Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Olivencia]

Why is it that I so often read "urgent" in the advertisements for teaching positions especially in Korea? Is it because of:
a. Poor planning and they suddenly realized they need teachers on the double.
b. The teachers they originally had suddenly up and quit.
c. There is always a need for teachers "right now" in Korea.

Thanks

[Netz]

Simple Answer:

Koreans are not "big" on long-term planning.

That is all.

[kinerry]

A bit of it all.

I have a great recruiter, and they are having a hard time even finding people to fill the jobs the schools are throwing at them.

For some reason the shitty US economy hasn't really sent more people to Korea, at least yet.

[Seoul'n'Corea]

[LexusNexus]

[blonde researcher]

Korea has always had a 'balli balli' problem -meaning 'hurry hurry'. Usually things are only thought of after they are meant to be happening.
The other reason for the urgent message is there may be a rush on right now is that February is the start of the new school semester and hagwons have new intakes of students starting at this time.
Lots of flyers and advertising around apartment buildings happens leading into this new semester and directors never know their new student numbers until only a few weeks or days before starting day, and are always reluctant to hire teachers too early in case they won't have enough students to cover the costs.
Some directors start the hire process in anticipation of getting many new students, and then have to cancel the placement when numbers are down.

[some waygug-in]

I also think some recruiters like to say "urgent" because they think it will draw more applications. I wonder if it might actually have the opposite effect.

So does this mean that there are now more jobs than teachers?

I don't think so.

[8 years down]

A and B. Mostly A.

[VanIslander]

I knew before I came in '02 that Koreans often wait until the very last minute in planning then rush 'bali bali' to get things done with maximum hurried effort. The amazing thing is, they do get things done last minute, however questionable the result.

Knowing the culture is as it is, one can bypass a 'rage against the machine' response (though rant if you feel you must) and go straight to the 'take advantage of the way things are here' by waiting until you have each and every peice of document you need before even beginning to apply for jobs. Get all your ducks in a row. CRC, transcripts, passport photos, all IN HAND (not "coming in the mail") and THEN apply and voila: suddenly you'll notice a lot more response from recruiters and, even better, from employers directly if you are in Korea and can look for jobs the best way: on foot.

It's always worked for me most recently in December when I started looking in early December and - despite some bumps in the road over new work visa laws that affected me - the entire work visa process was done with within the month and I was working at my new job before December ended. Expect that. Three to four weeks between application and the start of work is pretty normal for the ESL industry in this country.

[Wiltern]

[BoholDiver]

It's a generalization, but largely true.

[VanIslander]

Nobody in this thread was talking about ALL, but about what is often done, the typical practices, the CULTURE.

Not every unqualified statement is a statement about each and every person, is not an overgeneralization, but a statement which applies to some degree to the population in question.

Sociology 101.

[bassexpander]

[Wiltern]

[Olivencia]

But it is an "inordinate" amount of advertisemenst that read "urgent" or something like that.