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LAtoSeoul
Joined: 06 Sep 2011
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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:16 am Post subject: SMOE and GPA |
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| I have a question. I was talking to a recruiter and he said that SMOE office said that they will not be accepting applicants that have below a 3.0 GPA. Now another recruiter, who is based in korea, said that he had not heard anything. I was wondering if anyone else's recruiter have said anything about GPA and SMOE |
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toby99
Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Location: Dong-Incheon-by-the-sea, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 9:51 am Post subject: |
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| Pretty sure all you need is a pulse, BA, and citizenship in one of the required countries (US, UK, Australia, etc). |
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bbud656
Joined: 15 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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| I wouldnt sweat it. He probably just wants to push you to some crap hagwon job he cant get rid of. When dealing with recruiters, pretend you are buying a used car and act accordingly. |
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LAtoSeoul
Joined: 06 Sep 2011
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, I dropped him really fast. He said it was coming from the SMOE office. I smell a lie |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| As much as no one wants to see it, the requirements for employment are in the process of increasing/changing during the current market contraction like how it's increasingly been for about 10 years in the US. |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
| As much as no one wants to see it, the requirements for employment are in the process of increasing/changing during the current market contraction like how it's increasingly been for about 10 years in the US. |
Yup. Get ready to jump through even more hoops.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did raise the requirements to include GPA. "Let's see, you got a B in Art History. That's minus 200,000 won a month. Oh! and a B- in Linguistics! So sorry, we can't offer you free housing now. Now please sign contract and send tomorrow or we hire next pretty face!"
They've been upping their requirements while lowering benefits and salary to the point where soon a PHD with 10 years teaching experience can expect to start at 1.8 and no housing. Ok it's not like that yet but there's always next year...
The question the schools seem to be asking themselves is : "How much can we take away and still have people come to Korea?"
Advice: Don't settle on jobs/conditions unless you absolutely have to. Something better usually comes around eventually. Be patient. |
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kimdeal54
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm with SMOE, and I saw an announcement about this a few months ago. It was on one of the Facebook groups and was written by a co-ordinator. I remember because I had to convert my Irish grades into their GPA equivalent. Can't find the post now though... sorry, but I'm pretty sure this actually is an official requirement. |
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Ribena
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| kimdeal54 wrote: |
| I'm with SMOE, and I saw an announcement about this a few months ago. It was on one of the Facebook groups and was written by a co-ordinator. I remember because I had to convert my Irish grades into their GPA equivalent. Can't find the post now though... sorry, but I'm pretty sure this actually is an official requirement. |
Higher GPA requirments isn't good news especially if you are from a British uni because EPIK ask you to give percentage scores. Now UK universities usually give lower percentage scores than American uni's on average, doesn't make us look too appealing.
Still that's life and when has life even been fair. North American are prefered anyway so its to be expected. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Mix1 wrote: |
| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
| As much as no one wants to see it, the requirements for employment are in the process of increasing/changing during the current market contraction like how it's increasingly been for about 10 years in the US. |
Yup. Get ready to jump through even more hoops.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did raise the requirements to include GPA. "Let's see, you got a B in Art History. That's minus 200,000 won a month. Oh! and a B- in Linguistics! So sorry, we can't offer you free housing now. Now please sign contract and send tomorrow or we hire next pretty face!"
They've been upping their requirements while lowering benefits and salary to the point where soon a PHD with 10 years teaching experience can expect to start at 1.8 and no housing. Ok it's not like that yet but there's always next year...
The question the schools seem to be asking themselves is : "How much can we take away and still have people come to Korea?"
Advice: Don't settle on jobs/conditions unless you absolutely have to. Something better usually comes around eventually. Be patient. |
It's the economy (recession), stupid. Koreans are doing these things because they can. But if they were smart, they wouldn't push too hard. Because waygooks will remember this when the pendulum flips back after this recession eventually ends. Us waygooks will be more inclined to be really demanding when the Koreans go back to having shortages of teachers again. Most of the people coming here are escaping the recession. Just keep your head low, have patience, and wait for things to flip back. Payback will be a bitch.
2013 -->
Me: Oh you want to hire me? You're desperate and can't find anyone? Ok, I want 3.2 million won a month and a luxurious apartment. What? You can't afford that? But don't you have a nice BMW? No payee, no foreignee teachee!! Take or leave it. I'll go work with your competitor then and help put you out of business. Oh, well, now the offer has gone up to 3.4 million. Where do I sign? Great. Pleasure doing business with you, good sir.
Ah yes, payback will be a bitch! Just bide your time.... |
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No_hite_pls
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Location: Don't hate me because I'm right
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Mix1 wrote: |
| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
| As much as no one wants to see it, the requirements for employment are in the process of increasing/changing during the current market contraction like how it's increasingly been for about 10 years in the US. |
Yup. Get ready to jump through even more hoops.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did raise the requirements to include GPA. "Let's see, you got a B in Art History. That's minus 200,000 won a month. Oh! and a B- in Linguistics! So sorry, we can't offer you free housing now. Now please sign contract and send tomorrow or we hire next pretty face!"
They've been upping their requirements while lowering benefits and salary to the point where soon a PHD with 10 years teaching experience can expect to start at 1.8 and no housing. Ok it's not like that yet but there's always next year...
The question the schools seem to be asking themselves is : "How much can we take away and still have people come to Korea?"
Advice: Don't settle on jobs/conditions unless you absolutely have to. Something better usually comes around eventually. Be patient. |
It's the economy (recession), stupid. Koreans are doing these things because they can. But if they were smart, they wouldn't push too hard. Because waygooks will remember this when the pendulum flips back after this recession eventually ends. Us waygooks will be more inclined to be really demanding when the Koreans go back to having shortages of teachers again. Most of the people coming here are escaping the recession. Just keep your head low, have patience, and wait for things to flip back. Payback will be a bitch.
2013 -->
Me: Oh you want to hire me? You're desperate and can't find anyone? Ok, I want 3.2 million won a month and a luxurious apartment. What? You can't afford that? But don't you have a nice BMW? No payee, no foreignee teachee!! Take or leave it. I'll go work with your competitor then and help put you out of business. Oh, well, now the offer has gone up to 3.4 million. Where do I sign? Great. Pleasure doing business with you, good sir.
Ah yes, payback will be a bitch! Just bide your time.... |
In your sweet dreams buddy. South Korea has one of lowest birthrates in the world and it's especially low in Seoul. There will be only be a few rich children to teach in the near future. I am sorry but the heyday for Korean ESL is over. |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Mix1 wrote: |
| AsiaESLbound wrote: |
| As much as no one wants to see it, the requirements for employment are in the process of increasing/changing during the current market contraction like how it's increasingly been for about 10 years in the US. |
Yup. Get ready to jump through even more hoops.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did raise the requirements to include GPA. "Let's see, you got a B in Art History. That's minus 200,000 won a month. Oh! and a B- in Linguistics! So sorry, we can't offer you free housing now. Now please sign contract and send tomorrow or we hire next pretty face!"
They've been upping their requirements while lowering benefits and salary to the point where soon a PHD with 10 years teaching experience can expect to start at 1.8 and no housing. Ok it's not like that yet but there's always next year...
The question the schools seem to be asking themselves is : "How much can we take away and still have people come to Korea?"
Advice: Don't settle on jobs/conditions unless you absolutely have to. Something better usually comes around eventually. Be patient. |
It's the economy (recession), stupid. Koreans are doing these things because they can. |
Absolutely. They can because people keep jumping at the low offers, which lowers all offers, yet there is no sign of the pool of applicants reducing any time soon OR the economy magically rebounding any time soon, so it's a double whammy of a downward spiral. Still, people should at least try not to take the low ball offers at the end of the scale. Even if one is in a dire economic situation, realize that they are shooting out low ball offers and that you can do better by not taking them.
Remember that Seinfeld episode where the company was going to offer Kramer free coffee for life and $50,000? They said: "We are prepared to offer you free coffee for life ..." "I'll take it!" yells Kramer. That's what they are hoping we'll do. They've got budget to pay, they are just reallocating it to different places (themselves). |
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jamasian
Joined: 01 May 2011
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:32 pm Post subject: EPIK |
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I'm filling out the EPIK form right now and it asks for a GPA. Unless your scores are really bad I would just put it on there.  |
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Deranged Ranger
Joined: 13 Sep 2011
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| Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:50 pm Post subject: Re: EPIK |
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| jamasian wrote: |
| I'm filling out the EPIK form right now and it asks for a GPA. Unless your scores are really bad I would just put it on there. |
Considering they ask for official sealed Transcripts:
A) asking the question is redunadant
B) Failing to put it on the application or lying about it would be stupid
I have no word if this is offical, like most things with SMOE they dont make this information clear, and if you ask SMOE ( jon Pak) directly they (he) usually say(s) " ask your recruiter" instead of simply answering 
Jon Pak is incapable of saying "yes" or "no" to a query he can clear up for you in 2 seconds if he thinks he shouldn't be asked the question in the first place. |
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Foster
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:29 am Post subject: |
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Although it's a rough estimate, the careers section of Oxford Uni converts British degrees to GPA thusly: 3.5 GPA as a decent 2:1. So if you scraped a 2:1 or got 58/59 as a previous poster mentioned I think that would be about 3.0. So it still passes the SMOE regulations...
Info found: careers.ox.ac.uk |
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katbrady
Joined: 11 Sep 2011
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:48 am Post subject: |
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| I don't understand the big upset over the higher standards. All they are asking for with the 3.0 and TEFL certificate are people who did okay in school and who will have some sort of a clue what they'll be getting into with teaching. Those aren't high standards. It seems what should be the norm. Before maybe Korea wasnt getting as many applicants so they couldn't even ask for the norm. Now more people want to come and they can up their standards to what they should be. Anyway, teaching ESL shouldn't be a way out of home- it should be what you want to do. |
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