Korean Job Discussion Forums

[is so delicious]

I don't know how much longer I can go on teaching elementary school kids. Let's just say it's not for me, and I'm close to reaching my breaking point. I'm in Seoul and probably only want to remain here if I'm going to be in Korea.

Most of the university job offers I've seen require a masters, some experience teaching at the university level, or both. Unfortunately I have neither. What I do have is almost four years experience in Korea with good references, a TEFL certificate, a BA in English... I've also written for a well-known newspaper (in America) for many years, published several short stories in respectable literary magazines, and have a strong professional background in copy editing.

So solid English background, no masters and no university experience. Should I give up hope, or how about take a university job outside of Seoul for a year? It seems a friend can get me into one... would a year there work in lieu of a masters degree (for teaching uni in Seoul, I mean) thereafter?

Thoughts are appreciated.

[bettypie]

I have also looked into teaching at a university, and this seems to be the gist of it:

Without a masters, the only unis that will hire you are the less respectable ones, especially out in the provincial areas. For those uni positions, who you know is more important than what degree you're missing.

While experience at a uni might improve your qualification to do so, it still won't get you a uni job in Seoul. There are just too many people who do have masters standing in line for those jobs.

Have you thought about looking into an online MA TESOL program?

[is so delicious]

Thanks for the thoughts. No, I haven't looked into getting an MA degree online. What exactly does that entail? I know I don't want to go back home for the two years it takes to get a normal MA... I wonder if doing it online is more for me...

[nstick13]

I know this would be quite a change, but Cairo is an interesting city, and it would keep you from going home.

Do some research on the American University in Cairo's MA in TESOL. I've heard very good things about it from several alumni. Hop over to the Egypt board and find vieledsentiments for the best info.

Seems like you like Korea, but Cairo will teach you things you didn't even know that you didn't know.

[KeepingItReal]

Along the same lines of applying for university positions, what questions could/should one expect at an interview? I know that's difficult to answer but do they tend to ask the same sort of things, do they focus on your teaching philosophy, teaching strategies, etc? Or maybe they're way less professional than that.... I'm just wondering if there's anything to be said, in general, about the interview process. Thanks!!

[PatrickGHBusan]

As someone who worked for a Korean University for a few years and was on the hiring committee here goes....

The interview is the make or break stage. The better universities will have a hiring committee and require an extensive interview.

If your only interview experience boils down to phone interviews for a Hakwon position, you best prepare yourself more than less before that university interview.

This goes double for the better positions as you will be competing with well qualified and experienced Teachers.

We had a points system at the University. That allowed the committee to rank applicants.

Typically an interview would proceeed as follows and would last around 40-45 minutes:

1- Warm up phase

This is made up of icebreaker questions to put the applicant at ease. These questions are not evaluated strictly but can still sink you.

Typical warm up questions are range from why you want this job, how is your degree relevant to the position, what are your expectations, how do like living in Korea and so on.

This lasts 5-10 minutes.

2- Formal Interview

Questions related to professional experience, pedagogical knowledage, professional outlook, academic training, what you can bring to the school as a Teacher.

This phase is Q&A and based on concrete questions that both verify your resume and cover letter as well as your work experience. If you lied on your resume...it shows up here quite clearly....

3- Situational questions and roleplay

Typically one or two real work situations are presented and the applicant is asked how they would react or solve the issue~problem.

Once the solution is presented by the applicant, follow up questions are used...things like "your solution did not work, the problem persist..what do you do".

These are very useful to take the applicant out of the rote response mode and to see how he or she can adapt to a persistant problem without getting emotional or angry.

4- Demo lesson

This was sometimes required for weaker applicants. Sometimes all that was required was the submission of a lesson plan and then a Q&A on that plan would take place.

5- Final evaluation

Here questions are asked that aim at getting an idea of the personal make up of an applicant. The goal here is not to check credentials and qualifications but rather to see how the applicant would fit in the department....

Questions range from your best asset and your biggest fault. A warning here: applicants who disguise their fault as the flip side of an asset lost points. The ole I am a perfectionist line was possibly the worst one...

"I am a perfectionist so while my work is of a very high quality, I sometimes try too hard to make it perfect (this being the so called fault)".

Why ask this?

Ability of an applicant to work with others and get along...

Too many people ignore the fact that an employer wants a qualified Teacher but also a normal functional human being that will not poison the workplace....

I have known schools to hire Teachers whose credentials were a little bit inferior because the better qualified applicant showed himself or herself to be a sociopath during the interview....

Other tips:

Be early
Dress professionally.
Be polite (saying hey man is not professional and a sure way to shoot yourself in the face right off the bat)
Prepare beforehand
Be honest with your answers, if you over embellish you sink yourself faster than the Titanic after hitting the berg.
You want that better position: get a MA, no way around this.

[Thiuda]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Excellent point Thiuda!

A serious applicant should indeed research the University, the profs and the main areas of research and try to show where he or she fits.

Asking relevant questions about the job is also a MUST.

[air76]

If you're willing to go anywhere in the country, almost anyone with a couple years of experience and the ability to interview well will get a university job in Korea.

We were offered jobs at 6 different universities the first time that we tried to make the jump to university teaching, and had a couple more solid interviews lined up that we cancelled after we took one of the jobs. We had zero contacts and neither of us have a MA. All we did was apply to every university job posting on Dave's ESL...that's it. No research, no going to the campus to meet professors....we applied to every job with a packet of reference letters and an explanation of our teaching philosophies, went to the interviews in a suit and that was it. Clearly the more you put into it the better your chances will be of getting into a slightly better school...but I think that the main thing is that if you have no uni experience and you want a uni job, then you need to be willing to move. If you limit yourself to 3-4 schools then you're probably not going to land a job, but if you apply to 30-40 then you will end up with at least a few offers.

[Mr. Pink]

I hate that question of what your greatest strength and weakness is. I was asked that during the interview phase of my current job. After almost a year in, I would change my answer.

A: What is your greatest strength as a teacher?
B: I care immensely about the success of my students and go the extra mile to ensure they succeed.

A: What is your greatest weakness?
B: I care too much about the success of my students. By going the extra mile to ensure they succeed I burn myself out and have no life outside work.

I jest...I wouldn't say this, but it is what I think atm.

[the_beaver]

[Son Deureo!]

[byrddogs]

[sigmundsmith]

Take it from me. No masters no chance for a uni gig in Seoul. But then again I have a friend who has 10 years experience teaching in universities and just recently scored himself a job, but these are rare occurrences.

If you want to get into a univeristy job now you will have to try for a country university where the pay is low and they may accept you without a masters degree. At the same time you can work on you masters studies.

The market is saturated at the moment. Many people want to work in Seoul. Many people coming over with a mastes in basket weaving and no teaching experience will have a better chance of a uni gig in seoul than someone with experience in the public school.

The market has changed so dramatically. A couple of years ago if you had a 1 or 2 years experience in the public school system with no masters a university in seoul would take you. Now, no chance.

It is their market now, that is the stage of the cycle. They can be as picky as they like. No matter how good a teacher you think you are, they are looking foremost at qualifications rather experience. Look at the ads: masters degree a must.

Until the western economic job market improves and many go home, the better jobs here are going to be harder to come by.

I was in your situation. A few years teaching public school. did my graduate tesol certificate. got a uni gig but had to move outside (way outside) of seoul. take a big pay cut and now studying my masters. Will have a years uni teaching under my belt. Am applying for every job that is posted on daves in seoul or close and have not gotten one response. Why? Not completed masters degree.

Be realistic about what you want to do. Unless you are great friends with the Dean of a university in Seoul it will be virtually impossible.

The above posters have given some great advice about interviews and applications. But when Hongik gets about 400 applicants for their positions, if the MA is not next to your name it basically goes straight into the bin - but there are exceptions and that doesnt mean you still cant apply

[PatrickGHBusan]