Korean Job Discussion Forums

adjective_noun

Time and time again, I've specifically and clearly asked recruiters to do things in a particular way.
Yet, they consistently ignore what teachers ask of them. Why is this?

Personally, my worst case was when I was working for a horrible hagwon that was pressuring me to extend the contract.
There was no way I was going to do them any favours, so I told the manager I had to return home.
I began looking for jobs and was careful to explain the situation to recruiters.
However in a characteristically tactless manner, one recruiter immediately blabbed to the manager which landed me in hot water and made my exit so much more difficult.

More recently, my referees have been getting flooded with calls from recruiters despite me asking recruiters not trouble my referees unless there's a real job up for grabs.

So what do you think? Are recruiters:

* incompetent and just don't realise they cause troubles?
* negligent and just don't care about the consequences of their actions?
* malicious and want to mess things up where they can?

aishiii · Joined: 24 Apr 2009

Where's the 'scum' option?

thecount · Joined: 10 Nov 2009

Where's the "genuinely nice people who are concerned not only about your placement, but your satisfaction and the quality of your experience" option?

adjective_noun · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject:

thecount · Joined: 10 Nov 2009

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I've had 2 fairly good experiences with recruiters and a couple of really bad ones. I guess that means I'm undecided.

I will say, I don't trust recruiters to have my best interests at heart.

dirving · Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Location: South Korea

Eugene Kang of Doda Edu sent me death threats this past July, and he conned me and Ying into signing with hoggies that were morally and financially bankrupt.

adjective_noun · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:14 am Post subject:

whome? · Joined: 13 Nov 2009

I got screwed over by a recruiter. Told me one thing. Told the middle school another. But even before that I asked which MS to go to, since there were two in the same city. He said school X was better. School X was not better. The guy was fired from the big recruiter and was picked up by someone else. He should have had his liscense pulled, but I don't think any of them actually have any kind of certification--- I could be wrong, but if I'm not that might be a good place to start.

All kinds of stories can be told, but what it comes down to is that it's an industry in dire need of regulation (as are most things in Korea).

As for the trifecta of choices, some are all 3, some are some combo of the 3, some are only one of the 3 and some are none.

But the whole system needs to be overhauled.

blonde researcher · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:45 am Post subject:

This is an interesting thread as in general we as teachers never pay any recruiter for any service, yet we expect them to look for jobs for us and get us the best deal possible.The hagwon owner is apparently the only person paying recruiters when the find the perfect teacher.

If a recruiter carefully checks on a teacher's reference on behalf of an employer, then should the teacher be happy or annoyed? I guess this depends on what the referee will say or not say and to whom and how often.

Obviously most recruiters do have costs and run a business (well most try to do this as a business I expect).
This then leaves the question: how can we request recruiters give us a totally free service of what we want and don't want etc , and then complain when we think they have messed it up, or they get angry at us for causing them a problem

NCdan · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Location: Bucheon

I contacted a few highly recommend recruiters when I started to consider teaching in South Korea, and I only went with the one that helped me the most. I called my recruiter after 5 months of working in Korea with some major job complaints, and they were helpful, even though I don't think they had recently talked to the institute I was working for. Even so, I don't think my recruiter was completely honest about my employer and that they were trying to rush me through the process of getting hired somewhere, but I don't think any recruiter is completely honest, because no one in their right mind would come to work in Korea if recruiters were completely honest, haha. So, choose your recruiter carefully, or you may get one that will just lead you on and tell you whatever you want to hear in order to get paid.

seonsengnimble · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:33 am Post subject:

thecount · Joined: 10 Nov 2009

Netz · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:46 am Post subject:

D. All of the above

KoreanAmbition · Joined: 03 Feb 2008

I have to say that I'm totally shocked that incompetence is scoring FAR than negligent is on this poll.

Recruiters have money at stake... therefore, the fact they "don't care" or are "unaware" is negligent. Incompetence is better served for discussions that deal with how someone's actions affect themselves. When incompetence affects someone else, and it was supposed to be prevented, then I deem it negligence.

If you want to call these people incompetent, then in the same breath they should be called "socially negligent".