Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nicam]

So, I recently had a phone interview where I was asked my age (29), and then told that I was actually 30 in Korean years. That's lame.

What should I expect as a 30 year-old female teacher in Korea? I've heard that people in their early to mid-twenties get preferential treatment. How mush of an issue is this? Will it help that I look much younger? Am I going to have to get used to being surrounded by 22 year-olds?

[Pooty]

You'll be fine. I don't know what the median age is in Korea, but when I came to Korea, I was 31...no problems.

[Eedoryeong]

You're going to have a blast. 30+ year olds in some cases are treated better. You may get the occasional 'you're how old? Oh my gosh we have to marry you off right away!' but for the most part you'll be welcomed. Enjoy.

[icicle]

Don'r worry ... There are many many teachers here who are older than you and not experiencing any problems at all. If anything with the cultural respect for elders I think sometimes it is better to be older. 30 is not old.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Relax. The preferential treatment is part of the hiring process. The order of preference goes:

a. females
b. blond females in their 20's
c. females with any color hair

Why is telling you that you are 30 in Korean age 'lame'? They count age differently here. It's part of the culture.

[nicam]

Funny response, Ya-ta Boy. I see how it works now.

I was making a joke about gaining a year in age. I find it interesting and perfectly sensible that a culture would count the period of conception to birth as a year.

Now, I wonder if there are any salons in Korea that specialize in highlights?

[peppermint]

be careful if you're planning to go blonde. The chemicals they use there are seriously harsh ( too much for my ashy blonde hair anyway) There's been a few threads on the subject, they shouldn't be too tough to find

[nicam]

Oh, the highlight thing is good to know. I actually have them now, so I guess I won't be getting more, or maintaining them.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

29/30 is an excellent age to be in Korea. You can hang out with either the younger or middle-aged crowd and feel comfortable. More will actually depend on how old you look than how old you actually are. If you're single, Korean friends and co-workers may express concern that you've been unfortunate enough not to find a husband yet, but that's about the only age-related problem you're likely to face. You're old enough to teach uni but still young enough to teach at children's academies, in Koreans' eyes. Manipulative employers may prefer someone younger and easier to manipulate, but if they discriminate against you for this reason consider it a favour.

[Stormy]

[peppermint]

Stormy, I don't think that's an age thing, just a Korean thing. At the ripe old age of 24, I got informed that I should have the wedding planned, and the hall booked- finding the groom would be the easy part

[Stormy]