Korean Job Discussion Forums

Kratos567 · Joined: 13 Apr 2012

Hello everyone, quick question I wonder if any of you can advise me on.

Basically I'm 23 years old, about to finish a masters degree in international relations and I have for several reasons 'missed the boat' on getting a graduate job I really want this september. Therefore, I'm thinking I'd be much better off applying to all the schemes etc that are now closed when they open again later this year to start in 2013. My problem is this - whilst I can think of no better way to spend that year until I start work here in London teaching abroad (especially looking at S Korea now), my major concern is how I would possibly be available for interviews etc back in the UK whilst I was abroad. I know you don't get many holidays, and I couldn't do it over weekends, and of course there's the added issue of the cost of flights back and forth when I'm trying to save money. Do you have any idea what I should do or what I can do, or have any of you had this problem when in S Korea because I would love to go teach there for a year but I'm unfortunately not at liberty to be unavailable for interviews to secure a job for when I get back. Any advice/help much appreciated !

Many thanks

tardisrider · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

You're right that you won't have many, if any, opportunities to go home for interviews.

Some people start sending out letters of interest and/or applications for jobs a month or two before leaving Korea--doing that may allow you to have some interviews scheduled for when you get home. About the only thing you could do from Korea would be phone/skype interviews. Plenty of jobs may interview you that way, but few would be willing to make an offer without an in-person interview. You could always quit your job if you wanted to go home for an interview, but quitting one job just for the possibility of another one would be a gamble, and you should work a reasonable notice (assuming you're not in an abusive hagwon hell type situation).

Kratos567 · Joined: 13 Apr 2012

Thanks for your response.

Don't get me wrong, I know I wouldn't be able to jet off back to England every other week for interviews, I'm merely wondering if there would at least be some windows of opportunities for me to go back for a couple of individual weeks. I couldn't wait until my last few months to start applying for jobs because then all the start dates for the jobs I would apply for would be the following march/september 2014 and I'd be back in the same boat as I will be this september.

Could you/anyone tell me when the school/national holidays are and how long they are for? Perhaps I could organise any interviews for then. Also, I have heard from a few friends abroad in China and elsewhere that they were allowed to leave work for a few days to come back for an interview after seeking permission/giving notice - is that not a possibility at certain places??

Thanks again to anyone who responds !

tardisrider · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Stay home or go to work in Spain.

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Kimchifart · Joined: 15 Sep 2010

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:44 am Post subject:

Considering what you want and need, teaching in Korea would be a bad choice. You will not be able to go home much.

If however you wish to work as a teacher for a few years (say 1 to 3 years), gain experience and save while clearling debts then Korea is a decent option.

Modernist · Joined: 23 Mar 2011 Location: The 90s

Got to agree with the prior posters. Sounds to me like you want the $$ that Korea, in theory, offers, but aren't really prepared to do what is required to get that.

I teach at a PS. Basically, while it's true there is a summer break from about mid-July to Mid-August, and you are expected to have paid leave for a about a week and a half then, that's really it. Even Chuseok is on a Sunday this year. The other 'red days' in the fall are two Wednesdays, and you can be assured you will be expected to work on the Tuesday and Thursday around them.

Outside of a documented death in the family, or MAYBE a marriage, you can't just take a week or 2 off in the middle of a semester in a Korean PS. Just can't do it and expect to have a job when you get back. It isn't done here.

While I can't speak for hagwons, I seriously doubt you could arrange it with them either unless you have something beyond what you're telling us to offer them in return. And an MA in IR won't take you very far in the Uni market.

And as to the cost of flights, yeah, that will pretty much chop to ribbons any savings you might have if you do it back and forth more than once.

Either forget the money issue and teach somewhere cheap and easy [look at SE Asia], hitch up for a bit longer here in Korea and defer your 'schemes' until 2014, or drop the whole notion of teaching abroad and focus on the drinking in Spain, as ttompatz says Surprised