Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Eazy_E]

I'm due to head home in a little over three weeks after finishing my first year in Korea, and I'm anxious to have a break. I have a feeling though, that I'll be wanting to head back to Korea after seeing my friends and family, and having my fill of watching hockey and eating cheese.

I have no intentions of becoming a lifer here, and teaching EFL is something that I've chosen to do just to save money and see the world. I'm a little worried about what impact two years abroad may have on my resume when I go back home. I have a BA, and whatever I choose to do for a career back in Canada will probably involve more training or education. It may not be in the teaching field.

Has anyone had any experiences, positive or negative, in job-hunting in their own country after more than one year teaching English in Korea? How did employers look at your resume after that? Was the experience here something that they looked on favourably?

[discostar23]

As far as I know, you need two years experience to get in with the language institutes in Canada. Also two years experience can count towards getting an ECE diploma. I have also heard tales of people getting actual teaching job just from ESL experience. Two years is far better then one...

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

I wish you the best Easy-E. I'm going back early next year myself and I have the same questions you do.

I did a stint in korea in 2001 and went back to the US (East Coast) to find that employers/recruiters didn't take my experience in Korea seriously at all. It was pretty much irrelevant to them.

I have a BA and was targeting IT jobs. I had an IT job before I went to Korea and thought I could jump back into it after a year in Korea. I was wrong.

It's hard enough finding jobs when your in-country - staying a year overseas teaching english will set you back one year behind your competition for experience in your chosen field of work.

My opinion is that being in Korea really keeps you out of the loop of what's going on in your hometown. Things change, people move on, companies change...and the worse part is when you come back you're left behind trying to catch up to everyone else who has moved on...

ESL money in Korea is good because employers know you're sacrificing ALOT to come half way around the world to teach some spoiled brats or if you're luck some semi-decent adults...

After 3 more years here, I'm going back to my hometown and am committed to staying and working hard to re-establish my career. I plan on taking classes at my local community college in computer science and getting a second bachelors degree in computer science..

For me, teaching English was just a way to travel and see Asia. I know I could never make a career out of it. I would just have to many regrets at the end of my life if I did..

[prosodic]

[prosodic]

[catman]

With all the outsourcing going on you might find yourself working in another foreign country before you know it, India.

[Eazy_E]

[Zenpickle]

[OiGirl]

I'm an ESL teacher, so it's not a problem on the resume. And in ESL, more so than other teaching fields, it's accepted that you might spend part of your career abroad. And...the time spent in Korea has been added onto my license as years of experience (which means a higher pay scale.)

[Blind Willie]

When I went back last year, the only thing my Korean experience on my resume got me was "You were in Korea for two years? How interesting"

It's like getting a PhD, the only thing it's good for is to produce more people with PhDs. In this case, it's only good to get you a job teaching in Korea.

*edit*

I'm going to have to add a disclaimer to this. It's only good if you're not dealing with a shady business. Otherwise, they dont want someone who knows better

[philinkorea]

well ive just started my second year in korea now teaching adults after kids the first year. im interested in counselling, social work possibly teaching. i feel living in korea is developing skills fine in that area.

i feel this year will be my last year but i feel confident that in terms of the money ive saved here and my experience will help me in the future.

[fusionbarnone]

If I may offer some advice, I wouldn't discount your teaching experience as ALL experience is valuable. Besides, if you total the number of people you know back home that have worked in a foreign land, you would find you represent perhaps 2% of your people you know personally who've had the drive to do it. Convert this to the national average and you are hanging with Zeus. This alone is a marketable fact.

Every job has key words integral to describing what duties and skills are required. Regardless of what your applying for, isolate the skills needed for teaching. Then, visit your local library for a book on resume examples for the job you want. Look at the skills section on the example/s(look at more than one) and try to list skills you actually acquired during your O.E./teaching(people skills/management,etc) and marry them up with what you have(include all voluntary stuff too). It's been said "what's in a name?", with resumes, it can be quite a lot,so, if a skill you have appears to have at least a 70% resemblance to what could help in the job, add it(complete with new job description keyword title.

Although some resume experts may have varying viewpoints about the personal section/sports/free-time activities(find out what the age group of your new co-workers are, what they're into/interested in, do, etc) is really an opportunity for you to let your new friends know you walk the walk and talk the talk, just like them. The "ideal applicant is usually someone who is very likely to fit in( even job skills don't have to be 100% as they'll prefer to teach you anyway). It never ceases to amaze me when a client aces the field (sometimes as high as 500 applicants) all because the company likes the fact that they are good sportspersons (read company loves a particular sport and just loves to kick the asses of their rival business competitors).

An interesting book to read is "Working in a war zone" by Jeff Green, which is all about getting those high paid(dangerous) jobs in war zones. His "makeover" on transfering your acquired skills to civilian skills(learned people skills in highly volatile situations/possible death if unsuccessful)have both smarts and impact and should give you an idea about how to "revise/review" and "present" your skills subsets, and ultimately yourself in a more enhanced thought-catching/reader's interest provoking way.

As an example of skills marketability, I once had a client who had a vast collection of after school/between university jobs(seemingly unrelated but not irrelevant) including caring for a laboratory insect habitat, seeking an entry level position with the diplomatic service, she got the job.
All skills are marketable. Good luck.[/b]

[MissCanada]

Hi there,

Having worked with a lot of recruiters lately for North American jobs, I can tell you that they are looking for people will skills they can easily market.

I suggest using words including "management", "project coordinator", "project manager", "foreign relations specialist", "administrator", "marketing advisor" etc... Your experience is only as good as you can market it, and when you put pen to paper, you'll realize you've accomplished much more than you think.

I wish you the best of luck in your transition back home

V.