Korean Job Discussion Forums

bbud656 · Joined: 15 Jun 2010

I have been looking and applying for jobs with my gf for the last week. We both have education degrees and fit the unofficial qualifications pretty well. We are trying to get positions in Busan because we have connections there (I know it is a popular request). We have emailed schools and recruiters and no one has been of help to us yet, most haven't got back to us at all. Granted it has only been about 4 days since I have been sending out resumes. Are we just too picky and impatient or is the market saturated?

caribmon · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

Market is not saturated.

mmstyle · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Location: wherever

I'd say give it time. If you both have education degrees, you can find work, but 4 days is not a lot of time....especially if you plan on doing your homework to make sure that you end up in a good gig.

vaticanhotline · Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:36 pm Post subject:

Yeah, you're impatient. Don't worry, you won't have much trouble finding a job.

Ukon · Joined: 29 Jan 2008

I have experience(no teaching cert.) and noticed the same...

It would appear hagwons are hiring 1-2 months in advance, so if your looking for a Fall job, you'll have to wait.

90% of the jobs I see listed are start ASAP, June, or in July...only a handful for September.

Someone else here said Hagwons have to find out their Fall enrollments before hiring natives....makes sense given the summer period hasn't even started in Korea.

theshadowranger · Joined: 23 Jul 2009 Location: Bude/ MS/ USA

It took me 6 months to find the position that I recently got. It's gonna take time to find something. If you insist on being in Busan, then it will be tougher for you. You don't have to live in Busan. You could live somewhere close to it.

AsiaESLbound · Joined: 07 Jan 2010 Location: Truck Stop Missouri

I had to try many times myself last Winter. It wasn't instantaneous with multiple offers like many of you wrote in fairly recent times I read about last Fall and Winter. Well, things do change regularly and often it's not in the little guys favor. Or small people as some inept oil giant chief likes to call us. Things do tend to be getting increasingly harder the world over.

SunDevil Dre · Joined: 07 Jun 2010

pikachun1 · Joined: 09 May 2010

ontheway · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:56 am Post subject: Re: Is the market that flooded?

bcjinseoul · Joined: 13 Jan 2010 Location: Seoul, Korea

Busan is probably the tightest ESL market in all of Korea. EPIK in Busan, for example, fills up the public school positions there long before any other city or province...including Seoul. Like Seoul, every college in Busan pretty much wants an MA and college teaaching experience.

I think the reason most people have trouble finding work with the teacher surge is becuase they want to work in Seoul or Busan...which is where everyone wants to work. Myself as well.

Case in point: I'm finishing my 4th year in Korea, and I wanted to break the contract I now have with SMOE. During the winter break, I made initial contact with EVERY recruiter on eslcafe (70?) looking for an after school program or afternoon hogwon...but ONLY in Seoul. Only 10-15 got back to me, and no one had any after school programs...mostly just bad kindies from 9-7. There might have been 1 or 2 afternoon hogwons from like 1-10, but they just werent worth it.

Now, I would never work in the middle of the country, but surely Gwangju, Daejeon, Incheon, Daegu, etc can't be that bad...I worked in Gwangju for a year and liked it, and I also did a year in Gyeonggi, it was alright.

I've applied to a ton of colleges nationwide, and the next to zero that have gotten back to me are either a) in the middle of nowhere or b) have absolutely horrible conditions, long hours, no housing, etc. With the direction public schools are going out here, think I'll try for an after school program or afternoon hogwon next, and not limit the search to Seoul.

bbud656 · Joined: 15 Jun 2010

Do you like afternoon hours better because of your sleep habits or are the 9-6 jobs just bad deals?

bcjinseoul · Joined: 13 Jan 2010 Location: Seoul, Korea

bbud656 · Joined: 15 Jun 2010

I haven't taught in Korea before. That is why I asked. I don't have an MA in education. Just a BA. I do have some decent connections over there, so colleges may not be out of the question. It comes down to who you know not what you know, in my experience. My lifestyle is more suited for a daytime job right now. I think that if I got off at 9-10 pm every night I would develop a drinking habit. I am 24, so hanging out with people my age doesn't sound terrible. Honestly, I have had jobs that make anything Korea could throw at me laughable in terms of hours and frustration. I am pretty easy going. There is a lot of alarmist stuff I see on this forum and when it comes to not getting paid I get it, but the other stuff isn't that big of a deal to me. Really only people who have had bad experiences write about them online, so I think it is a little lop sided. I will consider a evening job though. seems like you know when you are getting out because the kids can't be there that late. Thanks.