Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Swampfox10mm]

You want to impress someone with an MA from anywhere? Well, then, you'd better publish. Until then, your MA is just another one for the pile.... don't care where you got it from.

[Swampfox10mm]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Good lord Swamp why do you react so strongly to a comment?

All I said is that Bruce has a POINT. That does not mean I think you are wrong man.

Also, I said my former employer was HESITANT when faced with an applicant with a grad degree obtained online. They still would hire the person if he checked out.

Hesitant does not mean NO.

I think online education is great. I have taken some courses and a certificate through online ed. I loved it and am all for it as a great tookl for adult learners who work and who wish to upgrade their credentials.

However, one must be aware that there are still places where online Ed is seen as inferior. That is usually the case with new things or relatively new ways of getting education.

As for my professional history, no way in hell I will provide any details on that in here. I did that in the past and it earned me a couple of stalkers along with some other crap.

You can therefore take that fact checking venture of yours and try it on someone else (no offense).

If to you that means I am lying, so be it, I can live with that.

[Swampfox10mm]

Patrick, you usually shoot pretty straight, I'll give you that.

Your comments aside, the anti-online-MA crowd on here always, and I mean ALWAYS talks a big talk. Every single time this topic comes up, certain mantras are repeated:

1. They are unable to produce verifiable names of worthwhile institutions (other than KAIST, which I had heard of 5 years ago, and may have changed since) that don't accept online degrees.

2. If there are any schools linked to, they are generally hagwons, or institutions in Saudi Arabia where you're stuck in a compound, or other places around the world where... you guessed it... the CELTA is associated with the school. (In ESL, the CELTA program competes for the same people/dollars as online MA programs, so they try to trash online education at every turn).

3. People with brick-and-mortar MA's who have sat on their degree, likely not even published, and gotten cushy jobs waving it at Korean schools for the past decade. Now that things have changed, they are extremely defensive about having to compete (often, these people have MA's in fields completely unrelated to ESL, and are feeling the heat). Best defense they can muster is attempt to downgrade online MA programs.

Again, no matter where you got your MA from, if you haven't published, the better schools aren't going to give a toot about hiring you. Period.

I would even argue that, these days, the better schools want -- and are getting -- Ph.D's in the better positions.

And someone made the comment that I got my univ job with a BA. Yes, that's true, and I have always been honest about my school NOT being very highly-ranked in Seoul. I will also mention that I was hired 7 years ago when things were a bit different. I'd also hope that the fact that I have had my contract renewed at this school so many times says something. The gravy train could end at any time -- I understand that -- but I'm here now, and I'm bettering myself. Is that some kind of mistake?

[Bruce W Sims]

I think some context may be worthwhile, Swamp, at least regarding my own degree.

In my case, I have a history of doing "all the right things". Seven years at University got me a BA, MA and Teacher's Certification. Later I added Couseling Licensure from the State of Illinois. In short, there should have been little or no reason not to have a decent shot at a stable career helping and teaching others, right? I guess somebody forgot to tell the Hiring Public.

White, Single, Vietnam Vet Male I quickly found out that in a country where a Recession occurred on the average of once a decade, it really didn't matter WHAT fancy wall-paper I had. Minority head-of-household females with children were shoo-ins for positions for which I was "over-qualified", "under-qualified", "too old", "too young", too much experience", "not enough experience" etc etc .

All of that said, any time someone now says to me that they are thinking of going after a degree I get real protective of that person. I ask if their sought-after degree is going to have a direct and positive result on their career. I'm not talking about a "scholastic Hail Mary pass" (IE. "This should further my chances at getting a good job") but a set of classes that produce a measureable increase in compensation--now.

I'm a pretty good observer of Life so I can report that just like any other Recession, all of the Institutions of Higher Learning are advertizing on TV about how their degree programs will enhance a career, or start a career, or advance a career. For me THAT is the BS you mentioned. Connections, public support, compassion and tolerance go a whole lot farther than the fancy paper. If somebody really wants you, no paper is needed and no paper will stop you. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Swampfox10mm]

I should also add that, from what I'm seeing, schools are interested in hiring foreigners who can communicate well enough in Korean. That's to my disadvantage, because my Korean is pretty bad. Now that my MA is finished, I'll have to get on that one.