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jillmarie
Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Seattle WA
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 Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:00 pm Post subject: age discrimination |
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| Does anyone have information about age discrimination in hiring for teaching jobs in Korea? I am 62, healthy and active, but I do have gray hair. Will this get my application automatically thrown out? |
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Rockhard
Joined: 11 Dec 2013
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, Korea is not a nanny state. They don't have the luxury of legacy wealth or natural resources, so they actually have to have competitive businesses to stay strong. That means they can't be weakening their economy with vote-buying strategies that give the weak and incompetent jobs. Stay in whatever Western country you are in because the system isn't going to get anymore skewed in your favour. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: age discrimination |
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| jillmarie wrote: |
| Does anyone have information about age discrimination in hiring for teaching jobs in Korea? I am 62, healthy and active, but I do have gray hair. Will this get my application automatically thrown out? |
In the private sector age is a factor in hiring.
You probably won't find work in a hagwon due to age discrimination and an over-abundance of fresh, young American graduates still looking for work in Korea.
You are too old to even apply for public school positions (mandatory retirement is at 62).
IF you are certified as a school teacher (credentials, experience and home country licensure) then private, international schools MAY be an option.
Your other choice would be to buy a ticket to Asia (case your net wider than just Korea), fly in on your own dime and hit the pavement with resume and credentials (degree, CBC, etc) in hand.
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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It wouldn't be easy for you, BUT if you are super well qualified (taught in your home country ect) there may well be an opening somewhere for you.
Send in your CV, have a nice photo taken, dye your hair - who knows, have a go! |
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jillmarie
Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Seattle WA
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:14 pm Post subject: age discrimination |
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| Just because I have gray hair does not mean that I am weak or incompetent! Quite the opposite. You, however could learn some manners. |
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waynehead
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Location: Jongno
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| You may have a disadvantage because of age, but otoh, as a woman you may get some of that back as female teachers are usually preferred. Like someone else said, if you have good qualifications, and if you're not too picky about location, I think you should be able to find a job. Good luck! |
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Just because I have gray hair does not mean that I am weak or incompetent! Quite the opposite. You, however could learn some manners. |
I think you will find that your follicles are indeed becoming weak!
I posted a HELPFUL post and you reply with a snide remark.
If my suggestion that you dyed your hair upset you, tough. That is the reality of Korea.
Most 'older' Koreans dye their hair, also.
Your cover photo matters. If my remark offended you then wait till (if) you land in Korea.
If you're female, expect 'western women’s skin is weaker than Korean women skin, that's why you have a saggy face' or people giving you recommendations’ for good plastic surgeons’ (kid you not) |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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Lucas, I think she was responding to Rockhard.
Last edited by caniff on Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:06 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Hokie21
Joined: 01 Mar 2011
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: age discrimination |
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| jillmarie wrote: |
| Just because I have gray hair does not mean that I am weak or incompetent! Quite the opposite. You, however could learn some manners. |
You misunderstand him. Part of the hiring process requires you to send a photo of yourself with your resume. Often times (esp in the private sector) this is as important as your resume. Heck, I'm 30 and I feel old relative to most of the ESL teachers I see out on the weekend.
That's life in Korea.
edit: Whoops sorry didn't realize it was rockhard's post you were referring to.
Last edited by Hokie21 on Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jillmarie
Joined: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Seattle WA
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:06 pm Post subject: age discrimination |
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| Lucas, I was replying to Rockhard. His post was quite offensive; yours was not, in fact, I appreciate the feedback. I apologize for the miscommunication. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| vote-buying strategies that give the weak and incompetent jobs |
That's quite ironic because that's exactly the way hagwans like to hire people here. They want weak people they can push around and people with no experience (incompetent) as they cost less. |
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Troglodyte
Joined: 06 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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What are your qualifications like? Certificates? Experience? It's not unheard of for someone over 60 to get hired at a hagwon but it's rare. That observation should also be qualified by pointing out that there aren't many people that old applying for the jobs either. If you're really set on Korea then send out job applications. There's nothing to lose.
Elsewhere in Asia, age is less important for ELT jobs. Consider China for example. China also has a lot of things to see and the standard of living for most foreign English teachers is quite high. The money isn't so great if you take it out of China but within... you can usually live like a king off it. |
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wanthony
Joined: 04 Dec 2013
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:38 pm Post subject: Had an old teacher at my school. |
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| I'm currently working at a little known hagwon with just three foreign teachers, Han's English, but when I first got here the gentleman I was replacing was a good 55 years old. Albeit, he was able to impress everyone by doing an outright cartwheel (I can't even do that) so he was in impeccable shape. The director had recently changed though so I think that's why he was let go after his contract finished. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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Very tough, but not impossible.
Public schools, no go -- mandatory age 62 retirement. Universities (or more likely backwater colleges) employ teachers till they're 65, but you'd need an MA to be considered. Hagwons, as far as I know, have no legally set age cap, but the vast majority of them as stated above prefer to hire young'uns.
I turn 61 this month & my PS will kick me out next feb but I dont want to retire just yet. I'm pretty sure I could find myself a hagwon position in my town, eased by being already on the ground & locally recognized, but as an offshore applicant you'd really need a substantial bit of luck. Which I wish you!
Meanwhile, I'm actively looking elsewhere. |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Rockhard wrote: |
| Yeah, Korea is not a nanny state. They don't have the luxury of legacy wealth or natural resources, so they actually have to have competitive businesses to stay strong. That means they can't be weakening their economy with vote-buying strategies that give the weak and incompetent jobs. Stay in whatever Western country you are in because the system isn't going to get anymore skewed in your favour. |
You sound like a jerk. How does being 62 make one "weak and incompetent". You do know that the Nazis lost the war, right? Please adjust your mindset accordingly.
Easily the most obnoxious post on Daves in some time.
OP, age is a factor here but is only one. I know teachers in Korea who are older than you. The trick is to request a school in a rural area. It's the best place to work in my opinion, but most Westerners here want to work in a city (for reasons I can't fathom). I currently work in a rural area, with lovely hills and clean air, and I can still get into Seoul in under an hour. The public transportation system here is excellent so it's not as if you'll be stranded in the boonies. As for grey hair, I'd probably color it for the photo (Koreans are obsessed with the superficiality of appearance). When I apply for a new job I color it (I've some grey also) then let it grow out once I start the job.
Anyway, best of luck to you, and just ignore characters like rockhard. Unfortunately there are unhelpful sorts like him on every forum. His user name alone should give all of us an inkling as to his maturity level. |
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