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boatofcar
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Location: Sheffield, UK
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 Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:46 am Post subject: Rejected by EPIK...why? |
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I have four years public school teaching experience in the US.
I taught at a public school in Korea through EPIK from 2007-2009.
I included in my application a glowing letter of recommendation from one of my former Korean principals.
And yet, today I got a message from EPIK saying my application was rejected.
WTF? Any ideas? |
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Caffeinated
Joined: 11 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| Maybe they want non-experienced - thus cheaper - newbies? |
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alistaircandlin
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:15 am Post subject: |
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Sorry to hear that mate. I reckon the previous poster must be right - they want to go for cheaper less experienced teachers.
It's quite worrying really - I've got similar experience to you and have just submitted my app. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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boatofcar
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Location: Sheffield, UK
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:51 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the responses, guys. It just boggles my mind how they'd want to select someone with no experience and may do a runner or whatever vs. someone with 2 years of EPIK teach experience.
Lifeinkorea, I'm American. I'm just doing my master's degree in the UK. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| If you are getting a Master's, why don't you just skip the EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE crap. Get a uni job. |
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alistaircandlin
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| Just wondering if you applied direct to EPIK or through a recruiter? |
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boatofcar
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Location: Sheffield, UK
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| alistaircandlin wrote: |
| Just wondering if you applied direct to EPIK or through a recruiter? |
I applied directly. That could have been my mistake too, as my first stint with EPIK was set up through a recruiter (ESL-Planet).
| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| If you are getting a Master's, why don't you just skip the EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE crap. Get a uni job. |
I've applied to a few, but I think a lot of universities prefer to interview people from within Korea. Before I decided to leave Korea to get my Master's, I was able to get a few interviews, but turned them down as I'd already made up my mind to leave by the time they got back to me.
I saw a couple posts on Ajarn today for international schools with a salary in the 2.4 million (won) range, so I'll be applying for those as well. I think I might enjoy Thailand more than Korea anyway. |
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alistaircandlin
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| If you are getting a Master's, why don't you just skip the EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE crap. Get a uni job. |
lifeinkorea - I'm just wondering if it's that straightforward to get a Uni job though. I've been led to believe you needed University teaching experience to land one - bizarrely enough.
I've got more or less the same qualifications and experience as the OP - so would appreciate any advice. (Sorry to butt in on your thread boatofcar)  |
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Welsh Canadian
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 6:42 am Post subject: Re: Rejected by EPIK...why? |
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| boatofcar wrote: |
I have four years public school teaching experience in the US.
I taught at a public school in Korea through EPIK from 2007-2009.
I included in my application a glowing letter of recommendation from one of my former Korean principals.
And yet, today I got a message from EPIK saying my application was rejected.
WTF? Any ideas? |
The fact is you probably would have to be paid more than someone straight out of college and therefore didn't get a look. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 7:18 am Post subject: |
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| alistaircandlin wrote: |
| lifeinkorea wrote: |
| If you are getting a Master's, why don't you just skip the EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE crap. Get a uni job. |
lifeinkorea - I'm just wondering if it's that straightforward to get a Uni job though. I've been led to believe you needed University teaching experience to land one - bizarrely enough.
I've got more or less the same qualifications and experience as the OP - so would appreciate any advice. (Sorry to butt in on your thread boatofcar) |
Well, my guess is if you have a Master's with no teaching experience, you are at the bottom. If you are willing to accept lower pay, then a university might hire you. If you are overqualified in one area, no harm in trying to get a job in something you are less qualified for. At least you'll know.
Recently, I got a uni job offer in Beijing. I told them I didn't have a Master's, no TEFL, or experience. They still wanted to hire me if I was willing to get a TEFL. I guess other teachers are asking for higher pay. |
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fergalreid
Joined: 02 Apr 2010
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 11:26 am Post subject: Re: Rejected by EPIK...why? |
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| boatofcar wrote: |
And yet, today I got a message from EPIK saying my application was rejected.
WTF? Any ideas? |
Will from Footprints has dropped a bombshell over on the EPIK Fall 2010
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=180704&start=660
| WillTurnerinVanCity wrote: |
| fergalreid wrote: |
| Darkeru wrote: |
I think I recall seeing someone say they were accepted, a week after their interview. I can't confirm that though.
It is quite late though and they're presumably also going through the documents they're receiving to send them on, so that could be it. |
I was waiting a week exactly. They will let you know one way or another. Now that the documents from the first wave of applicants are piling up and need to be assessed as well as what seems to be a second wave of applicants competing for phone interviews... and the fact that they have the 300 SMOE places to sort out this year too... I don't want to imagine what the EPIK office is like right now. |
I notice you mentioned that there were 300 positions in Seoul. The information that we've received recently indicates that that number is no longer accurate.
More teachers are renewing their contracts than projected (who wants to return home when there are no jobs?), internal EPIK teachers shifting to Seoul or Jeju for the upcoming year, and perhaps some Ministries aren't expanding the number of positions from previous semesters, so there are fewer positions than initially indicated. Keep in mind that the reasons for the shift in numbers is just my own speculation.
The information that we have available to us is this:
Seoul - 180
Busan - 36
Daegu - 77
Incheon - 12
Gwangju - 12
Daejeon - 37
Ulsan - 27
Gyeonggi - 12
Gangwon - 59
Chungbuk - 24
Chungnam - 0
Jeonbuk - 2
Gyeongbuk - 40
Gyeongnam - 7
Jeju - 18 |
You might have been rejected because EPIK are raising the drawbridge well ahead of time. My documents are with them and that's still scant comfort right now. You sound more than qualified and I'm sorry to hear that you've been rejected. EPIK's loss. Right now everyone applying for Fall 2010 is in a whole new world of worry. |
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boatofcar
Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Location: Sheffield, UK
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow....those are some crazy stats. Good luck to everybody still trying! |
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Aussiekimchi
Joined: 21 Apr 2006
Location: SYDNEY
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 12:34 pm Post subject: |
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Boatofcar, I would guess the main reason you were rejected is that you received a poor reference over the phone from your current or previous school.
Regardless if it is true or not, EPIK will accept the opinions of Korean referees over anything else.
I am not sure who you are from your ID on this forum, but as your previous recruiter, I would have received word if there were some major problems reported to EPIK by your school. Send me an email and maybe I can find out for you....though EPIK do not usually like to tell recruiters why applicants were rejected....so don't hold your breathe on that.
The only public school option open to you now is GEPIK or getting hired directly by an independent public school in Seoul or other metro locations. |
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fl4mers
Joined: 26 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmm...I've been waiting for a reply from EPIK for a week now and still haven't heard a yay or nay for an interview...looking at those stats though I'm guessing I should definitely be looking down the hagwon route it seems... Does anyone know whether they do actually reply, even if it's with a negative outcome? I don't mind waiting if I know a reply is coming, but if they just don't reply to the people who don't get an interview, I could be waiting a long time... |
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