Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bigs]

I'm trying to get back to Korea to teach after taking about half a year off in the UK. A recruiter contacts me saying he's got a position at a public school in Masan and wonders when the interview between myself and some member at the Gyeongsangnam POE can take place. I give a time... everything's going well.

Or so I thought. The phonecall never came. After waiting for the phonecall for about 2 hours, I email the recruiter I was in contact with regarding the position. He says that after talking to "someone" at the public middle school I taught at last year, they didn't want to continue with the interview. The only thing is that no one would tell me who they talked to at the school, or what it was that made them not even want to interview me.

I don't proclaim to be the world's best teacher, but I don't get why, because of this supposed check at my last school, an entire province of public school positions have shut the door on me. There were no complaints (to me at least) about my lessons or the way I took the classes (I had co-teachers for the most part - but they were next to useless), the students didn't seem to have a problem with me. I just don't get it.

And, without knowing the reason for the denial, will my job opportunities in public school close in other provinces as well - if they decide they want to talk to either my previous school or the POE? No one can tell me what the supposed problem is, and as such I can't comment on their thoughts or put my side of the story across if need be?

Anyone ever come up against something like this?

[Gamecock]

It sounds like you made an enemy or left a negative impression at your last job without even realizing it. Perhaps one of your old co-workers was perceptive enough to know that you judged them all as "next to useless." Probably you just didn't kiss enough ass or perhaps you just didn't make any effort to fit into the teaching "community." One of the big cultural rifts in public schools is that westerners view teaching as a job, while Koreans see it as their primary social network and expect us to participate in that to some extent.

It's really hard to tell what the reason is you're being snubbed, and surely you'll never find out. It could be that the wrong person happened to pick up the phone when EPIK called and they were more than willing to volunteer their personal opinion. It might have been totally different had someone else answered the call. Korea is random like that.

If you apply at other public school positions they will most certainly call your old school as well. One solution is to remove that job from your resume and apply through another recruiter, pretend you never taught there, and forfeit the salary increase you would get from that year's experience. It sucks, but it may end up being the only way you'll get another public school gig if you did happen to leave a really negative vibe there.

[cruisemonkey]

Are you sure you have been rejected/disqualified?

I work in Gyeongnam; and when I first applied, an interview was set up. I waited by the phone for three hours on a Friday night for a call that never came. On Monday I queried my recruiter as to why. The answer was -

"You not need interview... school inspector know you."

Great!... thanks for cutting into valuable drinking time.

[Bigs]

@ Gamecock - You're right regarding how the job is viewed in Korea. Perhaps I could've put myself a little more "out there" as far as socialising with the K's - however they never once invited or asked me to do anything with them. I didn't really judge the co-t's literally as next to useless - they just never had any guidance regarding what I should teach, how I should go about it, didn't want to be part of any planning and their role in class was basically to stand there and translate most of what I said into Korean.

As for getting another PS job - you're probably right regarding leaving my experience out - but since they don't want to recognise 10 months in China (a completed contract) as a year, plus leaving this off - would be a fair chunk of change to pass up.

@cruisemonkey - yep. been snubbed. Recruiter came back and said they found a job at a school in Changwon. I asked what had changed since I'd be interviewed by the same people that didn't want me for the Masan gig. Was *then* told it was for a hagwon. Not difficult to put 2 and 2 together.

I dunno - maybe I'm unlucky. My main co-t / whitey wrangler (who was the best of the lot) left about 2 weeks before I finished, and the new one I had issues with as the school tried to go back on their promise of paying me EVERYTHING owed on my last working day.

Ah well.... maybe I'll search for a hagwon gig - then head to greener pastures...

[xtchr]

It could also just be your recruiter jerking you around. Maybe there's more in it for them to get a hogwan placement filled.
Do you actually know if they got in touch with the POE? Public schools are desperate for teachers, give it another go if you really want to work here. You can usually apply directly to the POE, no need to go through a recruiter if you don't want to.

[ED209]

Sounds like the recruiter is jerking you around. Bait and switch, offers you what you want then at the last moment changes everything.

Call your ex-POE (I'm sure a friendly poster can provide you with the number)ask them if you are eligible for future applications.

Tell them what the recruiter told you and ask if this is true. Find out if you had an evaluation last time and what were the results.

Was there someone at your previous school prepared to provide you with a personal reference? Get their cell number and provide that to interested schools or POE's.

Stop using this recruiter, many POE's will take a direct application from you anyway.

If you are barred from a particular POE you should still be able to apply elsewhere.

[cruisemonkey]

Yes, it just doesn't add up. Either there's something you're not telling us, or your recruiter is trying to 'pull a fast one'.

[Bigs]

As I said - no one had any complaints (to my face) about my teaching.

Also it was a sub-recruiter - through Footprints to another company in Korea

I don't know - I'll try another recruiter - but I don't like my chances... *sigh*

[cruisemonkey]

LOL ... Footprints jerked me around for a month then told me I wasn't qualified. That was three years ago. I swiched to another recruiter and had a public job within 24 hrs. I've been here ever since. Effing idiots!

[The DON]

Similar experience here with footprints many moons ago. I wish they would have just told me the truth like they don't have the kinds of jobs I'm looking for or they don't place teachers in certain cities rather than telling me that I was rejected so take this other job instead. I also applied to another recruiter and got the job I wanted in a few days.

[Zaria32]

Do everything over again with another recruiter. There are so many things that could have caused this, and only one of them is what the
recruiter said. When words come out of a recruiters mouth, chances
are they aren't true. There are some honest recruiters in Korea, but
darn few.

[hellofaniceguy]

I suppose you could have made an enemy at your last school?
And a powerful enemy.
I do know this.....koreans as with most folks in the world....they will smile at your face, hang out with you and bad mouth you behind your back.
It only takes one person to vote no and you are not considered.

[ccikulin]

Try Ann Park at Korvia. She is great. She will take finding you the right job seriously. She held my position for me for over 5 weeks because she promised it to me. When I got to my school they kept telling me how long they were waiting for me. It's a good gig to and I'm sure someone they could have easily filled this position with someone else instead of waiting for me.

[Bigs]

Update - my beef may be with the recruiters rather than the BOE. I applied using another recruiting company and got an email back saying they wanted to interview me immediately. So either someone along the line with the last recruiter is out and out lying to me, or the left hand of the BOE doesn't know what the right is doing... I'm guessing number one, as I have been givn the name of the person that will conduct the interview as well as the BOE's phone number this time...

Haven't had the interview yet though, so we shall see...

[tfunk]

Footprints recruiters and recruiting. (Just helping out those doing a search)