Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oldtactics]

Times are tough everywhere, so most of the complaints are warranted, but also keep in mind that no one comes to messageboards to post about how much fun they're having. There are lots of us here in Korea who are loving the experience, don't worry. Good luck!

[melee]

Recruiters come and go...they will try to help you as much as they can but there are plenty of reasons why they will stop contacting you. I realized this first hand when recruiters would just stop emailing me if I dont get a job position etc.

I think they see it as a waste of time and move on. I check everyday also and being Asian-American doesnt exactly help either.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[sojusucks]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Basically it breaks down as such:

1- Lots of "entry-level" jobs for overseas applicants.

These jobs naturally focus on new grads and people with less experience. This goes double in the applicant saturated market that is currently the norm in Korean ESL.

So, if you apply in one of these employment streams and are older, more experienced, you are essentially making a poor choice and setting yourself up for placement delays or difficulties.

2- A fair amount of positions for people with limited experience

Typically these can be landed by experienced applicants from overseas but more likely by experienced applicants already IN Korea. Networking becomes important here.

3- Fewer or less accessible better positions

These are typically hard to get for overseas applicants unless they have contacts (that pesy networking requirement again) and hence referals. These jobs actually prefer hiring more experienced applicants and sometimes prefer applicants over 30.


For 1 and sometimes 2 recruiters can be effective.

For 3, recruiters are useless.

So bascially as an experienced applicant you need to network, make contacts or be willing to take a #2 level position and work your way up as you make contacts.

Serious experienced applicants will typically have no issues finding good jobs and often will get offers through referals.


Now other factors can slow down/kill your placement chances:

Over-estimating your worth on the market
Poor choices for application
Timing (knowing when specific places hire (ex: PS, Unis)
Overly restrictive requirements (ex: Gangnam ONLY)
Unrealistic demands in terms of pay or conditions that are not backed up by some sort of concrete leverage (ex: referenced experience, credentials)


To speed up your placement:

Be reasonable and aware of your worth on the market
Be informed (do your homework)

Things that boost your employability:

Referenced experience (in Korea or elsewhere)
Relevant certificates for those better positions where they are valued
Attitude
Flexibility


Soju described a univeral truth of employment and career development that holds true in Korea just like elsewhere: You will need to fight and work to get ahead or get things done.

As for why few teachers stay in Korea long term, there are many reasons, namely the aim of the natioonal ESL-EFL program (get foreign educators for specific duties), how they recruit teachers (extremely minimalist requirements in terms of qualifications and experience).

This creates a pool of teachers that all too often are not teachers but rather travelers who wish to experience life abroad. There is nothing wrong with that but for such people, when the harsh reality of teaching hits them full on, they choose something else...which is quite natural!

[FaceFaceFace]

[PatrickGHBusan]

No one is an unspuspecting job seeker unless they put themselves in that situation. It is normal for any job seeker to do his or her homework when job hunting and to consider any job offer they get carefully.

This unsuspecting line implies that these teachers or applicants are victims of predatory recruiters. In reality, it is up to each applicant to make informed choices.

Just sayin

[northway]

[DaHu]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Bruce W Sims]

Of course you are very right, Patrick. In fairness to the applicants who come here for information, though, I think you will agree that there is entirely too much conflicting information for an industry that has been going strong for well over 20 years.

I agree that there are opportunities for people who are on an "adventure" after graduating college and I do not disparage them. If the industry is set-up for "no experience" and "no need to speak a foreign language" and "requires no more than a Bachelor Degree", thats fine. However that does not say much for people such as myself who DO have experience and DO have a Graduate degree.

In the matter of "recruiters" I can safely report that I have not yet run into any worthy of the name. What I have crossed paths with are people who have job-listings with which I register. I am then notified that people who have their own job-listings have seen my listing and want me to register with THEIR listing. The result is a lot of "churning" (IE. activity without appreciable product).

Lastly are the varied reports that come from people who represent that they have been in-country for a number of years. Frankly, I find no consistency in these reports which is quickly becoming a red flag for me in this entire project. I think a reasonable person could expect that an industry that has been around for over 20 years ought begin to show some clear trends and stability and, unfortunately, I don't believe this is the case.

Here in the West we think so much of actions being consistent with words we have a special word for it: Integrity. From what I have been able to discern from this ESL-in-Korea project there seems very little Integrity save for those lucky few who have secured it despite the odds. Yes, I see the repeated claims that Korea is looking for English Teachers. I see this every time I check through the long lists of positions. What I DON'T see is such advertizing born-out with concurrent behaviors. IMHO.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[PatrickGHBusan]

[Jotun_Symph]

If you're seriously interested, do research about it, don't just jump into it. Most people who are bitter are duped by promises of exotic travel and amazing cultural experiences, then they get over here and are so pissed off everyday about their jobs that they have no energy to devote to anything besides complaining and bitching when they leave work. The culture is hard enough to get used to, and it's even harder to adjust to if you have a shitty job. Be sure to talk to teachers at the school and most importantly talk to your future boss and if they: don't make any small talk or polite introductions, are pushy, seem only concerned about when you can arrive, dodge important questions, or (most importantly in my book), don't laugh or have any friendliness in their voice, I wouldn't work for them.

[shifty]

As opposed to a previous poster, I believe this forum should be a main source. It can be justifiably seen as a microcosm of teachers in Korea, a sample, if you will.

But it is more than that, it is a cut above and more reliable than an other random sample. For simple reason that any teacher who goes the whole hog and registers on Daves must, on average, be more motivated and committed than the one who doesn't. Note, the operative phrase here being 'ON AVERAGE'.

If you limit yourself to particular individuals who have their own particular slant, you could arrive in a country that has absolutely no resemblance to the one you imagined from their outpourings.

Let's take a case in point: On this very forum right now, there is a thread 'Another of Korea's victims' which reached a satisfactory ending. The only reason why it did was that it was exposed to a large number of posters so that sanity could prevail.

There is a lot of information to be gleaned off Daves.

It is also something of a myth that complainers are more drawn to it. If they are, they can always be seen as such. People are not stupid.

As a previous poster says, Ttompatz is a marvel. But he couldn't be drawn out and allowed to do his magic without interaction and being part of a 'team'. There is mutual growth I dare say, even if most of it is a oneway street from Ttompatz to the run of mill Dave's poster.

[alistaircandlin]