Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Wacko Quacko]

This is my 3rd year teaching in a middle public school. There is so much talk about job cuts flying around these days so I'm thinking about jumping to the university system. I have an MA and teaching certificate and will have 3 years experience at the end of this year. Anyone have any idea where to start looking?

[ren546]

Try outside of Seoul. What's your MA in? What kind of teaching certificate? Are you teaching high-school students?

The job market is over-saturated right now, so even the lower-end universities can be (and are) picky. Still, having an MA and experience definitely helps. Good luck!

[Wacko Quacko]

Thanks for the feedback. My MA is in English Lit and the education degree qualifies me to teach elementary in Canada. I teach middle school. Can you recommend and universities outside the city that may be hiring? I'm definitely not opposed to rural life.

[Malislamusrex]

read your pm, I'm not going to recommend you but there hiring at the moment. You should get in at instructor level.

[Kwangjuchicken]

Oh the good old days when you could find a nice job in a day or less (average time was about 3 days).

[Carbon]

Your qualifications will probably get you an interview pretty much anywhere.

As for only "outside Seoul", that just isn't true. You could get something in Seoul provided again, you have a good portfolio, interview and teaching demo and are on top of where and when to apply.

There are a wealth of qualified people out there right now, and most of the big universities are looking for graduate credentials only. This requisite makes a smaller pool to draw from, but doesn't necessarily mean more competition within that pool, if you know what I mean.

With your credentials the question you should (and will) be asked is why you went the PS route for so long. From an interviewer's point of view, this looks odd. If you want it, get on it. The longer you wait, the stranger it seems. In the meantime, move away from teaching kids at least; this isn't viewed very highly and doesn't make for strong 'experience', which is important.

[Malislamusrex]

Not really MA and 1 year is minimum.

But I agree with what you are saying about minimum qualifications at university especially in English courses. Everyone gets a MA in TESOL and no one gets a MA in design, if they did they could get a lecturer / professor job instead of instructor.

[Carbon]

[zappadelta]

[ren546]

[Carbon]

[Malislamusrex]

I had a job offer from a uni, I was their guy and everything was going through as planned, then from nowhere..... administration said without a document proving prior experience and living in Korea for one year they couldn't do a E1 visa application.

But this just might be because it was one of the better universities and they didn't want a guy there with no prior uni experience, I don't know but they seemed pretty sure.

[ttompatz]

[waseige1]

My grandfather had a great saying.....

There is something to always remember about other people's advice.
.
.
.
That is exactly what it is "advice".

I am just finishing three years in a public middle school. I am over 50. I do have a masters in a completely unrelated field. I also got my Celta last year.

I decided to start looking for a uni job. I did not have referrals inside any uni. I simply answered ads from Dave's and other places.

I got 12 interviews. I got 4 offers (one of them in Seoul).

All the advice said... I am too old. The competition is too hot. Yada, yada, yada.....

I was very pleased how marketable I turned out to be.

I have another friend that has a BA degree, a generic TESOL cert (not online) and three years experience in Korea public schools. He is 56. He found a uni job this year too (IN SEOUL). He knew no one at the uni ahead of the interview.

Everyone is looking for the "key" to get into universities. I don't think there is one. Start your search and see where it goes.

[Carbon]