Korean Job Discussion Forums

[paul.w.addison]

Hi there,

Me and my friend looking to come to Korea in July/August to teach for a year and from what we've researched, a hagwon is our best option. Thus the question of which recruitment company to go through has arised. We've been looking into Korea Connections who seem pretty legit and have been extremely helpful but i'm wondering if any of you have any tips on which recruitment companies to avoid? And with reading some horror stories about the hagwons that some people have worked in, is that completely dependant on the school or are some recruitment companies more likely to place you in a decent school than others? Any help would be much appreciated

[CtotheB]

Testimony Kim. Scumbag and religious nutter.

Also, Stephen Cho was finding threads on here talking about how bad he was, making new accounts, pretending to be teachers and saying how great he was despite everyone saying he was horrible. It was pretty obvious because his fake name used the same initials as his real name (sc2006 i believe) and he was only bumping threads about himself that were years old. When people called him on it he claimed his name was Stephanie, and hilarity ensued. Just search google for Stephen Cho and the first couple of links are where the comedy happened.

Oh, and also don't just use one recruiting agency. They're not there to help you, only fill a position and get paid. If you're looking for a good job and you only use one agency you'll be waiting a long time. Use as many as you can and scour the job boards for listings that look good. Also, be firm in what you want in a job, regarding location, hours, etc. Most racehorses will try and put you into jobs in the boonies because they get larger commissions for them, but good jobs in so called "hard to get" places are still abundandt, but they don't like to talk about it. In fact I was told by numerous recruiters that it was impossible for me to get a job in Seoul as a first timer, and here I am about to sign up for a swank position in South Central Seoul. Essentially, the message is to use them, don't let them use you. Be pristine and try to find your own jobs.

[Krishire]

Can't agree with CTB more. Don't go through just one recruiter and remember that you are their commodity. They do not get paid by you, they are paid by the schools/hagwons. And I can't stress KNOWING a little about Korea and hogwans before diving in.

Know what you want. You can waste a lot of time being spammed with less than desirable contracts. A list of preferences you would like in a job (salary/locations/ages/work hours/start dates) can reduce the amount of spam you get.


I hear WorknPlay are pretty good. I spoke with them over the phone and they seemed fairly legit. GMSC has also been pretty flexible and nice for me. I think it's a red flag when a recruiter says things like "that's just how it is in Korea"/ "That's not possible, you should interview with the one I already gave you".

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I've heard that Stephen Cho at Eduorange is bad, but from others. I've never worked with him, personally. Look him up on this site, though, for stories.

[soupsandwich]

EVERY recruiting agency has their little strories and secrets they dont' want others to know....but eventually can get posted on Dave's.


What I CAN tell you, is that a few are better than most. In fact, there ARE a couple that have a solid reputation.

1. ESL Planet (Rowan)
2. Korvia Consulting
3. Park English


soupsandwich

[Moldy Rutabaga]

OP, you do not have to find a job through a recruiting agency. You can find jobs on Dave's at independent schools and contact them directly.

The individual schools have (slightly) more of an interest in keeping you happy than a recruiter because they must deal with you while you are working there. A recruiter's primary interest is in getting a fast commission, and they will promise you anything to get it. Deal with the school directly.

[julesk]

Avoid using Joyce from Korvia at all costs. There are numerous posts on these boards discussing this topic, and quite a few people have expressed their frustrating experiences with Korvia (especially Joyce).

[AustSaint]

I would also avoid Korvia, they used to be good but I and a few of my friends have had negative experiences with them.

Worknplay are good, I used them to get this job.

As someone said, use a few recruiters, and that at the end of the day it is a business and they will try to earn their won, some are good and some are bad.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

Korean Horizons is pretty good. I used them for my first contract here.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

will at footprints posts on here frequently and i have never heard anyone complain about him.....seems like a pretty legit guy to work with.......

[WillTurnerinVanCity]

[dodge]

Footprints were fine, and recently got SMOE jobs for some of my friends but I personally got pretty bummed going for an SMOE job through them - was told we had passed the interviews, sent all our documents (after paying lots of money for apostilles, notarization and courier), only to be told we were just on a waiting list and actually all the jobs had been filled (and our documents were collecting dust at the EPIK office in Seoul).

fortunately my resume was seen by a recruiter on the Worknplay website and i got sorted that way (for what turned out to be a much more suitable job for me.)

in the end it was www.teacheslkorea.com who placed us and they were pretty sweet and helpful.

But my experience of Footprints wasn't great.

i would agree that using several recruiters is the best idea to hedge your bets - and don't send off all your (expensively notarized) documents until you know it's a done deal.

[Grainne86]

I used Teachers For South Korea and they were brilliant, really friendly service and I've no complaints at all

[Johnkim]

I would also add JJrecruiting to the negative list. They have a few internal problems, they are ageist and also don't want to work to get a specific job you may request. And I am a qualified teacher to!

[dbtm]

I'll go to bat for Joyce @ Korvia. The language barrier was slightly frustrating but she did a solid job and I ended up with exactly what was promised.