Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ballerina2012]

Hi all,

Is there a specific site to apply for uni jobs? I looked into two that were sent to me, but not much there. I have a Master degree and am looking to go in August or Sept. I am also interested in international schools, but those are tough to get into!
TY, Ballerina

[tardisrider]

Unfortunately, you may have a difficult time finding a university position for two reasons:

1. Timing is everything. Unlike hagwons, unis rarely have openings throughout the year; their need for positions coincides with the academic year and the start of semesters. Now isn't the best time. The process may vary from uni to uni, but generally they will want to fill positions for the fall semester (August, ish) before the start of the summer break. You'll find uni positions advertised more frequently in May than in March.

2. Your post suggests that you are not in Korea now. I don't know if you have previous experience in Korea, but many unis like to hire people who are in the country and/or have experience in the country. This may be for many reasons, but at least part of it is that they want to be able to interview people face-to-face, they want to watch teaching demonstrations (in person is better than on video), and there's the hope that people already in Korea will struggle less and have fewer needs dealing with culture shock or generally getting settled in. In many cases, particularly in smaller towns outside of Seoul (such as Cheonan or Kwangju, for example) teachers with only Bachelor's degrees--but in-country experience with public schools or hagwons--are preferable to a person with higher qualifications but no experience in Korea.

Neither is absolute, but they are generally true. I'm not trying to discourage you, but you should know that it's not the easiest or most common thing to do. I do not know of any web sites that specifically target EFL jobs in Korean universities; if any do exist--at least, any large and reputable ones, I'd be surprised.

Good luck!

[Ballerina2012]

Thank you for the info. I am okay with PS , just thought I'd investigate.. Thanks again.

[PatrickGHBusan]

tardisrider is right ballerina.

Your timing is bad (hiring season for Universities is Nov-Jan) and your location (not in Korea) is a severe disadvantage when applying for University jobs.

For PS positions, your timing is pretty good (EPIK for example).

For International Schools you may be too late but check the sites for these schools individually as they post vacancies there.

For a University position, your best bet would be to take a PS or Int School job that starts in September, finish your contract and then apply from inside Korea for the University positions.

That will mean a hole in employment from sept - March which is not great.

Another route could be to apply with a Hakwon for a January start (Jan 2013) or to simply wait, fly to Korea on your own in the late fall and apply for Universities.