Korean Job Discussion Forums

peachlily · Joined: 11 Apr 2008

Hi everyone,

So I'm really happy that a lot of interested employers have been emailing me, and I've been exchanging many emails with a manager of a company that sounds really good for SAT/AP test related teaching. However. she won't even answer my questions about :
1) What would be the length/duration of the contract?
2) Are there teaching materials that I would be able to work off of/refer to?
3) What are the specifics/details of the job duty?
4) What is the salary you are offering, and what are the additional benefits?
5)Please also give me the email addresses of at least 3 foreign teachers working there.

She replied, "Please email me the essay and revise the sample essay first."

So I just finished revising the sample essay. (a terribly written essay) and it just occurred to me, isn't asking me to do that AND write an essay asking a LITTLE TOO MUCH?????

or am I freaking out about nothing. Embarassed

***EDIT: Just to add one more thing...

The essay they asked me to write wasn't like one of those standard, what is your teaching philosophy or why do you think you are a good candidate...

It was an essay prompt like the type you see on old AP English Lit exams, or now I guess its the type you see on the Critical Reading (old SAT verbal to us) section on the new SATs.

It had a quote and then asks you to write about it. Not to say it's beneath me because its not, but I feel like I've already corrected the sample essay and that should be enough to know that I'm serious about the job, and they should really respect my questions.

Typhoon · Joined: 29 May 2007 Location: Daejeon

There are a lot of jobs in Korea. I wouldn't even begin to consider one until seeing the contract. Asking you to proofread an essay and write one is a pretty crazy request to make since you don't even know if you would accept the job conditions. I would ask them to answer your questions before doing anything for them and if they don't answer them tell them to go pound salt. Why do work for a job you may not even be interested it?

moosehead · Joined: 05 May 2007

totally agree here.

I've dealt with job offers like that - I recall one who wanted you to actually write a practice test for them!! like huh?

they are just trying to get free E work is all, very slimy.

I once had a K colleague take me to lunch, bring a friend's daughter along who was in middle school, didn't speak a word of E, so apparently was just there to hear E, and THEN, as we were eating, the woman pulled out an essay someone had written and did I mind taking a look at it and correcting it? right then and there! I was awestruck at the chutzpah this woman exhibited!

when I made excuses as to why I wouldn't do it, she just couldn't believe it; needless to say, lunch ended quite abruptly and we didn't speak again.

thegadfly · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Wouldn't a "really good SAT/AP school" want better teachers than the average chuckle-head academy? Wouldn't one expect to be asked to show a bit more than vanilla skin and a 4 year degree? A recent writing sample and a sample lesson are both completely within the realm of acceptable requests -- instead of a lesson, you are being asked to grade a single essay -- seems a pretty decent idea, since a huge chunk of the JOB THEY ARE CONSIDERING YOU FOR will be to grade essays.

For the poster who said they are trying to get free work from job applicants -- are you an joking? A single essay?

Typhoon -- why would they offer peachlily a specific contract if he/she isn't capable of doing the work? That sounds like a "pretty crazy request, since they don't even know if they could accept this applicant for the position. I would suggest they find out if the applicant is qualified before they tell him/her anything, and if the applicant doesn't want to finish the interview process, he or she can go pound salt. Why spend time interviewing a person who may not even be able to do the job advertised?"

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

Sounds like CDI or Virteco. I suppose they try to weed out a lot of losers who slept through grade 10 English. Writing the essay is not so terrible since it takes around 30 minutes.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

I have had to write an essay on the spot at several job interviews in the US before being told about conditions. It's not so unreasonable.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

peachlily · Joined: 11 Apr 2008

moosehead · Joined: 05 May 2007

peachlily · Joined: 11 Apr 2008

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

Back when CDI wasn't a name I knew too much about, except for a supposedly good salary, I contacted them for a job.

I wrote a very nice email asking them some questions, and included my email resume.

They sent me back a "form" email telling me I had to write a test, and that I had 1 hour to do it, and that I would be timed based on my response and hence request for the test at a specific time, etc etc.

Needless to say I wasn't thrilled that after taking the time to write them a serious letter they gave me nothing but a form email.

I wrote back telling them that based on their response, they weren't the type of company I had hoped for, and was looking for a more professional organization that would value a hard-working employee.

I never heard back from them.

And I never cared. Smile

peachlily · Joined: 11 Apr 2008

Just to add one more thing...

The essay they asked me to write wasn't like one of those standard, what is your teaching philosophy or why do you think you are a good candidate...

It was an essay prompt like the type you see on old AP English Lit exams, or now I guess its the type you see on the Critical Reading (old SAT verbal to us) section on the new SATs.

It had a quote and then asks you to write about it. Not to say it's beneath me because its not, but I feel like I've already corrected the sample essay and that should be enough to know that I'm serious about the job, and they should really respect my questions.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

I had one job interview where they asked me to do a test AP exam...their reasoning was if I couldn't score a decent score on it, how could I teach kids about that subject. The cool thing was they paid me for my time to come in and take the test.

If any job were to ask me to write an essay, I would ask them to compensate me on my time, as there are no guarantees either myself or the other party would be willing to enter into an employment contract.

It is all in how bad you want the job. I am curious if it is one of those places I have seen asking for SAT/AP teachers on that other job board...besides CDI there are a few places in Kangnam that specialize in SAT/AP.

Just so you know, for such a job you should demand at least 40k an hour...as they are certainly charging big bucks for students to attend.

thegadfly · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

How good is this job?

Unfortunately, an advanced degree and experience are no guarantee of ability -- so you have a great resume` -- wonderful! I know quite a few idiots and embarrassments to the teaching profession with advanced degrees and experience. I have worked with folks that were horrible teachers that looked great on paper. I got my own advanced degree just so when I called someone out about it, they couldn't play the "well, I have an XX degree."

Apparently, you are used to being the best teacher in the room, and don't like to be questioned about it. Guess what -- you aren't the best (don't feel bad, neither am I), and perhaps, just perhaps, this school IS looking for the best...so they, ya know, do stuff to differentiate the wheat from the chaff, like, you know, ask for writing samples on a topic of their choosing.

Maybe they ARE trying to scam an essay out of you. A Toefl-style essay takes me about 7 minutes to write -- I can give 7 minutes over to show them I can string 25 sentences together, in some sort of logical order, on whatever topic they care to toss at me, so I can get a job I may want. Then I'll add a copyright to the bottom, and have a form for the interviewer to sign stating that if the essay is reproduced for use, I will receive a fee/royalty...of course, if they ARE trying to scam an essay from you, they won't sign it, and they probably won't want your essay because you are a "troublemaker."

Paranoid folks with overblown egos and senses of entitlement annoy me.

I have no idea why they won't give you details about the position -- I guess I kind of thought you knew the salary range, school hours and vacation schedule, and target students from the job advertisement...if you responded to a posting that said "really good school needs really good teacher -- inquire within," and no other information was forthcoming, then yeah, be leery, but didn't you get the basic information before you even sent your paperwork?

A writing sample, done at the interview on a subject presented at the time of the interview, as well as a sample essay correction/lesson, to be done/taught at the time of interview are great ideas. I honestly didn't know there were schools in Korea with standards that would require these things, but I think they are certainly within their limits to ask for those things.

peachlily · Joined: 11 Apr 2008