Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mr.Mulder2]

I�m wondering what the situation is lately for folks job-hunting while in Korea. Circumstances will see me spending a couple of months back in Korea just doing the travelling around and hanging out with friends I wasn�t able to do while working there.
I�ve heard folks recently say that it�s not a good idea to land in Korea without a job these days. Is this because the market is tighter, or because of the new paperwork setup? Assuming I�ve got a TEFL degree and few years of teaching experience in Korea, as well as all of my paperwork (notarized degree copy, sealed transcripts, crimmo check, etc), wouldn�t it be relatively straightforward for a Korean employer to send me to Japan for a visa run?
I�d just rather job hunt in person � I�ve done it before, and it�s always interesting to show up at what seems like a dream job and be able to suss it out in person and walk away if it�s sketchy.

[ttompatz]

[Landros]

also if you are hired in country many don't pay airfare. I think the advice not to come over and look for a job in person is for the firsttimer.

[young_clinton]

Coming to Korea jobless could be a problem if you come moneyless and with no documents (Apostilled CBC, Apostilled diploma copy). You likely would need several of each of these documents. Also with the cost of living in Korea you should have maybe 7000 US. Don't waste anytime finding a job because you're money can go fast.

By the way this goes even if you come with a job in hand that is not a Public School job. You might have to switch jobs and get a new E2 visa.

[Mr.Mulder2]

Thanks for the input. Well the plan is to come with all the proper documents. I'll be travelling around the country and hanging out with friends. The flight doesn't bother me too much - hell, I'll eventually get a little trip to Osaka out of it, and maybe ask for a little signing bonus to help offset my flight.
I job hunted in-country a few years ago, and yeah, it's pretty fun to sit there and grill your potential boss and uncover how shady a lot of them are. Feels great to walk out the door while they chase after you offering you the job! I feel sorry for the first-timers that come out fuelled with lofty promises and realize on the first day that all is not as advertised (accommodation, distance from large city, commute time, hours, pay...)
I have places to stay and some savings, so it should work out fine...other than the fact that I'm going back to Korea again, ha ha. Incidentally, I think the number 7,000$ is a tad high for settling-in cash.

[ttompatz]

[Mr.Mulder2]

Ha.

[Burndog]

I'm never sure why people post asking for information about the current scene...and then disregard all of the advice provided with a smug 'know-it-all' attitude.

Best of luck though Mr. Mulder...I'm curious to know how it all turns out...might be worth considering.

[Mr.Mulder2]

Hi Burndog - how do you figure I've disregarded all the advice provided? I thought the replies were helpful to me and will assist me in forming my decisions, which is why I wrote 'Thanks for the input.' By the way, I'm the least smug person I know.
Thanks to all who posted constructive replies, cheers!

[Burndog]

[Mr.Mulder2]

Ha! I guess Korea has made me fairly monosyllabic at times - Eunh. Emm. Yeh! Yeah, I'll let y'all know in a couple of months if/why I get chased by any potential employers.

[Weigookin74]

Some come not only jobless, but also clueless....

[Mr.Mulder2]

ZING! Fight! Fight! Fight!

[wanderkind]

I assume this has been covered to death, but with the painful search process for eslcafe, this seems like as good a thread as any to ask in.

I understand that if you're moving from contract to contract, documentation is a non-issue, as your visa sponsorship gets transferred and renewed
as necessary. So no submission of documents necessary. I don't know as much about the Looking-For-Work (D10?) visa.

I'm interested in doing some full-time Korean language study (likely in a uni) after my current contract ends in a couple months, before taking a new contract.
Potentially for as little as 6 weeks or as much as 12 weeks.

Can anyone give me input on how that might be swung documentation/visa-wise? Is it feasible?
The ideas I have right now are:

-switch to D10, study, switch back to E2 when my next contract starts
or
-switch to student visa, study, switch back to E2 when my next contract starts

Will either or both of these routes require me going through the whole documentation process again?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[ttompatz]

Changing to a D10 will allow you to change back to an E2 without new documents from home but won't allow you to study full time at a uni.

Changing to a student visa means you need a full E2 application when you want to go back to work again (new documents from home).

.