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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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LeaforKorea
Joined: 29 Jun 2013
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 Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 8:37 pm Post subject: Getting a university position |
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Hi all.
I need some advice.
I am working on moving to Korea to teach English for the first time.
I'm a 36 year old woman, I have a B.A. and an M.A. in English and 2 years experience as a high school English teacher at the 11th and 12 grade levels.
My ultimate goal is to find a university position and settle down in Korea.
However, since it's my first time and I am going through the application process from the U.S., should I use a recruiter to get me a position at an adult Hagwon for my first year and then scout university positions on my own while I'm living in Korea, or should I try to find a job myself directly with a university?
I won't be able to leave for Korea until November. From what I've read, November is after the fall terms have already started and before the time the universities are hiring for spring terms, but I really don't want to wait until January to go to Korea.
Also, since I have just the few classes I taught for my graduate advisor as my only university level teaching experience, is it better to spend a year teaching adults before applying to a university or does that really matter?
Is it possible to find a 3-6 month position my first time that would allow me to be available to apply to a university for the Fall 2014 term?
All the recruiters I've look into ask for an initial 1 year commitment.
(So far Say Kimchi is my favorite out of all I looked at )
I would really appreciate any and all advice or comments that anyone can offer.
Cheers,
Lea |
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War Eagle
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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Most Unis, if not all, require you to be in Korea for a face-to-face interview, if you pass the first round of the hiring process. However, these positions are highly competitive and I wouldn't buy a plane ticket over just so I could do an interview.
If you come over and teach at a hagwon, most, if not all, will require a one year commitment. Does that mean you must stay with them for the whole year? Well, that depends. You could quit and wait until your visa expires and then go through the visa application process a second time for a university in early 2015 (the first semester you will be a available for a uni position after a 1 year visa) OR you could beg your boss for a letter of release to transfer your visa to the uni as early as Spring 2014 (but employers don't like doing favors for people who quit contracts, and this would be a big favor). |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:25 am Post subject: |
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| Are you planning to get a job teaching English as a foreign language or Eng Lit? Wouldn't a university require at least one qualification in TEFL/TESOL to employ someone to teach English as a foreign language?. Are there university jobs around teaching English Lit? |
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liveinkorea316
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 3:19 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Are you planning to get a job teaching English as a foreign language or Eng Lit? Wouldn't a university require at least one qualification in TEFL/TESOL to employ someone to teach English as a foreign language?. Are there university jobs around teaching English Lit? |
1. no
2. yes |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 4:01 am Post subject: |
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| I'd try to get a university job for the fall semester (September) from the US. If that's not possible, I'd get a job at an adult hagwon in November, stay there for 14-15 months but apply for a March start after 12 months. It requires patience, but you'd be in a great position to apply for the desirable jobs with your education and a little bit of work experience in-country. Also, there'd be no opportunity cost to applying like there would be if you flew all the way to Korea just to interview. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
edwardcatflap wrote:
Are you planning to get a job teaching English as a foreign language or Eng Lit? Wouldn't a university require at least one qualification in TEFL/TESOL to employ someone to teach English as a foreign language?. Are there university jobs around teaching English Lit?
1. no
2. yes
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Are you planning to get a job teaching English as a foreign language or Eng Lit (LeaforKorea)?
liveinkorea316: No
I'm a bit confused |
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LeaforKorea
Joined: 29 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:28 am Post subject: |
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| cdninkorea wrote: |
| I'd try to get a university job for the fall semester (September) from the US. If that's not possible, I'd get a job at an adult hagwon in November, stay there for 14-15 months but apply for a March start after 12 months. It requires patience, but you'd be in a great position to apply for the desirable jobs with your education and a little bit of work experience in-country. Also, there'd be no opportunity cost to applying like there would be if you flew all the way to Korea just to interview. |
Yes, that's what I think I will do. Then I can visit the universities in person on my days off first before deciding which to apply to.
And hopefully my Korean will be better as well by the time I apply. 
I think I will start teaching ESL at first, but eventually I want to teach English Lit and American cultural studies classes at a university.
I also want to take Korean history classes and maybe even get a degree in Korean history. So it would be nice to work at a university with a good history program.
Anybody on here know of universities with good history programs?
I hear that Dong-Eui university in Busan has good history and archaeology programs.
Thank you guys so much for your helpful responses!  |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:44 am Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| LeaforKorea wrote: |
Hi all.
I need some advice.
I am working on moving to Korea to teach English for the first time.
I'm a 36 year old woman, I have a B.A. and an M.A. in English and 2 years experience as a high school English teacher at the 11th and 12 grade levels.
My ultimate goal is to find a university position and settle down in Korea.
Cheers,
Lea |
Nothing for me to add to the job advice except that I wish you well.
Just curious though. What makes you want to settle down in Korea? Family ties?
Did you mean it will be your first time going to Korea, or first time teaching in Korea? Or both? |
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LeaforKorea
Joined: 29 Jun 2013
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:15 am Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| Sector7G wrote: |
Just curious though. What makes you want to settle down in Korea? Family ties?
Did you mean it will be your first time going to Korea, or first time teaching in Korea? Or both? |
It will be my first time in Korea and my first time teaching ESL (unless you count the teacher training I did in Houston, TX where all of my students spoke Spanish as their first language).
My interest in Korea is actually an amusing story (or at least I think so )
Originally I was looking to head to Japan to teach ESL, but then I discovered how interesting and exciting Korean history was.
I have an extensive background in medieval European history. I've been obsessed with Queen Elizabeth I since I was a teenager.
A year ago I stumbled across a Korean drama called The Great Queen Seondeok. Right then and there I decided that I must learn more about this culture that created a queen even more awesome than Elizabeth I and in the 7th century!!
Yes, that's right; I admit that my interest in Korea was sparked by a drama. 
So I've spent the last year learning what I can about Korean history, language and culture and, to put it simply, I am now in love with Korea
I can also actually be a university professor in Korea, which I cannot do here in the U.S. even with a PhD in English (which is why I stopped after my Master's program).
And the fact that the food is soooooooo delicious doesn't hurt either. |
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tophatcat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:44 am Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| LeaforKorea wrote: |
| Sector7G wrote: |
Just curious though. What makes you want to settle down in Korea? Family ties?
Did you mean it will be your first time going to Korea, or first time teaching in Korea? Or both? |
It will be my first time in Korea and my first time teaching ESL (unless you count the teacher training I did in Houston, TX where all of my students spoke Spanish as their first language).
My interest in Korea is actually an amusing story (or at least I think so )
Originally I was looking to head to Japan to teach ESL, but then I discovered how interesting and exciting Korean history was.
I have an extensive background in medieval European history. I've been obsessed with Queen Elizabeth I since I was a teenager.
A year ago I stumbled across a Korean drama called The Great Queen Seondeok. Right then and there I decided that I must learn more about this culture that created a queen even more awesome than Elizabeth I and in the 7th century!!
Yes, that's right; I admit that my interest in Korea was sparked by a drama.
So I've spent the last year learning what I can about Korean history, language and culture and, to put it simply, I am now in love with Korea
I can also actually be a university professor in Korea, which I cannot do here in the U.S. even with a PhD in English (which is why I stopped after my Master's program).
And the fact that the food is soooooooo delicious doesn't hurt either. |
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Zackback
Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: Kyungbuk
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Are you single or married? |
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actionjackson
Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Location: Any place I'm at
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| LeaforKorea wrote: |
| Sector7G wrote: |
Just curious though. What makes you want to settle down in Korea? Family ties?
Did you mean it will be your first time going to Korea, or first time teaching in Korea? Or both? |
It will be my first time in Korea and my first time teaching ESL (unless you count the teacher training I did in Houston, TX where all of my students spoke Spanish as their first language).
My interest in Korea is actually an amusing story (or at least I think so )
Originally I was looking to head to Japan to teach ESL, but then I discovered how interesting and exciting Korean history was.
I have an extensive background in medieval European history. I've been obsessed with Queen Elizabeth I since I was a teenager.
A year ago I stumbled across a Korean drama called The Great Queen Seondeok. Right then and there I decided that I must learn more about this culture that created a queen even more awesome than Elizabeth I and in the 7th century!!
Yes, that's right; I admit that my interest in Korea was sparked by a drama.
So I've spent the last year learning what I can about Korean history, language and culture and, to put it simply, I am now in love with Korea
I can also actually be a university professor in Korea, which I cannot do here in the U.S. even with a PhD in English (which is why I stopped after my Master's program).
And the fact that the food is soooooooo delicious doesn't hurt either. |
I hope I'm wrong but there could be some heart break in your future. I've known several people who've moved to new countries, not just Korea, who've been disappointed by the whole experience because the reality couldn't possibly live up to how they'd imagined it would be.
And just to add a bit of what I know in your quest for the type of work you're looking for, everyone I know who works at a university got their job while in country. Best of luck. |
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War Eagle
Joined: 15 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 5:01 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| LeaforKorea wrote: |
So I've spent the last year learning what I can about Korean history, language and culture and, to put it simply, I am now in love with Korea
I can also actually be a university professor in Korea, which I cannot do here in the U.S. even with a PhD in English (which is why I stopped after my Master's program). |
You sound really excited and that's great. I'm not trying to burst your bubble, but do realize something. You will not be, nor will probably ever be, a professor as long as you teach English at a Korean university. You are an English teacher. The only people who will refer to you as professor are a handful of first semester freshmen because they don't know better. The Korean staff at the university will not treat you like a professor (this does not mean they won't be nice), you are not paid like a professor and you do not get tenure.
Are there tenured professor positions in Korea? Yes, I believe so (sorry, not well-informed on this aspect of uni). I would also imagine you need a PhD to qualify for those positions as well. I can't imagine why anyone with a PhD would want to work in Korea, but you seem like, because of your story, a special case.
Also, being that specific about the subjects you want to teach? Well, you are nailing your own coffin shut. The competition for positions at the uni level is extremely high. Even with a masters in a related field, your lack of experience in ESL will probably not put you near the top of everyone's hiring lists. You better blow them away during the interview. I mean blonde hair, blue eyes, 5'10" and "stacked".... I kid, but only a little
You would have much better chances if you were open to ANY uni position, as most first time uni teachers generally are, get the experience, and then start looking into teaching the classes you want to in 2-3 years from now. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| LeaforKorea wrote: |
| I admit that my interest in Korea was sparked by a drama. |
Life isn't like TV. And I hope it wasn't Arirang (Propaganda) TV. I saw a documentary on North Korean escapes to the South. One of the points they made is they were disappointed because they'd watched South Korean dramas and expected that life. |
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davemon
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 10:02 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a university position |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
| LeaforKorea wrote: |
| I admit that my interest in Korea was sparked by a drama. |
Life isn't like TV. And I hope it wasn't Arirang (Propaganda) TV. I saw a documentary on North Korean escapes to the South. One of the points they made is they were disappointed because they'd watched South Korean dramas and expected that life. |
Agreed.
I wish the OP the best of luck, but just know that making a decision to move to Korea and spend a life here, probably isn't best made before ever stepping foot in the country.
Reading it and living it are very different, and not only for the reasons quoted above.
If you over romanticize about it, you do run the risk of being disappointed. Like all places, pros and cons. |
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