Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jaybert06]

Hi,

just a preface, I'm sorry if there is already a topic about this, I know it's bad form, but I tried searching the boards and the search engine doesn't seem to be working on the computer I am on. Anyway...

I had a few questions about recruiters. From looking around on here, I know that not everyone is very fond of them, but I've also heard great success stories about recruitment companies, and I've heard they really help if you're a first timer looking for a teaching job in Korea (which I am).

My questions are:
1. Have you had any experiences with recruiters? Were they positive or negative experiences? Why?
2. Has anyone heard of HandS Korea Corp (H&S Korea)? Or Morgan Recruiters? Does anyone have any experience with them? Good or Bad? I have an interview with H&S tomorrow evening, and Morgan Recruiters has my resume, waiting to hear back from them. Would like to know a little more about them before I commit to anything yet, though.
3. If these recruiters are no good, do you have any tips for a newbie about other good recruiters, or finding a job at a good school while not currently living in Korea?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Once again, I'm sorry if another topic like this exists, if someone would direct me to it, I will gladly peruse it instead of clogging up the forum with useless posts.

Thanks!

[northway]

1) I used a recruiter, as did most people working at hagwons here. The experience was mostly neutral, positive because I got a job.

2) Use as many recruiters as possible to get your resume out there as much as possible. The wider you cast your net, the more likely you are to find something decent.

3) Go on the job board on this site and email every recruiter you see.

[jaybert06]

Thanks! I guess sort of a follow up question, are there recruiters that people know of that should be avoided? Or any exceptionally good companies you can direct a fellow to? I'm working on sending out as many resumes as I can right now...

[ttompatz]

Really, when it comes to a recruiter, who cares?

A recruiter is nothing more than an introduction to an employer.
They are a necessary evil and a means to an end - nothing more.
Use as many as you need to find:
the job you want
in the place you want
with the terms that you want.

REPEAT: A recruiter is nothing more than an introduction to an employer.

Hello Mr. English speaker this is Mr Hakwon owner.
Mr. hakwon owner, this is Mr. English speaker.
Mr. English speaker, here is the contract. Please read and sign.
School, here is the signed contract. Pay me.
Good bye.

-You are not paying them anything (or you shouldn't be).
-THEY DO NOT WORK FOR YOU! - They work for the school.
-They owe you nothing once you get here.
-They are not your friend.
-They are not your baby sitter.
-They cannot help you if things go to *beep* after you get here.

Beyond that it is YOUR responsibility to check the school out.

Do NOT trust ANY recruiter. They are like used car salesmen. They will lie and sell their soul to get the signature on the contract.

Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE in regards to the school or get burned.

Use the recruiters for what they are. Use more than one and keep going until you get what you want. There is no rush and there is certainly no shortage of jobs.

When it comes to the school - again - repeat - Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE.

1st - READ the contract over very carefully. If that doesn't scare you away then...

The best you can do is minimize the risk by talking to MORE THAN ONE of the foreign staff and ask POINTED AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS (*when the boss is NOT listening over their shoulder). Don't accept non-specific answers and broad generalizations.

No foreign staff references to talk (directly and via e-mail) to = walk away now.

Accept NO EXCUSES for any reason.

.
7777

[jaybert06]

wow, thanks a lot!

[imoscardotcom]

I can recommend GMSC recruiting...especially Cheng-she is very nice and helpful, but I agree with everyone else: use more than one recruiter. Again: do your research. If a recruiter promises you a great position 20 minutes from Seoul....who knows what part of Seoul they're actually talking about. Prob not the "downtown/central" area.

Keep in mind you will probably have to wade through a bunch of bad positions before they actually give you a good one (just in my experience). If there are certain conditions you insist on, tell them upfront (single housing only, no split shifts...)

Some recruiters may not even respond to you. Don't take it personally.

[jaybert06]

Thanks for all the responses so far. I just got off the phone from my second recruiter interview. So far I've interviewed with H&S and People Recruit. The guy at H&S was very nice, easy to talk to, and seemed genuinely interested in me, as well as being very knowledgeable and quickly answering all my questions. The lady at People was nice too, but her manner seemed much more formal. Overall, I think they both went well, I'm excited to hear what they have to offer and to hear back from the other recruiters I applied to.

[rms2279]

. . .

[maingman]

http://nittayo.org/agencies.html

[Troglodyte]

Listen to what Ttompatz said. That sums it up pretty good.

I'd also add a few pieces of advice to it.

-Don't write to any less than 15 recruiters. Minimum. Write up a form letter and send it out to as many as you can find. Only modify it if they asked for some extra info in the job announcement.
-DON'T tell each recruiter that you're in touch with other recruiters. They'll probably suspect it, but don't confirm it. Especially don't tell them that you wrote to 20 other recruiters. If you do, then you drop on down a few notches on their priority list.
-Like Ttompatz said, decide before you even start (or now, since you've obviously already started) what you want. You can see the standard offers on the job boards. Decide what you'd accept and don't settle for less. It may take you an extra couple weeks, but it will save you a year of headaches later.
-Similarly, wait until you've received a few offers before you take one. You should see what's out there before you take the first thing that comes along.
-When you get a contract that you're actually considering, post it to the "Contract Posting Thread" sticky. For a bit of a heads up, read through the last dozen or so contracts and the comments that people made. Most hogwans/recruiters will try the exact same tricks, so you can catch most of them on your own. Then post YOUR contract so that everyone else can try to spot anything you may have missed.
-Don't beleive other posters when they say that Recruiter-X or Recruiter-Y are great. Unless someone has been using the same recruiter for years, then the teacher has no way to know how good the recruiter actually is. Recruiters will find teachers for ALL jobs that land on their desk. They'd try to send you off to a sweat factor to make running shoes if an employer was willing to pay their recruiting fee. So, all recruiters will have some good jobs and some real lemons. They don't discriminate. Some teachers just THINK that the recruiter was really good because the teacher just happened to get one of the good jobs.

I've only ever met one recruiting agency who was selective about which hogwans they'd deal with. But that was a very small agency and one of the two owners was a former English teacher. With that agency, they actually went to each school themselves to evaluate it (and some were turned down), but at the same time all teachers had to come to their office to interview in person. There are probably others like it, but they are small and they usually recruit locally.


For a first timer, recruiters can be a useful tool, as long as you go in with you eyes open.

[Troglodyte]

[jaybert06]

This may seem like a silly question, but I am sending out for my background checks today. Recruiters require original background checks, not copies, correct? Will I need to send one to every recruiter I apply to, or will they only be needed once I actually sign a contract? If I get one for every recruiter, that can get quite pricy. They're only $18 for FBI checks, and $25 for state, but if I'm getting one for 15+ recruiters, that seems a little excessive...

[imoscardotcom]

yes, only originals are accepted (but they may want you to email a scanned copy to them just to make sure you actually have it) but you only send out your background check (and other docs) AFTER you have signed a contract and want to proceed with the hiring/immigration process. NEVER send your documents before you actually have a job and have signed a contract.
so no, don't order 15 since you really need only 1 cbc, but I ordered a second just in case. And make copies for your personal records before you send it off.

[Nadia_M]

I'd say order three. Then you've got the one you'll send when you sign a contract, and two more for backup.

[ttompatz]