Korean Job Discussion Forums

Swampfox10mm · Joined: 24 Mar 2011

Thanks. It is important to note that anything can change. I worry more about my age these days. Also, my job requires twice the work that it used to. We now give online homework, which has been more trouble than it is worth if you ask me. Not real happy with Northstar by Pearson. Will have to post about that.

Carbon · Joined: 28 Jan 2011

Castaway · Joined: 10 May 2011

Do you know what is, for me, one of the greatest and most overlooked perk of working at a university?

The library card.

Damn right, kids. I get to borrow all the books I want, for nothing. And I don't know about most university libraries, but I've got a healthy selection of classics here.

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 3:27 am Post subject:

Carbo,

Swamp raises some interesting and important point that identify TRENDS in University hiring. His experience in this regard is valuable. You do not have to agree with him but how about remaining civil and providing counter examples from your own vast university experience?

Heck, wait I will do that as I worked at a University in Busan for a few years and was on the hiring committee there as well as on numerous other committees.

That University in the years I was there hired fewer and fewer BA holders. Then went the MA holders with unrelated fields of study. In the past couple of years (I still have contacts there) they have hired a couple of PhDs and not renewed some MAs. The unigwon however has hired lots of BA holders and more recently some MA holders.

The conditions there are pretty darn good and they offer credit courses that are optionals for those Korean students who wish to have more English classes.

The other phenomenon that is becoming apparent is the hiring of Foreign professors to teach topics, not just English conversation. These are typically PhD holders with publications. There is not a legion of them but their numbers are growing.

A unigwon can be an excellent job as there are many great ones out there. This I think is the point Swamp was trying to make.

Anyway, you question Swamps sample, but what is yours?

Swampfox10mm · Joined: 24 Mar 2011

Carbon, I promise you, I didn't wake up today hoping to pee in your Cheerios.

What Patrick said about MA's in non-related fields... would like to expand on that. I've noticed this, too. I'm beginning to see that is making it more difficult for those in some unrelated MA fields to land something good. There is a flipside to that, however. Some schools (like ours seemed to this time around) are somewhat looking specifically for people with degrees in business or science to teach content courses. This could be your "in" so-to-speak, provided you have the right flavor of MA. I only see these areas growing.

Probably due to online MA programs, there are far more English-related MA teachers out there to choose from. We could see that in the resumes that we received this time around. I wasn't on the hiring committee this year, but I got to peek at some of the resumes. Most did have MA's related to English in some way, but you know what, the ones who were hired this time around weren't the MA/TESOLs, etc. That got some peoples' feet in the door for an interview, but that's about it. Our school is starting to look at other MA's that relate to content courses.

For better or worse, our school often hires people right out of high schools (first univ. jobs for them). I've mentioned it before- our school like's young people in their late 20's to early 30's who are attractive, have experience teaching public school or university, are kind and well-mannered, and give a good demo lesson. That and/or have some quality about them that stands out and gets them noticed. Not everyone is gorgeous, but everyone is well-kept, and I can't think of a single foreigner on our staff that isn't just a great all-around person (side note - we have at least two gay male teachers on staff, possibly three. This is only known to the foreigners for obvious reasons, but I'll tell you, they are all fabulous- the Koreans are CLUELESS and have no gaydar what-so-ever).

Our school hasn't hired a married teacher, or F2 in over 5 years (for the unigwon). They haven't hired a non-Ph.D. in the English department in 5 years, and have actually reduced staff while adding Ph.D's.

The hiring committee is made up almost entirely of Koreans who lived/worked overseas, and recently they have allowed one experienced foreigner to join in. In all honesty, they've done an excellent job of hiring quality people. They narrow the field of 200 to 400 resumes (yes, that many apply) to about 15-20 and conduct interviews. They pre-rank the interviewees beforehand based on a points system. Graduating from certain universities will equal more points, as well as certain degrees, etc. That, along with decent and/or professional younger looks, (I say it time and time again- A GOOD PHOTO) is what earns people an interview. After that, it's all about how they judge you during the interview and demo lesson. At least some Korean language ability seems to impress them. I know providing correct paperwork and an excellent photo is expected. They are open to hiring people from a variety of different countries (they seem to prefer this) and have hired a gyopo who is excellent.

FYI -- even our Ph.D's are quite attractive people, and I don't think any of them are over 40. The unwritten marriage rule doesn't apply to the Ph.D's. A few of them actually left family back home while they work here.

Me... I'm probably lucky I was hired over 5 years ago. These days, I am sure I wouldn't get a job here with the credentials I had back then. And as I always say, this contract could be my last. That will REALLY suck, but it's my reality.

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 4:10 am Post subject:

Interesting Swamp.

My former university did not hired people under 30 (outside of the rare exception) and found that married teachers tended to be more stable and serious (this was their opinion wether thats true or not).

Swampfox10mm · Joined: 24 Mar 2011

I know a lot of schools are still that way, Patrick. Obviously "I" hope that a lot more will continue to be!

(I'm becoming an old fart)

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

My university has no hiring pattern whatsoever, as far as I can tell. There's an exception to every possible rule. Young/old, married/single, male/female, BA/MA, white/black/gyopo, attractive/not, good teachers/less good teachers, etc. We have it all.

nate1983 · Joined: 30 Mar 2008

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 10:07 am Post subject:

Swampfox10mm · Joined: 24 Mar 2011

From what I've read/heard, the unigwons from the larger schools (Yonsei.. cough, cough) are the jobs to be avoided. I know we had an employee who left a certain Yonsei campus located outside of Seoul. She remarked about how they didn't want to hire F-2's because E-2's were easier to deal with (control) and wouldn't complain about pay, etc. Sounded like the school micromanaged everything, and expected photocopies of pretty much everything that was done in the classroom. Not sure it's all true, but that's what she said.