Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hryoung08]

Hello all!

So my man and I have been adamantly searching for a position in Korea for a little over 2 months now. We have gotten some leads, but they seem to turn rotten as we do our research on the position. We have mostly been looking at the job board and going for contracts within the individual schools. Is this a good route? Should we be looking into more "epik" based placements? What was your road to a Korean ESL job?

Thank you for your input and help! I think being aware of the success stories and how they happened will be beneficial to all!

Best,
Heather

[AsiaESLbound]

They say the job market is getting tighter so it takes more effort. I had to try numerous times last Winter before getting an offer that seemed iffy, but worked out in the long run. I used this recruiter dude in the big city of Seoul I found on the internet. He got me the job, visa took 4 weeks longer than expected due to some incompetency or lack of communication on the ground, but it was a bumpy rough landing. No recruiter was to be seen for airport pickup as promised so I borrow a cell phone to call him only to get told he lacked the time and I should take this bus into a place called, "Gangnam City Air Terminal," and wait 10 minutes, but I wait until it closed at 10pm some 4 hours after I arrived. He shows up a few seconds after the lights go out on me to take me to a grungy love motel at my expense which I questioned, but he just tells me I am nonsense if that makes any sense. Tells me to be outside waiting at 5 dark freezing cold 30 to be delivered to my school, but is an hour late. Me is jonzing for coffee like a fish outta water so in my frazzled state I practically order him to stop to allow me breakfast, he says yes, but he just keeps driving on and on and on and never allows me breakfast. His toddler son has already made a huge mess of his car over what appeared to be a millennium since the car had been cleaned out. It was nasty old stinky food stuff and crud all over with the floor full of trash. I finally arrive at my school hours later, but have trouble locating my co-teacher. And it was an ice cold relationship that took a few months to warm up and actually melt enough to get to know them and feel more at ease. Here I am some 4 months later having the time of my life teaching eager screaming spoiled brats a little English in what was to become a truly epik Lonely Planet experience. And well, that's my story of how it all happened given I spent probably about 4000 hours on the internet preparing my brain in research last Fall and Winter.

[theshadowranger]

Send resumes to every place that you can find. I've been searching 6 months and only got an offer a few days ago and it's not set in stone. Make sure you have a great resume and a great photo and send your resumes everywhere. I've sent hundreds of resumes looking for a new job and I've found one that looks really good.

[jammo]

if you want something more immediately and would like to actually see the place and area you will be spending a year in, come over at your own expense and hand out CVs directly to the bosses


good luck

[salgichawa]

[lifeinkorea]

The big problem for me is that recruiters need CBC now, and it will take a while. They can't sit and wait. If you get your documents ready you will have priority. If you are in Korea you will have even more.

It seems like once you are in the country, recruiters treat you differently. If you are still not in Korea, then they probably aren't taking you seriously. So, they just hand out a few offers they can't fill with the local teachers.

Become a local teacher and the recruiters will hook you up.

[yoja]

[WTP Trust]

[Hardy Boy]

I went through several recruiters and rejected a number of offers before got the position I wanted, interviewing past teachers on the phone, getting a clear picture of the hagwon, accommodation, town and overall situation.

But that was 8 years ago when teacher demand outstripped supply. Nowadays I can't imagine job searching without being here to do the legwork oneself and simply skip middlemen. Word of mouth is the best way to find any good job in any field of work.

[stephencreech]

Do you have any advice for "approaching school directly" via email? Is there a listing of Hagwons in each city that someone could just send there resume and photos?