Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HANGRY]

A lot of university positions list "2 years of university level teaching experience" or something similar...

I'm wondering, how do you get university level teaching experience without having a university teaching job?

I basically have 0 years of full-time teaching experience, but I have an M.A. and TESOL cert. My goal is to get a university teaching position, but I haven't gotten any replies back on the resumes I have sent out to them. I figure it's either because of:

1) My M.A. is in Linguistics not Ed or TESOL
2) I have no teaching experience
3) I'm not in Korea for in-person interview

Can anybody recommend a good first step to take? Public schools (already been accepted to SMOE)? Adult Hagwons? Unigwons?

[litebear]

I'd say 3 is the biggest problem you have. Why don't you go to Korea for a year with a Hagwon or Public School first, then you can interview in person for the jobs starting next year?

[sigmundsmith]

agree with litebear. very challenging to get a university position from outside. not saying it isnt possible but there are enough academically qualified people inside

why do you want to work at a university? you say you have no teaching experience so how do you know that this is the position for you

go through the initial process like minions before you - hagwon/public school

[ttompatz]

[jinks]

I have worked at unis where they have hired native English-speaking instructors from overseas. Usually though, it has been someone from US/Canada/wherever who was teaching overseas in a university in China or Japan. These people had worked in Korea previously, so 'Korea experience' is considered important.

[Swampfox10mm]

Basically, they expect you to have some cultural and classroom experience in the Korean setting. Without that, it's almost impossible to land a job here.

Ph.D's are another story, just because they're difficult to hire. My university is learning the hard way that the Ph.D's they brought here are flying the coop within a year. They're instantly landing jobs at higher universities in Seoul that offer them more pay or work opportunities, once they've spent part of a year here. It's really somewhat interesting to watch, because our school is dead-set against allowing teachers to work outside jobs. After being told this, our new Ph.D hire went out and got a job at a top school, but will still be teaching PT at our school next year. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and he has the power because the other univ. is allowing him to work outside.

[edwardcatflap]

Why would any university hire anyone with zero class room experience? They're supposed to be top tier aren't they, surely they can demand a year's experience at least?

[Stout]

Yeah, no teaching experience means you're liable to make boatloads of rookie mistakes, compounded by unfamiliarity with how Korean people/Korea works. In other words, compared to other candidates who have the above, you are a disaster waiting to happen and therefore even a competent hagwon guy with no MA is preferable.

[Swampfox10mm]

[edwardcatflap]

[ren546]

It's possible to get a university position from abroad. This past March, I had about 8 phone interviews with Korean universities while I was in Canada, and I applied late. That said, I also have experience teaching in Korea, and I was asked about it in every one of the interviews.

University jobs sound great, and they are, but you also have to know what you're doing (e.g. you have to be able to read some Korean in order to understand rosters, sick notes, and other administrative documents), and you are in charge of your own syllabus, so you need to have some idea of what works and what doesn't work in this context.

I'd say 2 is the most important (followed shortly by 3). 1 is an asset, not a liability. You may have to get your feet wet by working in a hagwon first. Try one for adults if you don't like kids. With an MA, you should be able to find something decent, and then you can apply for uni jobs next year when you're more prepared.

[TECO]

[SeoulMan6]

Look to the rural areas for your first university job, especially if you're resume is lacking.

[Hotpants]

2 & 3 are your problems.

A handful of unis will hire out of country by phone/Skype. They will usually state this in their ad. But there's a lot of competition in Korea for uni gigs these days.