Korean Job Discussion Forums

[screwy101]

My wife is Canadian (with a Canadian passport) but she is Fillipina.

She is having a hard time finding a teaching job because when they see her picture they assume that she can't speak English, which is rediculous because it is better than mine!

What is more rediculous is that she already taught in Daegu for one year in 05 and she has years of ESL experience in Canada. Knowing that she's already qualified to work in Korea before, it doesn't seem to matter.

I've already signed a contract to work in Bundang so we're going regardless, but this is very frustrating.

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to handle this situation or know of any non-racist hagwons?

[northway]

I rag on CDI a lot, but they're generally a bit more chilled out in their hiring processes when it comes to race. Possibly something to look in to.

[PigeonFart]

It's a shame. That's one thing i will always remember about Korean culture, they place way too much importance on how things appear to be. It irks me greatly.

A russian professor of ESL/EFL would be a better english teacher than a dingbat biblebasher from the backwoods anyday. But most Koreans wouldn't agree with that sentence, they just see a white face and think englishee. "What a bunch of dikz" as they say in Germany.

I hope your wife finds something soon. As the previous poster hinted at, not all hangooks are the same. Some of them are more open-minded and have a more global viewpoint.

[minos]

If they wanted a philipina teacher, they'd get somebody illegal for far less....

Plenty of them around who jump on the chance to make above factory wage.

[Poker]

Since she has a Canadian passport, she could apply for public school positions. Epik hires all sorts, as long as they meet the requirements.

[southernman]

I worked on Geoje Island earlier this year and met a filipina teacher at a public School Volleyball tournament. She was working for EPIK, teaching at 3 schools and they'd even provided her with a car.

I"m not sure if her Husband was Korean, but he lived and worked in Busan and commuted to Geoje on the weekends to see his wife and kids.

Maybe the PS route is a better option, it's worthwhile checking out anyway, goodluck!

[interestedinhanguk]

Does she meet all the requirements? English-speaking university and such?

[jrwhite82]

Go the public route. Far less discrimination during the hiring process.

[screwy101]

[drunkenfud]

"she doesn't have a B.ED though"

That made me laugh. Most public school teachers here have a degree totally unrelated to the job of teaching.

In a public school there will be prejudice about her ethnicity, but (in elementary schools anyway) the fact she is female will heavily count in her favour.

If you are married, and depending on the program, you could score a 2 bedroom apartment rather than a studio - from your wife's school. Assuming you are working at a hagwon, you could pocket 3 or 4 hundred thousand a month from your employer as housing allowance.

[interestedinhanguk]

[screwy101]

[oldfatfarang]

It would pay to apply for public schools, as the recent Nork bombings will have scared off more than a few recent grads. If North Korea does any more stupid things - then EPIK etc will have trouble filling quotas next year.

I'm sure your lady would do OK in a PS elementary school - but she may encounter racism in a middle or high school - especially in a rural area like mine (where there are many bought Phillipina/Viet wives and SE factory workers).

Interestingly, I replaced a black South African guy, and nobody talks about him. Nothing. He just didn't exist - until I started asking questions after 4 months. Given the lack of 'feeling the love' I've encountered, he must have had a pretty hard time of it out here in the country.

Good luck.

[creeper1]

It could be good once she starts. They will be like "wow she sounds like an American yet looks Asian - that's so amazing!"

Hagwons do have to look after their image though. A Filipina to most parents = cheap hagwon unwilling to pay for a native speaker.

[natalia930]

There are a couple other threads on this - I found this one helpful: http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=193474

I'm American, but half Filipina, and I did run into a LOT of recruiters asking me what my ethnic background was. But even so, I ended up with 4 job offers. She just needs to keep looking, maybe send her info out to more recruiters. The fact that she has previous experience *should* help - maybe she needs to change the format of her resume? Read this thread: http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?p=2345865