Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iheartssangchu]

Hi!
I've been in contact w/ some recruiters and been given some decent schools as options but none to my likings. My one recruiter kept on pushing for this high school position but I told her I'd prefer middle or elementary school. In the end I said I'd be open to anything and look through the school. I think she's REALLY pushing me for this school. I've been looking though the job offer and I think it's too advanced for a newbie like me.

How picky can I be w/ recruiters? Can I keep on saying, "This isn't want I had in mind" or "Do you have any other options". I obviously don't expect things to be perfect. As long as it is the grades I want, I'm not too picky. Is that too much to ask?

[Finster]

Well I'm not in Korea (yet) but I think I can pre-empt the responses of those that are...

Be as picky as you want. The greatest trick the recruiter ever pulls is convincing the world he's working for them. He's not. He's working for himself to get his placement fee, plain and simple, you're almost secondary. So use as many as you like, turn down the jobs you don't fancy and most important, stick to your guns. There'll be a job that fits your criteria coming along at some stage as you genuinely aren't asking for anything daft or out of the ordinary.

That's what I'm doing anyway, I've alread turned down a few offers because they're not what I want, where I want, or they involve teaching the dreaded Kindymonsters. Sit tight and never get pushed into a certain job, ask yourself, if it's such a good position why isn't it gone already and why is the recruiter giving it the hard sell?

[SunDevil Dre]

[iheartssangchu]

Thanks for the info. It's like working on commission I guess.

How many offers do you get per consultant? Mine said usually 1. But my other one sent me 2 already.

[Perceptioncheck]

[iheartssangchu]

[Perceptioncheck]

[iheartssangchu]

[Illysook]

Don't worry too much about teaching high school as a newbie. I had one year of hagwon kindy/elementary experience when I landed this job. So far, it's been much easier. I work fewer hours and actually have time to prepare for my classes. Also, next week I will attend a GEPIK seminar that I've heard is pretty good. Your experiences with co-teachers will vary, but mine is pretty nice. I imagine that any expectations that she has not clarified will be laid out in the seminar and I feel that I've been set up to succeed according to my ability and my willingness to work. No major variables are stacked against me.

[iheartssangchu]

[butter_opera]

I taught at an all boys HS last year....WORST mistake of my life. I did not know it was an all boys school until I got there! (I blame my recruiter for that). My HS did not have a text book for conversation class and I had to come up with all the material on my own....and when you work hard to come up with something (my co-teachers def did NOT help me) and bit by bit see all the students nod off, it is hella discouraging!

Bottom line, you said you were a newbie...go for what you really want. The only reason you are coming to Korea is to WORK. I stayed the full year and was miserable. If you are not happy with the offer she is giving you look elsewhere...it is just the nature of the business. But put your needs hurt! Living in Korea is fun/exciting...but a poor work situation/environment will most certainly put a damper on your whole experience.

Do your research!

[Illysook]

They do have Korean teachers for grammar. My job is to give them a positive experience speaking English. It is difficult to get the kids to participate. There's no doubt about that. So far, I've managed this okay. If a teacher is supposed to be firm the first day of class, I certainly did that. We played a game in which they had to write down three things about themselves, place their answers in a hat and swap. In some of the classes, I ran out of responses before I ran out of kids. When that happened, I reclaimed all of the responses and made everyone do that part of the assignment a second time.

My second lesson plan should have gone so well. It was pretty creative, but my kids have been studying for next weeks exams and the few classes that I actually got to teach seemed sorta interested, but sleepy from the get-go. I walked around and encouraged, but since it was a group exercise, I decided I'd help the ones who were interested.

[fl4mers]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Finster]