Korean Job Discussion Forums

jhicks99 · Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul, South Korea

I'm in Seoul now and my contract is due up on Oct 31st (hagwon). I'd love to come back for a second year at a public school (elementary or otherwise) - I'd even look at a hagwon if the hours were good (lets out before 6pm and current teachers vouch for it).

What would be the best way about doing this?
I'd love to just walk into schools, but with my hours I wouldn't be able to do such a thing. Anyone know any recruiters I should contact or any school director's directly? I figure it would be ideal for me to arrange something while I'm here and can meet face to face. Ideally I'd like to start December 1st giving myself a month off.

Should I just post asking for those who are leaving on Dec 1st from good work places to message me to arrange a possible interview?

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

I don't think you will get many good offers for December. If you want a public school, I would contact recruiters in November for March. If you just want any old hagwon, then you'll probably get one through a recruiter fairly easily.

sugarloaf82 · Joined: 21 Dec 2008

I have that same question. I am currently a GEPIK teacher in a very rural village and my contract is up in the middle of November. I would really like to move to a bigger city in Gyeonggi-do (Suwon, etc) or Seoul but I am guessing it might be difficult to get a public school job starting Dec 1. I really don't want to have to wait until February to start working again. Any advice?

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

You could buy your time. Get a hagwon job, and then when you want to change jobs at a better time talk with the hagwon owner. It will involve giving up severance obviously and pay for that month. Also, if they paid for a recruiter, then you would have to pay for it as well.

You could add things like medical and pension on it and offer those. You would still pay for them, but you would be paying all of it. The hagwon could simply deduct the total amount they put in.

If the hagwon is dead set on keeping you for a year, then you would have to leave the country on your own and get all new paperwork.

zipper · Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject:

It has been said that a lot of teachers, particularly the new economic refugees, will vacate their public school positions within the first 4 months in which new positions for public schools will appear. However, a lot of these positions may not be too desirable.

I am in the same boat as OP. One thing to do is to submit your resumes to schools and recruiters indicating your last day, and when you would be available to begin a new teaching position. Just make sure that you have your LOR and other papers in order, and keep sending your resumes out.

Carla · Joined: 21 Nov 2008

wanderingsalsero · Joined: 23 Dec 2006 Location: Houston, TX.

My contract from a high school in Namyangju expired last December and a Korean friend of mine found a teacher here in Suwon who had posted an opening on the Gyeonggi Korean bulletin board/site.

I wound up taking the job and later my supervisor told me she'd had a hard time finding anybody. Somehow, I don't think she knew the system very well but......that's what she said.

I also know there's 3 or 4 schools within 3 miles of me where I live here in Homeshil (sp?) in SW Suwon and I think only one of them has an FET. If you can find the time, I would recommend visiting some schools.

It's called networking. I know it's difficult if there's a language problem but the point is, as long as you're nice and can get the point across, even if for some reason they don't want you, they're apt to tell somebody at another school.

wesharris · Joined: 10 Oct 2008