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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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stevieg4ever

Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Location: London, England
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 4:38 pm Post subject: Recruiter Situation and returning to Korea |
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Hope anyone here can help and share their opinions.
I am facing a predicament. I want to return to Korea for the spring intake this year for a public school position. I am waiting from one recruiter to hear back on a couple of jobs but I am less than confident about these, but I should hear about them this coming Thursday. Another recruiter is telling me to send all my documents over to him now, including a signed contract (for GEPIK) without the salary grade or school name filled in. Additionally he only has the county of the school and wont disclose the name of the school.
After I get my visa he wants me to come over and then things will be 'finalised'.
I am in a dilemma as to what to do. The recruiter is definitely shady: his email bounces emails back to me; his English is generally suspect; a lot of the information on his job descriptions is flat out wrong (especially to do with locations). He says he needs me to do all this because there isn't enough time remaining. I am almost resigned to a rural GEPIK location anyway so im not concerned about that so much but i am concerned about the salary; I should be on 2.3m but, even though I have copies of my employment certificates, I think he will try and strike me down. He also says my airfare will be reimbursed but, again, like everything I have no guarantees except his word.
The whole deal sounds shady and I am highly suspect. The fact I am even asking is kind of ridiculous but Iust wondered what people here thought of all of this and if this is common practice and it is looking increasingly likely that it is either this or I miss the intake altogether and re-apply in the summer. |
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ttompatz

Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 5:01 pm Post subject: Re: Recruiter Situation and returning to Korea |
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stevieg4ever wrote: |
Hope anyone here can help and share their opinions.
I am facing a predicament. I want to return to Korea for the spring intake this year for a public school position. I am waiting from one recruiter to hear back on a couple of jobs but I am less than confident about these, but I should hear about them this coming Thursday. Another recruiter is telling me to send all my documents over to him now, including a signed contract (for GEPIK) without the salary grade or school name filled in. Additionally he only has the county of the school and wont disclose the name of the school.
After I get my visa he wants me to come over and then things will be 'finalised'.
I am in a dilemma as to what to do. The recruiter is definitely shady: his email bounces emails back to me; his English is generally suspect; a lot of the information on his job descriptions is flat out wrong (especially to do with locations). He says he needs me to do all this because there isn't enough time remaining. I am almost resigned to a rural GEPIK location anyway so im not concerned about that so much but i am concerned about the salary; I should be on 2.3m but, even though I have copies of my employment certificates, I think he will try and strike me down. He also says my airfare will be reimbursed but, again, like everything I have no guarantees except his word.
The whole deal sounds shady and I am highly suspect. The fact I am even asking is kind of ridiculous but I just wondered what people here thought of all of this and if this is common practice and it is looking increasingly likely that it is either this or I miss the intake altogether and re-apply in the summer. |
GEPIK doesn't place you until after orientation (much like EPIK) and the salary scale would be based on their evaluation of your pay grade level based on experience and qualifications.
If you are in doubt then fill the pay level in before you sign it. They can accept or reject the contract, or amend it and get you to re-sign a new one with the amount filled in.
You also need to be aware that for level 1 you need 3 years of teaching EFL at an "ACCREDITED" institution and they (GEPIK) no longer consider hagwons as valid experience.
Individual schools in a direct hire may evaluate your experience differently.
EPIK has an inbound airfare/travel allowance (1.3 million) rather than simple reimbursement. GEPIK had an entrance allowance of 1.5 million last year.
It is, however, LATE for GEPIK intakes. Most of their recruiting is done and documentation submitted in Dec/Jan for March start dates.
Things have to be finalized before you can get the visa letter from GEPIK or a visa confirmation number if it is a direct hire.
There is no "After I get my visa he wants me to come over and then things will be 'finalized" .
The recruiter sounds dodgy and your evaluation is correct: accept it or wait for the next intake. IF you accept you will likely be stuck.
https://gepik.wikispaces.com/ <-- run by GEPIK coordinators and NOT the official GEPIK website run by the education office.
list of registered GEPIK recruitment agencies:
Recruit Agencies
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stevieg4ever

Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Location: London, England
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 11:53 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all that Ttompatz, I appreciate it. |
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wonkavite62
Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Location: Jeollanamdo, South Korea.
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2016 4:29 am Post subject: Thanks |
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Thanks to Ttompatz, who is as thorough as ever. If your recruiter is not on his list, you might want to wait till after Thursday, before you decide. Try to find some legitimate reason/excuse why you can't e-mail your documents till Friday. It is true that Thursday in Korea will start earlier than Thursday in Europe or North America. If you are in the U.K. it's a 9 hour difference. You might say you are going to e-mail your documents this week (Thursday, in the UK), but try to urge the other 2 employers to give you their verdict before 5 p.m. on Thursday, Korean time. Explain that you really NEED to know if you have either of those two jobs, because another recruiter is calling you. Tell them today, so that they know your situation. Perhaps a Skype call might help? |
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