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AtmaWeapon
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
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 Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:27 am Post subject: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea? |
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I've spent the past few weeks looking for jobs (from the US) and it seems like every attractive position I email a recruiter about they tell me they only want people who are already in Korea, and proceed to offer me positions I'm not interested in. I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better. It looks likely that I'll be taking a 100-hour offline TESOL course starting soon and ending in February, so at this point I'm considering just flying into Seoul with my bags packed in mid-February so I can start looking when I get there. I can just share a hotel with my K-gf for however long it takes to find something, hopefully not more than a month. The flight is much cheaper than I expected so I don't really think a school paying for my flight is all that big a plus anyway.
My plan is to book a round-trip to show proof of return for tourist visa; cancel trip back for refund once I find a job. Should I expect employers to sponsor my E2 visa as well as pay for the run?
And I'm still unclear about why you have to go to a different country to get the E2 visa...why can't it be done in Korea? |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:49 am Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
| And I'm still unclear about why you have to go to a different country to get the E2 visa...why can't it be done in Korea? |
Because it would make things more convenient. 
The debate between looking from home and looking in-country has very valid points on both sides. The biggest pro of being in-country is that you can pop in the day after the phone call potentially and check the place out - and many good jobs prefer in-person interviews. As long as you have all of your documents ready, it's also much easier to get the ball rolling.
That TESOL course will help you secure something better, but don't set your sights too high.
The only job that I took from home was my very first one. I just don't give a crap about plane tickets, have had my own place to stay for years, don't have the pressing need to go home that others have.
As for your fly-over-visa-run plan, yes, how you described it is basically how it works. Pretty much everywhere pays for the flight to Japan, but beyond that is up to the employer. My current employer paid for the motel as well, but none of the other jobs have. My memory is a bit rusty on the visa fees, I honestly think it's been 50/50.
If you've got the cash to get by for a few months, it's worth considering. The longest I've gone between jobs is 4 months, and I'm a bit selective, so yeah. |
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GoldMember
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:42 am Post subject: |
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So you've spent a lot of money to get an education, and now you are going to spend a lot of money to fly to another country in the hope of getting a low paid job, and then spending more money on accommodation, visa fees etc.
To recover what you'll be out of pocket will take how many months? Is it a good or bad idea? Seems fairly obvious. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:06 am Post subject: |
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Probably not the wisest idea for someone who doesn't understand the visa process (it would be asking for problems to bite him in the axx).
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detonate
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:49 am Post subject: |
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| Be prepared to go months before you find work... but hopefully it will take weeks! Make sure you get the employer to pay for a visa run if it is required. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:13 am Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
| I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better. |
It ain't 2006 anymore.
The recession has changed the market since you were last here I'm afraid.
If your a blonde blue-eyed american female under 30, or if you have helpful personal contacts you'll be fine.
But anything less and you'll very likely be looking at those dodgy bottom-of-the-barrel jobs nobody wants. And given the fact that hundreds of public school teachers are being laid off you should really be grateful if you get anything at all. |
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AtmaWeapon
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:23 pm Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
Probably not the wisest idea for someone who doesn't understand the visa process (it would be asking for problems to bite him in the axx).
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Uhh...what? I just wanted to clarify the process, and now that I know it what is the problem?
| GoldMember wrote: |
So you've spent a lot of money to get an education, and now you are going to spend a lot of money to fly to another country in the hope of getting a low paid job, and then spending more money on accommodation, visa fees etc.
To recover what you'll be out of pocket will take how many months? Is it a good or bad idea? Seems fairly obvious. |
If it means a year of suffering at a job I dislike because I couldn't check it out beforehand or a year of enjoying a better position then obviously it's worth it.
| Julius wrote: |
| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
| I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better. |
It ain't 2006 anymore.
The recession has changed the market since you were last here I'm afraid.
If your a blonde blue-eyed american female under 30, or if you have helpful personal contacts you'll be fine.
But anything less and you'll very likely be looking at those dodgy bottom-of-the-barrel jobs nobody wants. And given the fact that hundreds of public school teachers are being laid off you should really be grateful if you get anything at all. |
I don't think the job market is as bad as you seem to think it is. I've already been offered several positions; I just think I can get better if I'm in country.
Something else I forgot to ask - I've got my apostilled FBI background check and should be getting my apostilled degree in next week - are there any other important documents I need that I'm forgetting?
Last edited by AtmaWeapon on Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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BackRow
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:07 am Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
| I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better. |
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Shauneyz
Joined: 26 May 2008
Location: The land of Nod
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:33 am Post subject: |
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...would it really be that difficult to find a job in country?
I'm considering doing the same -- with experience and a certification, I'm not too keen on getting set up with another recruiter who wants to shuffle me off to the first crummy job he can find.
With that said, I thought it would actually be quite easy to find one if I was in the country. I imagine I could take a number of interviews a day (I'm getting just as many while in the states), and I'd be set up with something in a matter of a couple of weeks, no? As long as I've got all my documents, and I do, then I should be ready to rock.
I'd really appreciate some good feedback on this, as I'm considering hopping on a plane in about a month. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
| I've spent the past few weeks looking for jobs (from the US) and it seems like every attractive position I email a recruiter about they tell me they only want people who are already in Korea, and proceed to offer me positions I'm not interested in. I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better... |
There are people here with several years experience who have found nothing better than the above mentioned type of hakwon job.
Time served no longer means much here. It gives you more of an idea what jobs to look for but it really doesn't increase your chances of getting those jobs. People with Korean experience are a dime a dozen these days. Not to mention that many bosses prefer those without Korean experience (easier to get extras out of them).
That said I agree. It is not as bad as certain posters are making it out to be. But it IS already quite a bit tougher and seems to be getting only more competitive as time goes on. Not of course that I personally think this is a bad thing...just pointing out that time served (in and of itself) isn't going to really help your chances.
Simply put in other words. What quantifiable skills did you gain from that year of experience? Don't answer "teaching experience" as many bosses are aware "teaching experience" here runs the gamut from handing out crossword puzzles to the kids to actually teaching...there's no real yardstick for measuring that.
Last edited by TheUrbanMyth on Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Shauneyz wrote: |
...would it really be that difficult to find a job in country?
I'm considering doing the same -- with experience and a certification, I'm not too keen on getting set up with another recruiter who wants to shuffle me off to the first crummy job he can find.
With that said, I thought it would actually be quite easy to find one if I was in the country. I imagine I could take a number of interviews a day (I'm getting just as many while in the states), and I'd be set up with something in a matter of a couple of weeks, no? As long as I've got all my documents, and I do, then I should be ready to rock.
I'd really appreciate some good feedback on this, as I'm considering hopping on a plane in about a month. |
It should be easy to find a job in country. I can assure you though that unless you are lucky...finding a good job will be a lot harder. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:10 pm Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
| I've spent the past few weeks looking for jobs (from the US) and it seems like every attractive position I email a recruiter about they tell me they only want people who are already in Korea, and proceed to offer me positions I'm not interested in. I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better... |
There are people here with several years experience who have found nothing better than the above mentioned type of hakwon job.
Time served no longer means much here. It gives you more of an idea what jobs to look for but it really doesn't increase your chances of getting those jobs. People with Korean experience are a dime a dozen these days. Not to mention that many bosses prefer those without Korean experience (easier to get extras out of them).
That said I agree. It is not as bad as certain posters are making it out to be. But it IS already quite a bit tougher and seems to be getting only more competitive as time goes on. Not of course that I personally think this is a bad thing...just pointing out that time served (in and of itself) isn't going to really help your chances. |
I agree with you. Hagwon owners don't care if you have experience in South Korea. They want to make profit. Why would anyone pay the OP 2.4 million, when they can get so many foreigners who will take 2.2? Yes, there are jobs out there, but with the many public school jobs gone up North, it's problematic. It was so much easier to go to Korea years ago and look for a job in person. I think it might make more sense if someone has a master's degree and is looking for university jobs. I understand it's more common to go in person in Japan rather than Korea. The visa process is easier in Japan. I think for most old-timers the idea of flying in to Korea to look for jobs in 2012 doesn't seem to make sense. In 2006, it would have made sense and even in 2007.
It's good that he has his FBI check and will have his apostilles. It's not cheap to fly to Korea. If he wants to fly in, it's up to him. He could, in theory, find something. However, the visa process is complicated. I would imagine he'd have to fly back and get a visa from his home country. Then, he would have to pay for another plane ticket. It's true he will be reimbursed in most cases.
I wish the OP the best of luck. |
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Lunar Groove Gardener
Joined: 05 Jan 2005
Location: 1987 Subaru
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:34 pm Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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I agree with this:
There are people here with several years experience who have found nothing better than the above mentioned type of hakwon job.
. Hagwon owners don't care if you have experience in South Korea. They want to make profit. Why would anyone pay the OP 2.4 million, when they can get so many foreigners who will take 2.2?
It's good that he has his FBI check and will have his apostilles. It's not cheap to fly to Korea. If he wants to fly in, it's up to him. He could, in theory, find something. However, the visa process is complicated. I would imagine he'd have to fly back and get a visa from his home country. Then, he would have to pay for another plane ticket.]
For the extra 200,000 per month which you are doing a hail Mary to try and get, you are risking much more money (flight, cancellation, hotel, transportation, visa etc.). You may actually be forced to fly home and get your visa from there. Look at that very carefully. Realize too that visa procedure can be altered due to the officer that you speak with, the day of the week, and the weather forecast.
One other consideration is, are you trying to live only in Seoul? If so, you are significantly lowering your odds for attaining the "cherry" job. If you were willing to live anywhere, you might find greater employment choices.
It is tempting to bet, thinking you can interview well etc., and it could pay off, certainly. But measure that wager against the fact that you can, with due diligence, forgo all of the expense and risk, and get an excellent job at the exact same wage, before you fly over. Doesn't seem likely that you'll get a high paying job in any case, so why not play to your strengths: you have experience, apostilles, TEFL certification, and can do skype interviews until you meet a copacetic match etc. |
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isisaredead
Joined: 18 May 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: Flying to Seoul with no job prospects? Good or bad idea |
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| AtmaWeapon wrote: |
I've spent the past few weeks looking for jobs (from the US) and it seems like every attractive position I email a recruiter about they tell me they only want people who are already in Korea, and proceed to offer me positions I'm not interested in. I've got over a year experience in Korea so I'm not looking to do another basic hagwon stint making 2.2-2.3; looking for something better. It looks likely that I'll be taking a 100-hour offline TESOL course starting soon and ending in February, so at this point I'm considering just flying into Seoul with my bags packed in mid-February so I can start looking when I get there. I can just share a hotel with my K-gf for however long it takes to find something, hopefully not more than a month. The flight is much cheaper than I expected so I don't really think a school paying for my flight is all that big a plus anyway.
My plan is to book a round-trip to show proof of return for tourist visa; cancel trip back for refund once I find a job. Should I expect employers to sponsor my E2 visa as well as pay for the run?
And I'm still unclear about why you have to go to a different country to get the E2 visa...why can't it be done in Korea? |
LOL. Ever heard of Google? |
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kvacum
Joined: 21 Jan 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Agree with the last comment! |
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