman as well, and sometimes they know even less about what is going on, because they are adamant the the old info they have is the correct info. That being said, I did not go through a consulate at all (got my visa in Korea, yay for Jeju-do) so my experience with consulates = pretty much 0. Sorry.

I know the EPIK website is in a state of constant flux, and I only really used it to get contact info and a general idea of where I would like to go. But once I started talking with one of the coordinators at the EPIK head office in Seoul, things started to make sense, and I got a lot fewer conflicting answers. Nothing's ever perfect though

Good luck!

[crusher_of_heads]

I struck gold with a recruiter-logically, apply directly.

[johninmaine]

....Crusher , with EPIK or a hagwon?

[crusher_of_heads]

[marlow]

Better not to apply at all seeing as their 2008 pay scale is the same as it's been for the last four years.