Korean Job Discussion Forums

[irishsox28]

How prevalent is it for teachers in Korea to finish a contract and find work outside of the teaching community? As in find a job with a Korean corporation who needs the services of an English-speaker or for a multi-national based in Seoul. I'm really curious about this. There has to be some kind of job market like this.

[Otherside]

I'd guess it depends on the teacher.
Someone with an F series visa, good command of the Korean language and a highly sought after skill (in whatever industry) is in a completly different boat to someone with a BA in basket-weaving, no special visa and little more korean than the ability to order a couple of beers.

Out of the things I listed above, I think if you can check 2 of the 3 boxes you shouldn't have a problem, and with 0 boxes checked it would be an almost impossible task.

[ttompatz]

[little mixed girl]

after doing some light searching online, i have found that there are jobs at local governments for english speakers.

i was looking at one the other day. basically it wanted someone that was able to do some krn-eng translation, can speak korean to some degree, etc.

if you can't hold a conversation in korean, and can't read/write in korean, then i think it'll be hard to get a job...

[stacyrb]

This is what I am trying to do as a degreed accountant. One of our goals is to take Korean lessons and after our contract is over either look for a job in Korea or a better job back in the US now that we can speak/read/write Korean.

Stacy

[IlIlNine]

I have my final interview at SK on Wednesday! Wish me luck!

[aquagirl]

It is possible to get an editing/consulting job if you have a journalism/comms background. I have a few years of experience as a newspaper reporter and the appropriate qualifications (a degree and pos-grad journalism diploma)
You need the right qualifications and experience to get jobs outside English teaching. The E7 visa is more difficult to get now - you have to prove that you have x years of experience and get a letter from the appropriate Korean govt dept stating that no Korean can do your job. With the slowdown in the economy more companies are foregoing the "native" editor and replacing them with a Korean-American who is fluent in both Korean and English as they can get them to do both translating and editing and thus cut down on the number of employees.
There are also quite a few freelance editing jobs, but you don't get enough hours to fill your schedule so this is generally a side job.
The best professional field outside teaching is engineering.

[reimund]

[PRagic]

The biggest mistake people make is trying to shortcut through their career by coming over as an English teacher with the end goal of going corporate here. Rarely happens, especially in a rewarding job.

Korean firms want to pick up experienced talent (primarily engineering, but also management) from overseas target markets, and for specific reasons. A fresh MBA/MA in Korea with one year of teaching under their belts isn't going to get many bites.

Repeat the mantra: Once an English teacher, always an English teacher. This is what they'll be thinking.

English related jobs? Doable, particularly in English related job such as editing (see previous post by Journalism major).

[Mathew16]

This message has been removed. Sorry, I didn't know how to actually delete it.

[PRagic]

Great offer to any interested, but only if it's NOT with an English educational institution, publishing, or test materials company. Stick to the banks and finance houses if you can get in.

[sendittheemail]

One of my F2 friends got a job changing oil at a motorcycle shop after his school went bankrupt. He looked for a full time job for about 3 months before getting so hungry that he started working at his brother-in-laws motorcycle shop.

[gogophoto]

I have an old college roommate who just recently got a 2-year contract at Samsung. He's an engineer, has his masters, and a few years experience in industry. Also, he had a professional relationship with the HR person at Samsung, and I think he was offered the job because the HR person had already seen what he is capable of. This is his first time in Korea, and he is on an E7 visa.

All of these things together got him the job: qualifications, experience, and knowing the right people.

I don't know anyone who has successfully transitioned out of the english teaching racket into something else in Korea; I do, however, know an english teacher who just scored a job as an architect in China. From what I have read, it is there you should really look if you are interested in a career that isn't teaching your native language.

[shostahoosier]