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Directionless with a Masters
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gordo



Joined: 02 Jul 2007

PostPosted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you already have you a BA/BS, apply for a hagwon and get here for the summer. Nothing wrong with teaching at those beginner hagwons and you can certainly earn more with your degree, especially since you can start immediately. Then if you want to work for a university, you will have your Masters plus experience here which will help you network for a new job.

I am not sure of the SMOE pay scale but some of those beginner hagwons probably will start you off with a higher/same pay scale. Depends if you like morning/afternoon or afternoon/night hours and what type of students you want to teach.
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happiness



Joined: 04 Sep 2010

PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

they DO want tall white guys who dress well, but I dont think they hate black people. You can find all kind of Westerners here. Our school has had 4 black teachers, and one stayed for a long time. The current black female teacher has a masters and getting another, and teaches well (from what Ive seen), but is a real asshole. Please, dont be an asshole.

ok then.
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Trip Deuce Media



Joined: 25 Oct 2010
Location: Bucheon, South Korea

PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Racism is definitely an issue here, but with that said I have several black friends here who are very happy in Korea and have stayed here multiple years. Coincidentally, I tried to help get one of my black friends a job at my University. He has an M.B.A., was granted an interview and killed it. My supervisor said he did a great job but they offered the job to my white friend. My white friend turned it down, yet still they wouldn't offer my black friend the job. I'm 99% convinced it was because of his skin color.

Since then I have moved to a different University, which has approximately 20 foreigner teachers, two of which are girls (1 white 1 kyopo) and the rest white males.

The odds are stacked against you, but having a Master's in Education is a huge advantage, especially for these "higher end" hagwon or PS schools which could lead to better consideration for a University job. It can definitely get you a leg up at GOOD schools, with good students which make you feel less like a babysitter or trained monkey and can actually give you satisfaction as a teacher. As others have said, your best bet is to get outside of Seoul. But that doesn't mean you have to live in the Boondocks. The satellite cities of Seoul are close (I'm just a few subway stops away) and usually have "better" Uni jobs (by better I mean less hours/responsibility, more vacation).

Again, as others have said, it's good to get your feet wet in Korea to make sure you like it here. Most Universities want someone who as at least completed one contract so they don't have to worry about their employee getting homesick or bolting in the middle of the night. Hagwons are so hit-or-miss...you'd probably enjoy a public school job to start out at. Your first few months in this country are pretty exciting no matter where you end up. I wouldn't get discouraged either, I think that M.A. in Education is your ticket into Uni after a year. Just stick on this website and get your apps in everywhere.
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myenglishisno



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon

PostPosted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

minos wrote:
RMNC wrote:
Given that you're African American, it's going to be pretty hard to get a job in Korea. Universities tend to want white people working for them, so prepare yourself for a lot of indiscriminate racism. Being Black in Korea is NOT easy.

That said, with your qualifications your best bet is to wait until the hiring season (August-September, January-February) and apply to as many schools as you can find directly. There are also a few blog posts about universities that are hiring. If you start having trouble, you could always start looking at university-run hagwon programs "unigwons" and try to see what might be out there. Really, when it comes to universities, it's mostly about connections, networking and referral by current and former employees. Some people do get interviews from cold calling, but I would say for the most part those jobs are taken by people living in Korea who know someone at the university.


I'm black and worked in a Uni sans a masters....I've recieved other interview offers for universities(not uniwons) here including one in Seoul. Hell, a few I didn't even apply to offered me interviews Shocked

Contrary to popular belief among white folks here, most of the black people I know love it here.

The job market picked up quite a bit due to the new FBI checks....I've had a stupidly high number of interview offers this march....


Yeah. I have two black co-workers and they don't have many problems (both live in Itaewon mind you).

They have reported discrimination in trying to apply for hagwons outside of Seoul or sometimes even local hagwons but beyond that, they seem happy. If I had a black friend get rejected from an institution, I wouldn't want to work there myself out of principle. It says a lot about a place.
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