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Halcyon Chimera
Joined: 01 May 2011
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 9:08 am Post subject: Denied position because of military background...?? |
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I was recently denied a position with a school due to my military experience. Is that a common practice in South Korea? Should I leave my military background out of my resume? It comes as quite a shock to me that I was be DENIED a position because of this... Usually military experience is looked favorably upon.
Anyone else have any experience with this form of discrimination? Is it wide-spread in South Korea? |
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actionjackson
Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Location: Any place I'm at
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:14 am Post subject: |
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It may have just been that one place. Every Korean I've ever talked (adults and students) to about my military experience has been fascinated that I was ever in and often ask a lot of questions about what it was like. I put it on my resume and still get plenty of job offers. That's my experience anyway. |
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morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Location: Gyeonggi-do
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:27 am Post subject: |
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Why put military experience on your CV for a teaching job? Tailor your CV to the position! Unless your position in the military involved teaching (or the teaching job you're after is military related) then it's not very relevant experience IMO. |
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lithium

Joined: 18 Jun 2008
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:58 am Post subject: |
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morrisonhotel wrote: |
Why put military experience on your CV for a teaching job? Tailor your CV to the position! Unless your position in the military involved teaching (or the teaching job you're after is military related) then it's not very relevant experience IMO. |
You obviously never served in the military. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:59 am Post subject: |
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morrisonhotel wrote: |
Why put military experience on your CV for a teaching job? Tailor your CV to the position! Unless your position in the military involved teaching (or the teaching job you're after is military related) then it's not very relevant experience IMO. |
Thats ok unless the OP was in the military for a long period of time. If that is the case what the heck will he put on his CV for the time period he was in the military? Meditating on life matters?  |
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morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Location: Gyeonggi-do
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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lithium wrote: |
You obviously never served in the military. |
Doesn't matter what one's work experience is. Applying for teaching jobs is the same as any other job. You tailor your CV to the position you're applying for. If you don't, then you can hardly expect to be considered for a position. A quick search back shows the OP is teaching in a public school back home. There appears no reason to have military experience on his/her CV if they are a qualified teacher and/or have teaching experience.
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Thats ok unless the OP was in the military for a long period of time. If that is the case what the heck will he put on his CV for the time period he was in the military? Meditating on life matters? Laughing |
Edited: it seems that the OP is teaching back home. My previous post stands as it is. Besides, even if that was the case, the point still stands. You have to tailor your CV even if that means writing it in a slightly different format (skills based, etc., etc.) |
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Halcyon Chimera
Joined: 01 May 2011
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I was in for eight years and finished my contract in 2010, so I figure they would like to be made aware of what was going on for an eight year period. Also, I feel the skills we learned in the military can be used in any field (skills such as communication, team work, time management, etc.), so I do feel that military experience should be included.
Anyways, I figured any employer would want the skills found in prior-military personnel (dedication, attention to details, commitment to excellence, etc.) |
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matty022
Joined: 05 Mar 2012
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:08 pm Post subject: |
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I have my military experience on my resume and I also mention it in the introduction video that some of the recruiters like nowadays. I was unsure how favorably this was looked upon by schools in Korea, but included it anyway. Any employer wants their employee to have discipline, attention to detail, respect, integrity, etc. These are all things you learn in the military (whether or not you retain them is another issue entirely).
Note however, that my military experience is 1 line in a list of bullet points at the end of my resume and is not listed in my "Work Experience" section. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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Don't forget that some places, notably government entities in the US, provide veteran's preferences. Leaving out military service in that case isn't advisable. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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morrisson, the OP cannot leave an 8 year hole on his resume.....that will be a red flag for any employer. |
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morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009 Location: Gyeonggi-do
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
morrisson, the OP cannot leave an 8 year hole on his resume.....that will be a red flag for any employer. |
Which is why when I said CVs have to be tailored that rewriting in a different format is a possibility. There is, after all, more than one way to write a CV. Even then, the OP has teaching experience so it should be relatively easy to write a normal chronological CV with teaching experience as the focus and any other work experience as a minor foot-note. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 5:23 am Post subject: |
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I agree on CV tailoring but the military experience will have to be included, especially if it is fairly recent.
By the way, that in no way should be a disadvantage for employability. |
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Mr Lee's Monkey
Joined: 24 Oct 2007
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a vet - thanks for your service - some places have noticed or mentioned it during my 5 years here at hagwons - most have not.
To say that military service should not be a disadvantage for employability is not unlike saying color, style, shape, age, gender, etc. should not be a disadvantage. The operative word is should. Applying authoritarian western sensibility, especially in the form of "should", doesn't fit the situation simply because someone assumes it 'should'. The level and extent of subjectivity associated with hagwon hiring practices here is a head scratcher at best, and varies wildly from a western perspective.
There is a sub sector of foreign teachers here - those who work with the Korean army, navy, air force, and marines - I once applied to work with the Korean navy and they really liked my prior service. Might be something to look into - I've recently seen 3 or 4 ads that were military specific.
Regardless, a solid work history is just that - military or otherwise. Best of Luck! |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:28 am Post subject: |
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Good post Lee. |
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PRagic

Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like an isolated instance. I'm a vet and had my military service on my CV when I first looked for jobs over here. Didn't have a problem then and haven't since.
The perspective here is different, largely because the majority of Korean vets were serving mandatory 2 year service terms; promotions based on time in service and little correlation between actual skills and MOS.
I agree with another poster that you don't want to leave an 8 year gaping hole in your CV. What you can do is simply put the dates, 'Active Military Service', and 'Honorably Discharged' under that (in whatever order). If you had an MOS title that easily translates for those unfamiliar with military service, definitely put that in there (e.g. Communications Specialist; Intelligence Analyst; Financial Administrator, etc...). Then add a brief job description. Koreans with no experience might be turned of by 'Artillery, Combat Engineer, or Infantry). Like everything else here, there is a percieved hierarchy, and those don't rank at the 'top' in their book.
Thanks for your service. We all hope you get a good in here and make a good go of it. |
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