Korean Job Discussion Forums

sojourner1

I know there are worknplay, Korvia, Footprints, and Woongjin think outside.

What others are there worth considering?

The reason I am debating on picking one and only one, is that I understand that if EPIK recieves more than application on you, then EPIK won't hire you. Is this true? Or should we fire off applications with all the recruiters like we would when seeking a hagwon job?

How do you pick a recruiter if seeking to teach in a public school?

Keep in mind, the only reason I want to use a recruiter is target a certain province and help connect me with EPIK program coordinators as an intermediary who speaks English and Korean.

I want some one who is professional, prompt, and who can do the job of acting as a competent 3rd party intermediary who can iron out any application process difficulties and get it done in the most efficient and effective manner possible using their bilingual abilities, communication skills, and knowledge of how it all works.

Dome Vans · Guest

I used www.tenetkorea.com

After spending months using a number of recruiters these came up with the job I wanted with EPIK straight away. I think their website is under construction at the mo, but you can fire a mail off to them on [email protected] and see what they come up with.

Hope this helps. I found them to be prompt and professional. Everything ran smoothly. I have a very good job with a very good contract.

halfmanhalfbiscuit · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul

I'd coldcall.Get a list of schools in the area you want to be from gu websites eg Seocho-gu,Kwanak-gu etc.Talk to whoever is in charge of English and ask to send them your CV.

They may not have anything,but there's a good liklihood one or two will call you back.

I'd try that before contacting a recruiter.

One recruiter that were upfront was esl-planet.com.The job they offered wasn't a good location for me,but I thought they were good.Not pushy.

Didn't like the fact that wnp.....,who I went with for my last public school gig(HS) lied to the school that I'd work an extra hour a week free.P-off.

That particular recruiter left.however my wife worked as a recruiter and she knew wnp... to be run by people without any real concern for return business.I know recruiters just want the fee,but you also have to earn it by fulfilling your part of the deal properly and efficiently and equitably for all concerned.

yeremy

I applied directly to EPIK. Did you know that you could do that?

sojourner1

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

Canadian Connections does Jeollanam-do: http://www.canconx.com/ They're Canadian, but will accept any native speaker, and they organize orientations and stay in touch with you throughout your contract. I know they place people in hagwon across the country, but I'm not sure if they do other provinces for public schools besides Jeollanam-do.

blonde researcher · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:34 pm Post subject:

delete

Alexander · Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul

I'm doing everything for a March EPIK start through Rowan at ESL Planet. He's been excellent. He's also easy to touch base with. I'd say zip him an email, or Skype him, and tell him what you want. If he can't do it, I'm sure he'll tell you.

With regard to placements with EPIK, each province seems to have had X number of roles listed through EPIK directly, and X number farmed out to recruiters. It seems to be first in, best dressed with POE requests through the recruiters, so you might want to jump on it ASAP. Even then, I'm taking nothing for granted until I'm holding that contract in my hand, and EPIK isn't sending them out until JAN....

Good Luck.

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 3:25 pm Post subject:

Thanks, that helps out a lot to know the 10 accredited recruiters for public schools.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

More importantly:

Is it true that a family member of someone in the Korean gov't is one of these recruiters, and that this person is allowed to act as the gatekeeper, pocketing half of the recruiting fees after handing-out the ability to hire only to certain recruiters?

I read that on here, and am really curious if it is true. If it is true, then THAT is a good election-year story.

My lady says it sounds like an Lee Myong Bak type of situation.

Dome Vans · Guest

It seems strange for the EPIK jobs to sound as though they are gold dust. As though there's more people than places, and that only ten recruiters are given the pick of the remaining jobs after EPIK have done their own hiring.

A new teacher in my city went through the EPIK induction week, in August I think it was. Only about 3/4 of the people were there for the jobs available and even then they expected a fair few to drop out within the first few weeks. So that's leaving a good quarter of jobs unfilled, so seems strange for the EPIK people to be so picky about who they allow to advertise these jobs. I could be wrong though.

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

Well, to a hagwon teacher, EPIK jobs look pretty good, but I understand that communication issues may be a problem though nothing serious like a director claiming that parents are unhappy and are about to take their kids out of your class due to not enough homework or all of a sudden becoming fickle minded. My Korean co-teachers were not doing their jobs in communicating with parents regularly and providing input and support to me in my teaching. My students don't do their homework half the time which showed me that their parents don't really care any more that much about their schooling other than knowing they are in a good school.

I noticed that all of a sudden, I am having problems in my hagwon at the beginning of month 12 after talking with my director about final arrangements last week.

Do public schools give you a hard way to go like hagwons do?

Aussiekimchi · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Location: SYDNEY

As I know it, (though most people lie to me in Korea)....

There were 217 available positions for the March intake in '08.
A large number was given to various embassies around the world.
A small number were kept for direct applications.
Recruiters were allocated 150 positions.

Recruiters were told that it was first in best dressed.
No recruiter was allocated x number of positions as like previous years.

There are now no positions left in Busan, Incheon or Jeju.
Those teachers with applications in at these locations will be ok.
The deadline for docs is Dec 15 but many rural positions do not get filled.

If the allegation is true about the govt. family member controlling all the $$$ and placements....well...as this is Korea..just give me a minute to take the look of absolute shock from my face!

There has been a lot of bad stuff written about EPIK on this site, but by far they have been the most professional outfit we have dealt with in Korea.
Ashley, Jean and Mimi at EPIK Head Office work tirelessly whilst being tugged at from all angles by the Korean ESL industry cronies and reactionist politicians.

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

Just don't turn down a date with the recruiter. If you do, you ain't getting anymore jobs off her in the future.

Sincinnatislink · Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Location: Top secret.

Even the ones who magically move the interview about 20 minutes (by bus) away from where they told you to go at first?
i.e.

"Hi, recruiter."
"Hi, recruit."
"I'm at the subway stop, and I don't see the school."
"Oh, that's because you need to get on bus X for X minutes, and then walk X."

I just want to reinforce that recruiters are scum. Look into schools with as many as you can, and don't trust any of them, on integrity or competence.