Korean Job Discussion Forums

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

All the public schools and Uni's seem to hire in Dec/Jan, and lately Feb. I think there are having a problem finding teachers because of the new visa regulations, and it seems it's very easy to find jobs with 10 weeks vacation etc. Now, is it always like that or is this unusual?
When is the next time public schools and Uni's do they're next big hiring round? Do they hire year round, just not on a massive scale?

Thanks!

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

They usually start hiring as early as November for March (at least at my school). Many people with good resumes are interviewed at several schools, and offered jobs at more than one. What I've seen happen is that the teachers will leave for a better offer weeks or months down the road. Suddenly the smaller school is without a teacher again, so they go down their list of candidates. Generally, most of the top ones have been hired already, so they become desperate and start looking further down the list. They often have to advertise on places like Daves again literally a few weeks before classes start. That is what you're seeing happening on the job boards now, and it's where someone with a BA who interviews well and makes themselves stand out can snatch their first uni job.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Semesters in Korea begin in March and August (roughly). Hiring generally comes in the month(s) before. There are always schools who haven't found someone when the term begins. It would be impossible for anyone on this board to know if the problem is greater or lesser at one term or another.

Every single semester there are posts gossiping about how schools can't find teachers in greater numbers than before. It's just gossip. No one here knows. The Ministry of Education might know...several months later.

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

Does this happen all the time? I am just seeing a TON of really good jobs, and I'm wondering if passing them up now is a bad idea. I would like to come back to Korea, but I need more of a break still, lol. So I'm trying to plan my route of attack...I'd like to come back in Aug with a Sept start, but I would like one of these jobs with 2+ months vacation!

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

Well, what some would call "really good" would not be "really good" to others.

Then there's what the job turns out to actually be, compared to what the ad looks like. Some unis look great on paper, but people who have taught there start posting things that make candidates think twice. I can't name any specific schools, but I've read some posts about unis on Busan that people felt should be avoided, for example. Then you've got places like Sookmyung, which many have said is a wonderful school, but they tend to treat their teachers like little children who aren't allowed to have adults of the opposite sex in their own apartments.

Schools ask for MAs only, but soon find the pool of MAs is a little tight. Most schools won't even look at a resume from someone who isn't in Korea -- doesn't matter if they have a Ph.D even. Things become even tighter when they interview a few candidates and many of them don't look the right way, smell the right way, or whatever it is the school determines what they want by. See my above post for what happens next.

And pay attention to the new VISA rules. If you come here for a job, you may end up having to go back home for a consulate interview before coming here again to teach.

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

I guess so, the one school that sounded good, just turned me off a bit cause they wanted to hold onto the flight money until 6 months, at which time on the 7th month, they withheld W500,000 (basically the flight again) until the contract ended. But 12 weeks vacation!

So I'm jsut worried with only a Ba I wont have this opportunity again, because it's just a shortage due to the new reg's.

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

You can apply to GEPIK any time of the year.

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

Do you have a website or anything for GEPIK?

Darkness · Joined: 12 Oct 2006

http://www.gochang.es.kr/gepik/web/about.php

Zaria32 · Joined: 04 Dec 2007

At the beginning of the winter vacation I was told I was going to be offered a full-time post at the uni where I was teaching part-time. They said "in general" the offer would be 2.3, housing, severance, pension and health insurance...standard. I said great.

Weeks later, when they actually offered the job to me, it became 1.9, no housing or allowance, no severance or pension, standard deal on health care. I said thank you but no thank you. They haven't found anyone.