Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Koreabound2004]

I want to know if anyone has dealt with any of these recruiters? I am looking for a good Canadian recruiting agency?

[paul]

It's a very good idea to stay away from recruiting companies. Some honest guys and gals are out there, but if you have dealt with half the shysters I have, you wouldn't come near any of them. They are head hunters, getting paid by how many teachers they supply to numerous schools and they are fly-by-nighters.

Look on Dave's Korean job board for decent schools that ask for references and are reputable franchise schools. And unless you really love Korean people, look for schools that have at least 8 native English speaking teachers who have renewed contracts, and ask to speak to at least two of them before you sign.

If there is a healthy number of native English speakers it usually means you will have a good support network, which is extremely important your first few months. It also means the school is good enough for them, so it should be good enough for you.

Also look for a school that has at least one native speaker in management, or as a head teacher, so you can get the straight goods.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

FT Union is not that bad.

Like all recruiters, they are a business.

But I have never had a problem with them, and have used them 3 times.

[Juggertha]

I agree, check out things posted on your ow. Hogwon owners don't nessisarily like recruiters and teachers aren't much different. If your stuck, go with one. If you have a choice, field the options yourself.

Check for schools with returning teachers. If its good enough that they stayed.. its probably decent.

[Lost Seoul]

Here are some previous posts about hagwon recruitment agency FT Union:
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http://www.esltalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=e5a5265560f8d1f069102fae547033c4&threadid=120

eslguru
　
Junior Member

POSTS: 4

JOINED: Oct 2002

From: Currently in Incheon

STATUS: Offline

Speaking from experience, FT Union is probably one of THE best recruiting agencies you can hope to find in Korea and I can personally vouch for them. The people are kind and courteous and they've even helped out several people I know out of bad (and to some extent, dire) situations! I suggest you check them out if your looking to transfer or find another job.


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Korean Job Discussion Forum
stay away from FT UNION!!
Posted By: Sandra
Date: Monday, 16 December 2002, at 9:37 p.m.
I have had the wonderful opportunity of coming to Korea to teach English. Many people say too many bad things about Korea and its people, but I have been to more than 25 countires in the last 10 years and I will say this for Korea: it is safe,. very safe. And, a child that misbehaves is one that talks out of turn or is just to spirited in the classroom. You don't get kids telling you to F-off, nor do you get them threatening you. If you want that,.. teach in the good old USA.
Al this,.. but my only bad experience came from Dealing with the people at FT UNION.
I would suggest it to anybody who cared,. stay away from them,.. they willnot be there when it counts.
It is funny watching this thread about people bashing them,... and I can understand why.
It is amazing to think that they themselves come on this page and defend themselves.
If they had conducted business properly, then they wouldn't need to make the effort.
Bad Business people like the FT UNION agency should dissolve away and let us all be,.. happy again.

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Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: stay away from FT UNION!!
Posted By: "http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;profile=shim+shim" <"mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re: stay away from FT UNION!!">
Date: Tuesday, 17 December 2002, at 3:46 p.m.
In Response To: "http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710155892" (Captain Obvious 2.0)
I agree with you, captain.
Sandra, give us a real name, email address and some concrete examples and we might take your post seriously. You said that the people posting positive things must be working for them, well I, shim shim, have been posting long enough on this board and have met enough people through this board that it is well known that i do not work for them. They found me a good job and i was very happy with them at all levels. You don't believe me? Email me and we can talk, go for coffee and i can tell you face to face how they have helped me. Could you tell me face to face what they did to wrong you? Did you expect them to babysit you and they didnt? They are not babysitters, they are recruiters and i think by recruiter standards, they go above and beyond the call of duty.

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Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: stay away from FT UNION!!
Posted By: "http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;profile=hatch"
Date: Wednesday, 18 December 2002, at 7:19 p.m.
In Response To: "http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710156061" (Sharon)
you said:
What are the chances that three people in the same day, within a couple of hours from each other
If you honestly believe that statement of yours, then you obviously know nothing about this board or how it works. the times posted on each message are not the times that the person posted, but rather the times that the moderator posted the messages after approving them. The times and dates mean very little. And, make your list of three people that are all one to four by adding me to it. I came through Ftunion and they treated me fairly and got me a good job. I am happy with them and their service.

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Korean Job Discussion Forum
Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union
Posted By: Pam
Date: Sunday, 29 December 2002, at 11:47 p.m.
I just wanted to know whether about the laws governing racist or prejudice employers in Korea.
I was in contact with a couple of reps. from a company called the FT UNION.
I established contact with them and thought that I had a good job secured,.. that is until they found out that I am not 100% caucasian.
They stated that based on my qualifications, I would be able to obtain a very good job in Seoul and they gauranteed it.
they also told me that they were sort of the 'unofficial Union' for English teachers in Korea and they went far beyond the other recruiting companies in what they offered.
what they offered was a swamp of lies and promises that they didn't keep.
I expected more from the 'unofficial Union',.. but now all I have is their lies and broken promises to choke on.
I am out the cost of a return airplane ticket, as well as the money that I lost on the sale of my vehicle.
The FT Union people are not real Union people,.. they are just a dishonest,and prejudice company.
They offered me a job and based on my ethnic/cultural heritage,.. they now prefer not to deal with me.
They told me that they don't think that they can help me now and that they are sorry.
Are there any people out there with a mixed ethnic background that the so called FT Union has helped out? If so,.. please post on this board.

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Korean Job Discussion Forum
FT Union is Sneaky! Don't trust them!!
Posted By: Jessica
Date: Thursday, 2 January 2003, at 12:06 a.m.
In my search for a job in Korea,.. I went through a number of agencies. Some good and the others,.. mostly bad.
Then I got in touch with the FT Union people. Once they received my email expressing my interest in a job that they had advertised on Dave's Korean job board,... they called me and told me that the job was mine.
The instructed me to send over my documents: passport copy, diploma, transcripts, etc.
I did that and once the documents arrived and were in their hands,... they changed their tone and told me that the school had backed out of hiring me.
They assured me that they would find a suitable place of employment within the next 3 or 4 days and asked me if I'd wait. I agreed and waited.
A week passed before I heard from them, telling me that there were a number of schools interested in me but that I would have to wait for a final answer,.. but it would come soon.
I waited another week before I heard from Mark or Stephanie. This time they told me that one of the schools had agreed to hire me but, that after their 'personal' inspection of the school,.. they themselves turned down the job on my behalf because it was not up to their standards and that they were the UNION and had a certain reponsibility/standard to uphold.
I can very well appreciate them wanting to look out for teachers,.. but shouldn't they have done that from the get-go?
If the school was as they say,'not up to their standards',.. then why did they even consider me for that school. they should have checked it out prior to the fact.
The next incident was that they told me of a great school in a great location that wanted an interview with me the next day.
I asked for the schools phone number,.. they were reluctant to give it to me and made every excuse possible not to. Finally they agreed to give it to me on the condition that I not call the school for another 2 days. They said that the school was at its busiest time of the year and would only be annoyed with my call.
I telephone the school the next day and spoke to one of the teachers at the school. The teacher said that he had no idea that they were hiring and when he checked it out with his boss,.. it turned out that they hadn't even heard of me and wouldn't be hiring for another 4 months.
I received a call from the FT UNION later that day and made no mention of my call.
they gave me another story about how the school wanted me to wait another 3 or 4 weeks before hiring me, but that it'd be worth it because the school was such a good school.
I was too embarrassed to mention my conversation with the school,.. and didn't say anything.
I thought that I would simply look for another job through a different recruiting agency.
when I did and did receive a serious offer of employment that I agreed to accept,. i emailed the FT Union and requested my documents from their possession.
It took them 4 days to get back to me and when they did,.. they were very rude and told me that I had an agreement with them and was now breaking it.
I asked them to mail my documents to the other recruiter, or better yet, would have the other recruiter pick them up from their office.
After 4 telephone calls to Stephanie and Mark, they finally agreed to mail them to my new recruiter who is in Seoul.
That was 10 days ago and they have not yet arrived.
My new school, of which I signed a contract with has requested the documents and, has given a deadline of tomorrow to receive and start processing my visa.
If they do not receive the documents,.. i will lose the job to another applicant.
I know that my job is in jeopardy and it seems as if I will be passed up for the job because of the FT Union's dishonest business practices.
I would suggest to anybody out there to not deal with the FT UNION!
they are not a Union,.. although they say that they are.
They are simply shady characters who will compromise your time for their benefit.
I am sure that they have done this to other potential ESL teachers.
I figure that they just ask for your documents whether or not they have a job for you. that way,.. you are committed to them and it buys them time to try and find a suitable job.
It is a dishonest business practice. It is very sneaky.
Be careful of the FT UNION!! Stay away!!
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http://www.koreanesl.com/forumdsps.asp?ser=6561
Name
middle name jane
E-Mail Address
marcy28#hotmail.com
Title
I was recruited by FTUnion - 2003/01/03
I would like to post in defence of FTUnion. I was recruited by that company in May of 2002. I got a great job, and I really like my Hagwon. I would also like to say that I am FRIENDS with the people at FTunion. They made my transition to Korea a really positive one. Every recruiting company makes mistakes, it's true. But, BEFORE you go, dragging someone's name through the mud, you should do your own research. People who end up with bad jobs, almost always dont do their own research before they come to Korea. Dont be hasty, it's not a virtue.

Middle name Jane

PS: Go ahead and post a nasty reply, that's what this website seems to be all about, right?
Although, it SHOULD be used for informative purposes....why fight on a website? It's quite cowardly.

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Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union
Posted By: JD <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union>>
Date: Thursday, 2 January 2003, at 7:31 p.m.
In Response To: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union <http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710157477> (Pam)
What the hell? FT Union being racist? I'm telling you, come visit me I work at Jung Chul school across from WalMart about a 20 minute walk north from the Sung Ne Station in Bucheon, or you can email me (and yes I've heard all the jokes already about what a beebo is). Ft union gave me my job and I uphold that they do exellent work and are always looking out for me, in fact I stopped by the office today because it was snowing (amazing eh?) and I wanted to dry off, they then gave me an umbrella when I was gonna leave, small gesture but it meant allot. They are not racist by the way, I am in fact metis, which is half Native American and they knew this when I talked to them the first time. Just because you have a tan doesn't mean that they are gonna discriminate against you. However in my short time here I would agree that the more "western" you look, ie white, then the more you will be liked by some directors, not all thank god, but some. I myself am proud of my Native American background and encourage others to be proud of who they are when they come here.
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Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union
Posted By: ZOLAMAN <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union>>
Date: Tuesday, 31 December 2002, at 8:28 p.m.
In Response To: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union <http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710157477> (Pam)
Sorry to hear about your situation- I know first hand what a terrible company FT Union is. My point is that it doesn't matter wahat you look like- FT Union will find a way to screw you over. It may well be that they are prejudiced against you, because they are famous for giving false hope as long as they possibly can.
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Korean Job Discussion Forum
I don't think so
Posted By: Kristen <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]?subject=I don't think so>>
Date: Thursday, 2 January 2003, at 3:06 p.m.
In Response To: FT Union is Sneaky! Don't trust them!! http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710157968 (Jessica)
When I was considering returning to Korea, I contacted FT Union on several different occasions throughout the year as circumstances kept popping up delaying my return. I talked to Stephanie once or twice and Mark the rest of the time, via email. They were both incredibly helpful, concerned and completely efficient. Although I never had the privilege of taking advantage of their service as I ended up getting a job directly, I can only say that I believe they would do an excellent job and were both very kind people. I know this is only my opinion, but I've read enough people slamming them on this board by now that I felt I had to say something... I've run into REALLY slimy recruiters, and for some reason, nobody makes mention of any of them.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/korea/index.cgi?noframes;read=132710158110
Korean Job Discussion Forum
Re: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union
Posted By: Ok, fine but ...
Date: Tuesday, 7 January 2003, at 4:05 p.m.
In Response To: Re: Racist/Prejudice Recruiting Company: FT Union (JD)
There are usually good sides and bad sides to every story and I bet that goes for FtUnion as well.
I'm sure that as long as the applicant fits into their narrow categories, they will find a job for him/her. However, if the applicant does not fit into the neat litte niches that they have designed, then you're shit out of luck.
The fact that you are a Metis just adds to the spice; many Koreans are entranced and intrigued at having a 'real' native in their midst and I'm sure you can capitalize on that one if you're so inclined.
For myself I have this to say about FtUnion: when I applied to them, they totally ignored me. Why? Because I don't fit into their little niche, that is: I am an 'older' teacher and presumably to rickety to be able to teach English. It does not seem to matter that I bring plenty of life experience with me, nor that I am an energetic and dedicated individual who has taught in Korea before. If they tried, they could find jobs for everybody, including older teachers. It's called marketing, but I think they are in the business for the quick buck, not in the business of finding jobs for real teachers.
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http://www.englishspectrum.com/form2.php3?table=news_blackbook
58 : Stephanie Kim and FT Union
Name: naive Date: 2002-06-12 08:04:14 View: 196
Don't believe a word this woman says... she will say anything...ANYTHING at all to
get you over here and locked into a contract... and NONE of it is true. I wonder how
she manages to keep all of her lies in order... And the entire staff of FT Union has
been well trained by their lying master... be warned! find another agent.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/jobinfo/asia/sefer.cgi?display:1042158598-30194.txt
Marcy "[email protected]" from VANCOUVER, CANADA JANUARY 10, 2003
Posted: January 9, 2003

My name is Marcy and I can testify that I have been treated with extreme professionalism by FT UNION RECRUITING COMPANY IN SEOUL.
THEY HAVE NOT LIED TO ME ABOUT ANY OF MY CONTRACT AND THE SCHOOL THAT I WAS OFFERED (and accepted) A CONTRACT WITH-----ARE SUPERB!! MY APARTMENT IS STATE-OF-THE-ART! MY BOSS DELIVERS THINGS TO OUR APARTMENTS AND SHUTTLES US AROUND IF NEED BE---to get groceries, airport, anything--anything!! JUST ASK!!! UNBELIEVABLE---I'm NOT EVEN THINKING OF LEAVING!!! THANK YOU FT UNION!!!!!
Marcy "[email protected]" from VANCOUVER, CANADA JANUARY 10, 2003
Posted: January 9, 2003
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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=10115

Walter Mitty
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Posts: 310
Location: Ansan (right next to that school)
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2003 3:05 pm
Post subject:

I recomment FTUnion. They (well, Stephanie, actually - she's the one I dealt with) got me a great job in Ansan. They have positions all over Korea and were very professional in handling everything. My school uses them exclusively (as far as I can tell) to find new teachers. The current four (one about to leave, his contract's expiring) teachers, and the next one coming in have all gotten their positions through FTUnion.

Email Stephanie at [email protected] and tell her what you're looking for - location, pay, age of students, etc. - and she should be able to hook you up with something that'll suit you.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=10115
Clutch Cargo
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 169
Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2003 5:36 pm Post subject:

I used FT Union and they pretty much stayed on track with what I wanted in relation to location, hours and whatnot. I got them to change the contract a few times through the school due to some contradictory clauses eg. Hours (written in contract as) 9:30 - 3:00
Clause 3 - Hours can not be gauranteed by school (deleted from contract)
That sort of stuff.
Good luck.
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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=11293
maxxx_power

Joined: 17 Mar 2003
Posts: 149
Location: Toxic Wasteland
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 8:59 pm
Post subject:

I would highly recommend FTUNION as they have never let me down. They went way out of their way and helped me out of a very bad situation and they negotiate good contracts with schools.
They recently set me up with an excellent job with great hours and a dream contract.
Right now they say that there are a LOT more teachers than positions but they are one of the biggest agencies and will definately be one of the first to locate a job for you, and help you get what you want.