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kardisa
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Location: Masan
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 Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| Lady_Firefly wrote: |
My fiance and I have been working with some pretty wonderful recruiters actually, here's a list of the ones I thought were decent:
1. Top pick- Eunice Kim w/ Star Teachers (www.starteachers.net) she has been AMAZING. very helpful, communicative, and the most real out of all the recruiters we spoke to (a lot). We were very sad to turn down positions with her, but the locations just weren't as good as other offers.
2. Christina with ATC- Found us couples jobs with Busan public schools, very responsive. pushed us for public in the first phone call though, even though we wanted a hagwon. Didn't go with the offer in the end because I'm too broke to pay my airfare out. 
3. Pamela Ji with VOU Agency- she is the one we actually signed with. Got us a couple's position in Hanam. She spent HOURS (perhaps days) revising the contract to meet all of our specifications, and was very very helpful.
4. Paul with TEIK- very real and honest. Most of TEIK's positions were rural public schools right now though. And they want you to buy into their visa processing program.
5. David with KorJobs- interviews with Avalon schools- based out of canada. Very responsive and friendly.
Hope this helps those of you still looking for a decent recruiter. We contacted tons of them, but these were the best I think. |
(note, this is a repost and direct copy/paste from another thread. I feel obligated to forewarn future browsers of these threads for archive's sake.)
Have to interject here even though this post is months old (in the event that someone else is misled like I was.
I also used Pamela Ji at the recommendation of this thread.
She tried to force me into accepting a position where the school threatened to sue me for not accepting, and wouldn't allow me to communicate with the current english teacher.
My boyfriend took a job through her and insisted she was wonderful and cooperative. She held his second criminal background check hostage for 6 months (until it expired) then stopped contacting him entirely.
From the first month of his employment, he complained to her and her boss about not getting pension, healthcare, or employee tax rate as promised in his contract. His school finally gave him these things after FIVE MONTHS and no contact with the recruiting agency only to find out he is being fired for demanding the school honor his contract.
The boss made repeated lies about Pamela being diabetic and going to the hospital over "mosquito bite" and ridiculous shit.
Just today he tried to call her boss repeatedly and he just hangs up the phone. He has done nothing wrong but they are trying to get another recruiting fee out of the current school.
This school has been STEALING 3,000,000W from its foreign teachers for the past FOUR years, and only because my boyfriend called them out on it by confirming he had no account with pension, health insurance offices (and coincidently that the school was committing tax fraud by underreporting his salary and pocketing the difference) is he being "replaced."
Under no circumstances should you ever have any dealings with this woman. She is venomous and only out for money, and pretty much the epitome of the stereotypical recruiter you want to stay away from.
I can't speak for you, but she's 2/2 in pressing absolutely horrible jobs to people I know (myself included). |
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kardisa
Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Location: Masan
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| Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:08 am Post subject: |
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double post
Last edited by kardisa on Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:43 am; edited 1 time in total |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 5:34 am Post subject: |
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I had good luck with M & J recruiters. I think they only do jobs in the Busan area and the South coastal areas.
When I first contacted them, I still needed to get a CRC and then get it approved (or whatever you call it) by the Canadian consolate.
I had trouble because the consolate had my letter sitting on their desk for 2 weeks and did nothing.
But Mary was very patient and kept working with me until everything was finalized.
I don't know if everyone's experience with Mary and James was as good as mine, but my own was excellent. I can't recommend them enough.
Cheers
One caveat I should mention, I was applying for PS jobs, so maybe that's why I was satisfied with M&J.
Hagwons are a totally different kettle of fish and even the best recruiter can't fix what's wrong with most of them. |
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yellowdove
Joined: 19 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| I used Dylan at DFL, and he set me and my husband up with a job that was perfect for what we wanted. My friend from back home used him recently and got placed at the best job in the best location that suited him. Dylan has a knack for listening to what you want, and finding a job that fits you. And if you have any problems at all, he totally supports you and helps out as much as possible. He is extremely quick to respond to emails and questions. His email is [email protected]. |
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hank25000
Joined: 21 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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Korvia only recruits for public schools through EPIK, SMOE and so on, but my dealings with Joyce were very amicable.
Footprints is what I am using at the moment and they seem alright - Joseph and Luna in particular. They have an office in Vancouver, Canada as well as Daegu, ROK.
Do be very warey of random recruiters. They are just out to make a quick buck. I used one in 2005 and got nicely burned.
Ask to speak to the hagwon's present foreign teachers and if you are told that that is not allowed / acceptable or what have you then you know not to use them. |
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Bruce W Sims
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Illinois; USA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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I am also wondering what impact the recent GEPIK cut-back has had on the role of the recruiter in the job-market. If the number is to be believed, the cut-back has dumped about 2000 individuals on the market. That means that there are about 2000 experienced people IN-COUNTRY who are available for employment. That certainly lessens the need to recruit from overseas. Based on that I have adjusted my own employment strategy for employment in Korea. Tied to the idea that not all employers are looking for "teachers", per se, my guess is that those not in-country need to take a number and stand-by. FWIW.
Best Wishes,
Bruce |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| Recommend Recruiter? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..... |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 8:49 am Post subject: |
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Actually, let me revise that comment. No Korean recruiters, unless they are large professional ones like Footprints or Korvia. Only use recruiters who are westerners. Many of the Korean ones are devils. They'll act sweet but feed you a Satan Sandwich in the end!!
Maybe Ttompatz can confirm this advice??
(Took that sandwich comment from a US politician. Ain't it just the wackiest?? Ha ha.) |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:14 am Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
Actually, let me revise that comment. No Korean recruiters, unless they are large professional ones like Footprints or Korvia. Only use recruiters who are westerners. Many of the Korean ones are devils. They'll act sweet but feed you a Satan Sandwich in the end!!
Maybe Ttompatz can confirm this advice??
(Took that sandwich comment from a US politician. Ain't it just the wackiest?? Ha ha.) |
Pick larger recruitment agencies...I agree with that.
Lots of excellent Korean and Western recruiters out there as well. |
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FastForward
Joined: 04 Jul 2011
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 2:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Bruce W Sims wrote: |
I am also wondering what impact the recent GEPIK cut-back has had on the role of the recruiter in the job-market. If the number is to be believed, the cut-back has dumped about 2000 individuals on the market. That means that there are about 2000 experienced people IN-COUNTRY who are available for employment. That certainly lessens the need to recruit from overseas. Based on that I have adjusted my own employment strategy for employment in Korea. Tied to the idea that not all employers are looking for "teachers", per se, my guess is that those not in-country need to take a number and stand-by. FWIW.
Best Wishes,
Bruce |
I'm going to assume that the hagwons enrollment numbers will go up as well and could cause more jobs since the class sizes are smaller. |
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emmajuno
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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DO NOT use Kevin Ralph from Tiger English.
He will lie through his teeth and pressure you like crazy to take something you have said you don't want.
Flying Cows took forever to get back to me but did find me a job in my target area and were very nice when I informed them that I had a job already. If I was going to go for another recruiter, I'd choose them. |
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itiswhatitis
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:41 am Post subject: |
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Whichever recruiter that you use, make sure that you use your judgement and common sense.
The great majority of recruiters in Korea are very helpful and honest. It seems to me that there may have been a time where there were more bad recruiters who wanted to make a quick buck, but now that ESL has been around in Korea for a while the bad recruiters have largely been routed out.
I've been in Korea since 2007 and I've worked at 2 hagwons and 1 public school. From my experience, the BIGGEST LIE is that public school jobs are better PUBLIC SCHOOL JOBS ARE NOT BETTER, HAGWONS ARE MUCH BETTER. After completing my first year at a hagwon I took a public school job. I was so glad when the year contract was over at the public school. Since then I've worked at the same hagwon for 2 years. My job is not a dream job, but it is a million times better than my public school job. From my experience, the great majority of foreign teachers in hagwons are happy while the great majority in public schools are not.
If you do go for a public school job, make sure that it is NOT IN SEOUL. From my experience, the public schools are much more relaxed outside of Seoul. But a hagwon job is still by far your best bet. If you hear anything bad about a hagwon, it was probably from someone who worked at a hagwon in Korea 10-15 years ago when the ESL business in Korea was in its infancy. |
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emmajuno
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:52 am Post subject: |
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| I work in a hagwon now and it sucks serious balls. |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
I've been in Korea since 2007 and I've worked at 2 hagwons and 1 public school. From my experience, the BIGGEST LIE is that public school jobs are better PUBLIC SCHOOL JOBS ARE NOT BETTER, HAGWONS ARE MUCH BETTER. After completing my first year at a hagwon I took a public school job. I was so glad when the year contract was over at the public school. Since then I've worked at the same hagwon for 2 years. My job is not a dream job, but it is a million times better than my public school job. From my experience, the great majority of foreign teachers in hagwons are happy while the great majority in public schools are not.
If you do go for a public school job, make sure that it is NOT IN SEOUL. From my experience, the public schools are much more relaxed outside of Seoul. But a hagwon job is still by far your best bet. If you hear anything bad about a hagwon, it was probably from someone who worked at a hagwon in Korea 10-15 years ago when the ESL business in Korea was in its infancy. |
I am extremely impressed by the number of words used here to say absolutely nothing of value. Such as, for example, WHY hagwons are supposedly better [CDI and Wonderland included?], or WHAT specifically is wrong with PS in the poster's experience.
| Quote: |
| The great majority of recruiters in Korea are very helpful and honest. |
That must be a nice alternative Korea you're living in. Is the food good too? |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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Recruiters and agencies are worthless and quite frankly unqualified to place teachers at any school. They don't give a **** about placing qualified, experienced teachers. All they care about is the benjamins. I don't blame them either. It's the system that is flawed. Do public school systems in the U.S. or Europe use third-party agencies (which, by the way aren't regulated in any fashion nor are they forced to comply to hiring standards suitable for teachers) to hire their teaching staff? Absolutely not. As long as you are breathing, appear to be caucasian, blue eyes, and look like the typical American reject, those are the only standards "agencies" adhere to.
The fact that they are making thousands of dollars placing complete numbskulls into public and private schools alike into classrooms with children and students is mind-boggling. Ever since attending orientation and seeing the colorful bunch who claim to be 'teachers' hired by these scam agencies is infuriating not because they have jobs, but because they are teaching children and have the potential to make a huge impact on their students. There's a difference between hiring someone who is qualified and someone who 'appears' to be an English speaker. The line is becoming increasingly blurred with a flood of applicants coming to Korea and it's quite discerning the to education system here. |
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