Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Old Painless]

My research began when I got to Korea. 1995 didn't have a lot of internet action going on for research. Word of mouth, meeting other teachers, and hearing their stories was how we learned the ins and outs.

It's nice to have the internet, but you get a lot more out of it when you talk to people face to face. I met 100's of people the first time I was in Korea, because no one was sitting around the house in their underwear surfing the web looking for answers.

[caniff]

[happiness]

[PRagic]

I was hard up for a job when I finished my BA after getting out of the Army. A buddy clipped and sent me an ad for a recruiter looking for college grads to teach English in Korea on a one year contract.

I bounced the concept off of a Korean college buddy and he said, "Sure, you could do that. Only go to Seoul and shoot for downtown." So I told the recruiter I only wanted to work downtown in Seoul. Got a job offer and was on a plane in 3 weeks time. NONE of the rings to jump through like there are now.

I figured a year back in Korea but not in the military might not be a bad idea. That was 1993 lol. A month into my initial year here, I got a couple of different job offers back in the US, but blew them off as I was having a good time here working with great people and banking some coin.

Eventually decided that teaching was something I liked, so I just kept going to school until I could lock onto tenure track positions. Turned out not to be teaching English that I like, but it was a good intro to the education field in general. Haven't had a regret to speak of other than I wish I had started my grad degrees a bit earlier. All worked out in the end, so no worries.

[swashbuckler]

[PRagic]

Read the OP. He/She specifically asked how we began our search and how we first heard of ESL jobs. The rest was just artistic license and follow through.

And, yawn about the university pay. Get OVER IT and do your own homework. How many people do you know that have been with the same university for 10-15+ years? Go ask them, but quit stalking me lol!

[swashbuckler]

[PRagic]

Interesting. A couple people I know at a couple of those paces, in addition to a few at smaller schools you don't mention, are in the ballpark. You sure you're talking about people who have been at the exact same place for 10-15 years?

Not that it makes any difference. I don't know anyone working who doesn't pick up some coin through their school or other professionally related work.

[kimchi_pizza]

I was just per-rusing the posts and liked what stories that were told and after
reading a few specially PR's 'after the army' story which is not that far off from
mine~ I thought I would share a slice of K.P.'s story...

It must've been early summer of '93 when I was a naive 19-year-old working
the main gate of Camp Page in Chuncheon as an MP. I clearly remember two
young ladies, my age, across the road laughing, elbowing each other, goading
the other into something that I had no clue of, but was entertained.

Eventually they made their way by courage and peer-pressure to approach the
gate's shack and through plexiglass I asked their purpose. They, through
giggles, mentioned they hoped to meet someone to teach them English as they
were students at Gangwon National, majoring in English Ed.
I told them I didn't know anyone off hand, but I liked their courage and demeanor
and mentioned I would be happy to help as a language exchange.
They said, 'sure!' and so a grand friendship formed and bless their hearts as
they were both Wonju natives and when I had to work Wonju's Camp Long
gate, I would find a small box of chocolates and a note attached that it was specifically
for me. I was touched and I actually enjoyed teaching them English.
It was during that time that I realized that the army was not the career for
me, but English teaching was.

Finished my 5 year enlistment and sought out
Ohio's most reputable school for EFL. Imagine the chagrin of my adviser
when I said I want my B.A. in TESOL, unheard of even now. M.A.? sure.
Certificates? No problem..but an actual B.A.? But he designed a program for
me that meant taking a fair number of M.A. courses for it, but I did it. I had
a goal in mind, and wasn't nothin stopping me. (Take that grammarians!)

In the course of teaching, I made a few pit stops in other Asian nations, but
Korea is where I longed to be and eventually returned to a continually successful,
albeit humble income, career. And the best part? Twenty years
on? I'm still gladly climbing that academic ladder to add a new set of acronyms
to my letterhead. Ever.so.slowly. Truth be told, as long as my students continue to display growth,
learning and achievement by my assistance, I've no need for additional letters as
long as my name remains solid.