Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cobradiner]

So after finding myself at a hagwon at the verge of bankruptcy for my first year and quitting during the 4th month, I seek to press my luck again to get Korea-living another year. I just got my CBC in the mail last week, so I'm looking to get the process started again very soon.

When I talk to recruiters, schools, and to the embassy, to who do I deny my experience of my first year school? Obviously, recruiters and schools do not want a teacher whose last boss has nothing but mean and hurtful things to list about him despite the large majority of the failing school being her fault. I don't know if they can do a quick background check of me and find out about my first E-2 visa trip. I would think the embassy definitely could prior to the interview. What do I say if confronted about the issue?

tl;dr: How do I approach my nightmare first year experience when applying to my second job here in Korea?

[SeoulNate]

As far as the embassy goes, you do not need a second interview, so that is a moot point.

If you can, I would find someone at the old school who will vouch for you, a co-teacher or some such would do the trick. You want to be able to have the school call someone so that you can use the experience to your benefit.

[cobradiner]

Really, the second interview is not required? Who issues the new E-2 Visa then???

It's been six months since I left, so I've all but lost contact with one of the foriegn teachers who would possibly vouch for me. Is it that important to get someone? Meaning I have no choice but to mention my year that I didn't complete?

[koreatimes]

It's only for first timers to Korea. If you go and come back, you can even do a visa run to another country while on a tourist visa. So, think of that as an option as well.

That would add an enormous amount of accounting if they had to interview teachers every time they re-applied, and the people in Korea would have to fly to their home country or another place (was it Guam? Hong Kong? I don't remember exactly) to get a second school.

[cobradiner]

alrighty that helps, but how do I go approach my first year? Do I lie and say this is my first year in Korea, or do I try to explain my first year to employers?

If prompted to explain, I'm not sure how to do so in a professional manner. In reality, she drove me batshit insane because it was the first week of the new school year (her school was on the verge of collapse). Our school transformed from a kindergarten to a play school, and I was not ready at all to teach 3 year olds. I have plenty of experience with student ages ranging from 6-14 but none with 3 year olds. I didn't have the slightest clue how to teach them, so I ran into a load of problems trying to control them or even getting them to sit down for more than 5 minutes. I survived only SEVEN days of this new year before I had a mental breakdown in front of my students after my boss chewed me out for not being able to manage the class on my own. I was given textbooks to teach them, and each time I brought them out the kids would make a run for it outside the classroom. I've been yelled at for students ripping worksheets behind my back while I'm helping others because all work HAS to be neat and presentable to parents. I wasn't allowed to create any new games to help teach the kids since the workbooks were priority #1. It got so bad at one point one day I was just filling in answers while I explained them.

Just thinking about it opens wounds I closed when I left Korea, but hopefully middle school will be much better.

[koreatimes]

[Skill]

[cobradiner]