Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chachee99]

Go scuba diving around the world.

[PatrickGHBusan]

OP basically it all depends on you and on what you do in Korea (ie what you put into your job and life there).

The world out of the university cocoon is hard but it is also rewarding. What the world will not do however is hand you anything without effort on your part but I am sure you know that already.

You have, I assume, an undergrad Poli Sci degree. Well thats a pretty useless degree as far as employment is concerned unless you accumulate other qualifications and professional experience to compliment it. You could also re-enter the conforting cocoon of education and go for a MA and then PhD.

Now as far as what can Korea do for you? It can lead you to all sorts of interesting job opportunities in teaching or in other fields. Here is the kicker however: you will need come up with a plan and try to build on it and stick to it.

Some people used their Korean experience to get private sector or public sector jobs back in their own countries. This will happen if you accumulate referenced experience AND improve yourself while you stay in Korea.

That can mean buckling down and learning the language. Meeting people and networking to get a feel for whats out there professionally. Then do your homework and find employers that will value your experience and qualifications as well as your experience abroad.

This can take more than one year however....

One thing is dead certain: you sit on your hands playing bingo with your students while in Korea and head to the bar on each weekend while staying put professionally and what you will have done is waste a year or more in professional terms.

Another goal can be to save money to go back to school. That can be a way Korea pays off for you as well.

Bascially you need to figure out WHAT you want to do as a job and then PLAN and WORK towards getting there. That will help you focus your activities and provide you with extra motivation to do things.

All up to you basically.


I came to Korea on a sabbatical from my full time teaching position in Canada. I was going to stay for a year or two and that turned into 11 years. In my time in Korea I found all sorts of options for careers and jobs and finally moved out of teaching in 2008 and into public sector work for my home country's government. I also started and still manage a consulting agency that was based in Korea and is now based in Canada.

While in Korea I also became fluent in Korean and acquired a fair understanding of Korean culture as well as other asian cultures. That paid off handsomely as my consulting grew out of this.

As I worked in Korea and networked I also got to hear about all sorts of jobs that were not always advertised. I also took online courses as well as in class courses over the years to improve myself (management certificates, project management courses, language classes, some updates on classroom management, pedagogy and andragogy....).

I know dozens of people who did just as well, some of them on this very board. Some of the people I met in Korea ended up teaching at Universities after completing their PhDs in Asian studies. You can bet your ass their overseas experience and language acquisition paid off when it came to getting into a Doctoral program and then into a professor position.

Others have moved on to Foreign Affairs departments, companies, NGOs, teaching certification..

All of them shared a common trait: they put effort into what they did and got something out of it.

Good luck OP!

[brittlowe]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I do want to work for an NGO or some foreign affairs organization. I was looking for someone who's real experience is that there is life after Korea that does not consist solely of a teaching career- as I did not waste 4 years and $$$$$ in undergrad wanting to end up an esl teacher for life and resorting to country hopping.
I actually have a Basic Korean course starting next week, and with any luck, I will be able to get a decent handle on the language so that it may help me in my international relations career.

[Louis VI]

[English Matt]

[morrisonhotel]

[morrisonhotel]

[nate1983]

[sallymonster]

I want to become an event planner/activities coordinator after returning to the US. I started doing this as a hobby here in Korea. Maybe I'll plan PR events for a company/charity, or maybe I'll organize activities and outings at a university or retirement home, or maybe eventually I'll start my own business as some kind of events consultant.

However, I have 0 connections in this field so far, and my only experience is unverifiable (I organize a large Meetup/Facebook group here in Korea), so we'll see what happens. I'm seriously worried that the US economy will never recover and that competition for decent jobs will continue to be insane. God knows I'll probably end up back in Korea, forced to settle with a career in teaching English, unable to make a career out of my real passion.

[Draz]

[xCustomx]

I saved up a lot of cash during my 5 years in Korea and have been using that to put myself through school and take prerequisites for dental school. I'm applying next year and will hopefully get my acceptance in December '12. I loved teaching, but I couldn't see myself doing it in my 30s and beyond. I'm just starting to look at what it would take to become a dentist and practice in Europe or Asia, with a return to Korea definitely possible.

[nstick13]

To the OP:

I don't know if you've researched the Foreign Service (embassy work), but you may be interested in that. I have a similar degree also from a Big 10 school, and in college decided I may want to do the Foreign Service route. I'm taking the test here in Seoul in October.

In regards to that, obviously any special skills you can put down help. One of the best things you can do to prepare for the test is read your little toosh off. News, books, blogs (that are relevant)--anything. And the test includes a lot of general knowledge type stuff (the example test on their site has a question about the architect that designed the Sears Tower...)

Also, the State Dept. considers Korean a "critical" language, so knowing the language if you pass the test earns you a couple more official points. I'm working on learning that at an intermediate level, and hoping to brush up on my Arabic (super-critical; more points). So, if you're interested in pursuing that at all, learning the language is worthwhile.

[jamal0000]

I'm doing professional bullriding, seriously