Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TruLee]

Hello,

This is my first time as an ESL teacher in Korea and I have tried to gather my information from this forum and other locations.

However, I have not been able to find all that I want to know.

How quick is the visa process once the contract is signed?

Do you have the job prior to the contract being signed?

Can the job be taken away after the contract is signed? I read a topic or 2 & was confused.

How many questions should you direct to your recruiter before they scream?

Was I obligated to tell them on my resume that I was married? Since I work in the Employment field, I never put that type of information on my resume.

Do you have wear unworn street shoes in class or slippers or....?

How small are studio apts? When they said single housing, I thought they meant a one bedroom.

Is there anything I should look out for on GEPIK contract?

Can I really get black-eye peas in Korea? My husband says that I can & shouldn't bring some for New Years.

Public Libraries in Seoul or surrounding area?

Where is the best place to get women's shoes, size 8.5 to 9/US? Size 14 (ugh) clothes? I was there in the past and I rarely found my size. It was very disheartening. Wanted to PM this but not enough posts. (T__T)

Anyone use Rosetta Stone for Korean? My hub wants me to try learning from environment first.

I know of 2 used bookstores in Itaewon - any others?????

ok - tons of questions but not tons of time.

Thank you for your time & assistance.

[blonde researcher]

wow........what an incredible lot of variant questions. Your poor recruiter will be busy!
Instead of asking the lifestyle questions now before the job is finalized why don't you confirm the job contract ones such as;

Is this a GEPIK appointment as a GET( guest English Teacher) teaching the curriculum or will you br working in a special themed English program in the school ? Are other foreign teachers at this school?
Just being told it is a GEPIK contract is not enough

Or is this an after school program that is run at a public school and you are under the management of an education program provider rather than the school principal? Recruiters often advertise after school jobs looking like they are authentic EPIK positions.

Does your contract have the 900 000 won security bond in case you run away or damage your housing ?
Are you near or on a subway line?
Is this visa process done in immigration for a visa number or are you to be getting a notice of appointment from the education GEPIK office ?

I assume you have already accepted the job without even knowing the contract situation. This is a little risky.

Not telling you have a husband and then arriving with one to live with you in the single studio unit they will provide for your housing is a big risk. Single unit apartments are often just one smaller open space area that doubles as the lounge and the bedroom- not a separate bedroom at all.
Korea is not USA where you don't have to declare personal things and show photos of yourself. Others may disagree, but I think you should be up front if you have someone arriving to live with you. If he is staying in your home country, then maybe not???
Studio units are very small in the bigger cities and if your husband will be with you will he be living with you what is he doing - teaching somewhere else?

You don't have the job secure until you have provided your papers and they have been submittted to immigration or the office of education in Korea and accepted as correct.
Signing a contract for Korea without the papers provided can mean very little legally.

Libraries - when will you have time for reading ? You may have to learn hangul if you want public library access.

[TruLee]

Thank you for taking the time to bring up other issues.

1) I did not hide that I had a husband; I just did not put him on my resume. When I was asked if I would travel alone, I said no...etc.

2) I have been hired by an Elementary school & "teach English with emphasis on speaking and writing as a GEPIK teacher at a school in Gyeonggi Province assigned by Employer. If a class has more than 23 students, at the discretion of the Employer, a class may be divided into two(2) separate classes, one taught by the regular Korean teacher and the other by the GEPIK teacher."

3) didn't see anything about a security bond unless that is what key money is.

4) yes to subway

5) they help me complete the visa paperwork & I go to consulate in USA for final.

6) they take the signed copy to office of ed.

7) libraries are the lifeblood - the smell, the environment, the books - must have.

Thanks again.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[kabrams]

[TruLee]

Thank you both for your responses.

I will look into the website.

I am off to print, sign & return the contract now.

My stomach is jumping a jig. So much to do, in such a short time.

Wish I had gotten more personal stuff done this summer. What gets done, gets done. The rest will go in storage.

My friends kind of put me in the box of "not leaving yet, have time to deal with later" and now all of a sudden they want to squeeze in a summer's worth of get togethers. Oh well. I just don't have time.

Thanks again. (^___^)/