Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Aannon]

I'm trying to update my resume to apply for teaching jobs in Seoul and I realized that my last resume was styled in an academic way. I used my last resume to apply for a university and now that I'm applying for jobs I thought about changing the style.

There are so many different formats and styles out there I thought I would ask if there is a common or standard one used for applying for teaching positions. Also, do most of you use cover letters? Should resumes always be a single page?

Thanks in advance!

[YTMND]

Depends how formal of a job you are applying to. That is the key. Organize your resume to fit the school you want.

For me, I am not at the moment looking for a university position where I need to flaunt a master's or a bunch of credentials like TESOL training. In my case, I show my work history with the most recent at top. Above that I put what type of position I am looking for. Sometimes, I want only middle school or older. Other times, if I want a certain location, I accept younger kids from third grade. Make sure you note something like this if you are like me. I will not teach kindy classes and 1st and 2nd grade classes have to come with a package deal that I teach also older kids.

Make sure what you want and your experience is easy to see. The shorter your resume the better. However, my feeling is that if you put the most important stuff at the top, then they can decide how far to read. Others might feel that the extra reading will be to your disadvantage. This is up to you.

Another approach which I haven't tried is simply giving the resume to a recruiter and asking them, "Should I change this before we send it to the school?"

The recruiter might know more what a particular school wants to know. After all, they are the ones connecting you with the school. You might need to tweak some resumes to fit different possible job openings.

For example, last year I applied for a curriculum design position. If I had known it was only curriculum design, I would have spent more time sending them info about that than my teaching experience. While teaching, I have taken notes and could have written up 3 sample lesson plans along with the resume.

This was entirely my fault for not thinking ahead and talking with the recruiter. Of course, it would have been nice to have known from the recruiter, but if you don't ask don't expect them to tell you.

[Troglodyte]

I think that a lot of recruiters and employers don't actually read the resume or just give it a quick scan.

I've had times when an employer in an interview asked me a question even though they could have gotten the answer by reading my resume. e.g. "Have you ever been to Korea before?" "Have you ever taught English before?" "Are you from an English speaking country? Which one?" "How old are you?"

I also know people who put some strange stuff on their resume just to see if anyone notices. e.g.

Skills:
- typing: 30 words per minute
- TEFL certificate
- able to consume large quantities of alcohol
- authorized Xerox repair technician
- driver's licence

Hobbies:
- playing the guitar and singing
- oil painting
- hiking and camping
- cannibalism
- flower and shrub gardening

Or they put down that they worked at some ludicrous job like "private male exotic dancer employed by Betty White" or "dragon trainer". And these kinds of things for the most part go unnoticed.

What they scrutinize a lot more are the photos that you include with your resume. You really need to be photogenic. You need to look like a fun person who likes entertaining students (especially kids). Yet you should still look professional in the photos. If you're a bit overweight, going bald, have grey hair or wrinkles.... brush up on your Photoshopping skills.

[soomin]

I got this style off of a website for "how to write a resume for a job in a foreign country" a few years ago and I just update it as I need to...


Personal Information

Name:
Phone number:
Email address:
Marital status:
Country of citizenship:
Native language:

Qualifications

(Bachelor's/Master's etc) Degree (honors like cum laude, if applicable, here) in (major), with a minor in (minor)
-awarded by (college name) (in parenthesis: date)
-GPA (as shown on diploma)


Previous Teaching Experience:

bullet points

Job Experience:

bullet points

Other Experience:

bullet points

Hobbies and Interests

bullet points


All the bolded sections are also bolded on my resume. Remember, when applying for a job internationally, clarity is key.

As for length, resumes in the States should be 1 page, but since most schools are looking for specifics, two pages should be fine. As for cover letters, they should only be used when specifically asked for. These are usually in situations where you will go through several interviewing stages, and the cover letter will be a refresher when you are called in for the interview so the interviewer doesn't have to slog through 2 pages to remember who you are. I think they're annoying and I hate having to make them, personally... Also, I've only gotten asked by public schools for these (I think, lol!)

Hope that helps!

[Aannon]

Wow, thanks a lot everyone, these are really great tips. I think I certainly need to make the resume simple and clear. Would you recommend attaching a small photo directly on the resume as well?

Thanks again!

[transmogrifier]

[PatrickGHBusan]

1- As was said here: keep it simple and short (no more than 2 pages if possible)

2- Tailor it to the job (ie include only RELEVANT experience and most recent education)

3- I would embed a picture to the resume if submitting to a recruiter for a job in Korea.

4- Cover letter: no more than one page, shoud be on point, clear and concise.