Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mitchelld]

Hi all,

As a first-time poster, I want to introduce myself to the community and possibly get some general feedback. My name is Mitch and I'm currently finishing up a Master's Degree in English at the University of Florida in Gainesville. I'm thinking about trying to teach in Korea starting in August 2011. For what it's worth, I'm male, 6-2, 200 pounds, short-brown hair and with decidedly average looks. While I've done some moderate scouring over of the forums for information, I thought I would post some general info here and see what you all have to say. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

So, some questions/info:

1) I don't have any loans or debt that I need to pay off, and wouldn't be doing this because I have run out of other options. I am just not totally ready to start a "career" yet and think living abroad for awhile would be an edifying experience.

2) I will have my Masters Degree in English literature if/when I go over. I wont have an ESL certification, but I do have college-level teaching experience (technical writing for engineers, introductory persuasive writing). I am genuinely interesting in teaching English (though I can't guarantee I'll like it) and though I haven't formally studied the actual teaching of the language, I have three years of Latin under my belt, which has helped me gain a much greater control of English grammar.

3) I understand the job market is no longer "what it used to be," but as I'm not doing this expressly to save money, that's ok, so long as the work conditions are fair and I don't actually have to dip into my own savings.

4) This plan is entirely contingent on the current military/political tensions blowing over, of course.

5) One thing I am not willing to do is to head over there without a job. From the reading I've done it seems like the best position for me would be at a hagwon, and I will likely use a recruiter. Should I expect, with legitimate effort, to be able to find a decent paying hagwon job from the U.S. within a few months of beginning the search?

6) Am I crazy for wanting to do this? I'm sure I would inevitably struggle with a few bouts of homesickness, but I am simultaneously pretty outgoing and also able to handle isolation pretty well - I read a lot!

[wiganer]

You'll be OK Mitch, why not? Thousands have done it before you, some hated it, some liked it and some thrived! You might meet the love of your life and it will change your outlook on the world. Expat living is very addictive, give it a go!

If not South Korea, try Vietnam or China. Good luck with it all.