Korean Job Discussion Forums

[William.]

I was confused about why there wasn't a Korea forum in the Asian discussion forums, I guess it's such a popular country to teach in that it deserves it's own area all together eh?

Anyway, I'm graduating in June with a BA in history/spanish, and before starting grad school I want to spend some time abroad and hopefully save some cash, maybe enough to pay off (or at least start to pay off) the 10k I owe in student loans. I've had several years of teaching experience, ages K-12, both privately and in a classroom setting, but most of it not related to language. I'm about 95 % sure at this point that korea will be the right place for me (but am still open and researching other countries as well).

At this point, I'm just kind of overwhelmed. It seems there's almost TOO MANY jobs, and TOO MUCH information out there. I was wondering if anyone had some very basic suggestions/pointers or could send me in the right direction as to where to get started? I've read some pretty awful horror stories about people getting thrown into some pretty awful jobs over there and being stuck for a year, so naturally I want to avoid this if possible. And it seems like the average monthly salary is somewhere in between 2k and 2.8k or so, so naturally I'd like to try and find something on the higher end of that (without working myself to death) if possible.

Another thing I'm tossing around is, TO get TEFL certified, or TO NOT get TEFL certified. While I know it probably won't help me get a better job in Korea (or so I've heard?), will the money I'd spend on a month long intensive course somewhere make my life so much easier upon starting teaching that it'd be worth it?

Any answers to these questions, or general info, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
~W

[ttompatz]

start by reading the FAQs (frequently asked questions).
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewforum.php?f=7

The original posts may be old (2003/2004) but for the most part the data is still valid and reasonably accurate. In threads with multiple posts, the more recent posts are at the bottom of the thread.

Things like:

Getting a Job - Korea Vs Japan, Taiwan and China
Getting a Job - Things You Need to Know
Getting a Job -Hagwons, Unis, EPIK & Public Schools
Alien Registration Card (ARC)
Getting Organized to Come to Korea
Choosing a Location in Korea
Contracts - Health Insurance, Pension, Severance etc.
Money, Tax, Credit Cards & the Economy
Visas
Dealing with Homesickness, Culture Shock, and Going Home

Then have a look at the contract sticky in the jobs forum:

CONTRACT POSTING THREAD: post 'em here for a review
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=59265

81 pages of contracts that have been offered along with what is wrong with them (as well as what is right).

It's your azz on the line and your year here. Information and education can save you a world of grief later. Nothing can ruin your time in asia like a year in a hakwon hell.

Lastly you will need to get through the visa application process.
Questions to ask teachers and helpful websites
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=105423

New E-2 Guidelines????
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=104249

After all that, if you still want to come to Korea there are the job postings:

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/

25,000 job postings every year and about 17,000 applicants.
There is no rush to sign anything and no shortage of jobs. Take your time, find the right one for you and come on over.

It will certainly be interesting.

.

[majolica]

i just wanted to point out, in regard to your question about certification... if you're only planning to be here for a year or two, getting certified isn't going to add a significant amount to your monthly pay check. if you've never had any experience teaching at all, you may find a 100 hr TEFL course to be helpful... but it's really not necessary.

also, you could pay off your 10K student debt in one year. i worked at a public school and saved that amount easily, and that's WITH 2 long vacations, and plenty of shorter trips.

[mnhnhyouh]

I would work on getting your documents together first. You will need:

Criminal record check apostilled if you are from most countries.

Sealed transcripts from your university.

Copies of your degree, notarized from the Korean embassy are good.

I then just start emailing recruiters. Send them your CV, a photo, a scan of your passport front ID page, a cover letter on your CV and then a cover letter in the email.

I put this in mine (edited a tad to hide who I really am....)

To whom it may concern,


I am a teacher, by vocation and inclination. Being a good teacher is what I am about, and I want to teach in different environments, and to different ages for a number of reasons. However, the primary reason is to improve my teaching practice..

Stuff about teaching experience here....

Stuff about Korean teaching experience here...


I am interested in applying for another English teaching job in Korea. I will be available to start teaching anytime from the beginning of March.

I want to teach in the Seoul area, and will teach students of any age.

I do not want to work split shifts or on weekends.

If you have any suitable positions, please contact me.

Please find my CV, a scan of my passport and a recent photograph attached.

Regards, mnhnhyouh

Both times I have tried this strategy I have had a ton of follow up contact, lots of phone interviews and a good number of contracts on my desk. Both jobs, so far, have been good.

h

[BS.Dos.]

I'd say put plenty of hours into browsing on here, it'll make all the difference and while you'll often feel overwhelmed with all the opposing and contrasting opinions regarding where to teach (PS or Hagwon), which area to teach in (city or the sticks), what age group etc, after a couple of weeks a picture will start to emerge and you'll be better informed as to what is best for you. I signed up to daves in March of last year. I didn't arrive until the end of August and those 5-months of groundwork I put in made all the difference. While luck plays a big part out here in terms of how well your gig eventually turns out, researching all the minutiae of living and teaching in Korea can go a long way.

As for getting a TESOL/Celta certificate etc it really depends on how confident you already are. Being as you've classroom experience, I'd say you probably wouldn't need to bother. Just brush up on your grammar etc before you get out here and you should be fine. I've a TESOL and it's proved to be an invaluable investment, but then I didn't have any classroom/teaching experience to begin with. Many on here will tell you that language instruction courses and certificates don't really prepare you for teaching out here, but I'd say that's only partly true. I know a few FTs out here who've no experience whatsoever and they're the ones who usually struggle to get through the day, week in and week out. Having some kind of training in language instruction will be of great use to you. Essential? No, but you'll certainly be better prepared for what may or may not crop up.

Try and spend another month or two on here first before you start getting involved with recruiters etc as once you open that door, their persistence can become rather annoying and they'll start trying to pressure you into making a commitment that you're not 100% comfortable with. Just view what you read on daves with open mind and with a degree of prejudice as there are some sour old farts on here whose opinions, views and advice will only serve to cloud your judgment.

[William.]

Awesome! Thanks a ton for the replies. I've just finished putting together a resume to apply for a short term teaching job over here (teaching spanish to little'uns) so I at least have that part ready. Will they really want a transcript? Or would just proof that I've graduated be enough? When I start spam sending out emails like the one mnh wrote to various schools, I'm wondering if I really should just attach my transcript every time to begin with?

How far in advance ought I apply to schools? Since I'll be hoping to ship out this summer or early fall at the VERY latest, maybe it'd be best to start the ball rolling now?

As for the TEFL certification, thx for the info. It sounds like maybe I'll let that wait for now. Maybe after 6 months to a year I can see where I'm at and if grad school doesn't draw me back (and I want to teach a bit longer) then I'll use the money earned in Korea to enroll in one. I'm very comfortable in front of kids, and, providing that the language barrier doesn't inhibit me TOO much (though I expect it too obviously!) I think my classroom management abilities should be okay. But as far as the actual teaching of the LANGUAGE goes...

How widely do the curriculums of most schools vary? I'm trying to imagine day one when I walk into the school. Am I just going to be going at it? Will the schools give me a must-use textbook to work out of? How does that work? If I had at least some supplemental material or a text or something to work from, I'm sure I could be okay. But if at this very moment you threw me in a room with someone who knew NO english and just said "TEACH!", I'd have trouble knowing where to start...

[BS.Dos.]

[ttompatz]

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

Professionalism, dignity, and self-respect-- these are the three demons you must slay if you want to succeed at ESL in Korea.

[PGF]

These days you'll want to go to China or Japan. You can earn more in Shanghai and enjoy a lower cost of living.

If you do come to Korea, expect to get ripped off. It's par for the course. Just read four days of threads on the job board and you'll start to see the trend.

good luck

[semi-fly]

[WoBW]

[quote="ttompatz"]

[GB]

William:

Follow the good advice people have written.

I have worked at 3 places in Korea....Public School and Hagwons....Public School is teh way to go!!!

Also don't rush anything. I needed to come back in a hurry and accepted a job at a Hagwon I thought was decent. I spoke to only 1 teacher already there....anyway urns out the boss is ripping off my wages.

So make sure the school/company correctly pays/deducts:
1) Half of your pension 4.5% (of a total 9%)
2) Tax...check out the National Tax Service website for exact amount you should pay. The website is in the stickies under Tax refund section. Go to the Quick View service and type in your wages (in thousands...2 mil = 2000)
3) Half of your Health Care.

This is crucial...I'm having trouble with my boss over these issues.

Just be careful