Korean Job Discussion Forums

BDups · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Jisan, Daegu

When would be an appropriate time to begin looking/applying for teaching jobs in Korea? I am in Canada now and am planning to head over in January.

Thanks again!

quiksilver · Joined: 11 Sep 2004

If you want a hagwon job I'd say a month early. From the time I posted resumes to the time I started here it was about 3 - 4 weeks. You can always do research in the mean time. You can never be too prepared.

BDups · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Jisan, Daegu

I agree, research is a never ending process! Thanks quicksilver

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

Do you have your sealed transcripts, passport or at least birth certificate so you can get a passport, and original physical degree? Are you white, single, and in your twenties? If so, many, many, hagwons will be willing to fly you over as soon as they can possibly buy a plane ticket and pay for your visa run so you can start working within days. A month ago when I was looking from Canada I had offers on a Monday that would put me on a plane before Friday.

Are you in Ontario? If so, my advice is to make sure you have your original birth certificate, which you willl need to get a passport. It can take months to get (they say two but if any little thing goes wrong on their end it can take 4-6 months, which is what happened to me).

Your best bet however is to buy a plane ticket and find a job when you are here if you are able to do so.

BDups · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Jisan, Daegu

Rachel! I was hoping I would get a post from you. I've read a few of your posts, namely the contract you put up. So I thank you for your insight and advice!

I don't have any of the transcripts or passport stuff together yet, I am working at a National Park in NB so I'm kind of in the middle of nowhere. If all goes well and no little screw ups happen I hope to have all documents and whatnot together by november.

My main concern with your post is the info about coming over without a contract or a place to live and looking for a job in person. I have been debating whether or not this the route I want to take and honestly am still not sure. I've read good and bad's to both. I guess I'm cheap and don't want to fork over a grand or so for a plane ticket when I know it could be paid for by someone else.

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

If they want you that bad they can wait a couple of weeks for you to get your visa squared away. Wait for the visa, and save up your starting money. Make sure you come with the dough to buy a plane ticket home if you need it.

BDups · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Jisan, Daegu

So Dan you're saying that after I accept a contract and have everything lined up from here in Canada, get the (E-2 I assume?) Visa over here before I get on a plane?

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

First, find a guarantor - you will need a lawyer, doctor, engineer - someone who is in an actual registered professional to verify that they have known you for at least two years. They must sign a declaration for both your birth certificate and passport. There is a way around this if you really can't find anyone, but it's complicated and likely expensive so a family doctor or relative in one of these professions is best.

Secondly, get your hands on your original degree. Have several copies notarized by a lawyer (costs $25-$35) and ask them to include a certificate of authenticity. Send or personally deliever these copies to a Korean consulate in Canada, where they too will authorize them. These copies are as good as the real degree here so they are extraordinarily useful, but remember to bring your original just in case.

Third, get your birth certificate. This is a surprisingly frustrating and difficult thing (at least in Ontario) - might be a similar problem in N.B. - the odessey I had to go through to get mine was nothing short of absurd so do this in the nest couple of days. Once you do this, complete the passport application. The passport itself only take 2 weeks to process if you go in person, but the application requires a lot more info than you might expect so start filling it out now. You need to include friends as references, everywhere you've lived and worked in the last two years, signed declaration from a guarantor, and more.

Fourth, order sealed transcripts from your university and remember to request that they are sent in separate sealed envelopes. My uni allowed a max order of 5 at a time, so keep ordering until you have 10 or 15.
Also, get an extra set of passport photos for paperwork processing in Korea.
If you are not very petite (I don't mean small in normal Canadian terms - I mean SMALL) , buy a variety of shoes and bras (if you're a girl). Now, you're good to go!

Again, I really recommend coming here first. You may be able to find a job which will reimburse you for the cost of the flight. I did. Even if you can't it's still a good idea because you can really check things out that would be impossible from overseas. When I arrived, I got to out to dinner with some of my future co-workers BEFORE giving the director any of my paperwork. I got a real feel for what kind of working environment I'd be in. This is impossible from overseas. Also, when you are here with all your paperwork, ready and willing to work, you are a hot commodity and don't forget this.
Compared to what you are likely earning back in Canada, every month you are working here can translate into decent coin. Many people here save $1200-1400 CAD a month no problem - so if you are sitting in Canada, maybe earning survival pay of $10/h (random figure for argument's sake), waiting a month for your Visa to be processed, you have lost the cost of a plane ticket anways interms of financial surplus - and that's if your hagwon doesn't reimburse you. Another way to look at it - if you can negotiate a pay rate of $100,000 Won higher per month because you paid for your ticket, and you actually complete your contract, financially you have more than covered your flight cost.
The 'love motels' or yogwans that you have probably read about are actually pretty decent. Larger than any typical hotel room in Canada, they include a double bed, t.v., bathroom, sometimes a kitchenette, and even a hiardryer for roughly $35\CAD a night, which isn't bad. They might offer a wide selection of porn but other than that I didn't find them disgusting or sleazy or anything to be worried about. Contact two or three REPUTABLE recruiters before you go and have them arrange a few interviews, but make sure they are a day or two after you land because you will experience jetlag. www.tkrs.ca is the best, and his website has lots of good info.
Hope this helps!

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

And get that birth certificate now!!! I had actually get help from my Member of Provincial Parliament to get mine after four months of waiting because of some screw-up that wasn't even my fault.

BDups · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Jisan, Daegu

Thank you so much Rachael!

I think you've damn near sold me on the notion of going over without a job (my hands are shaking as I type this sentance).
I don't really understand the birth certificate aspect of your post though, I am pretty sure I have my birth certificate, and I think I've had it since..well birth I guess. The one I have might be a copy, but I'm pretty sure it's the real deal.

I do, however, appreciate the passion you put forth concerning this matter, and your deep concern.

I have always wanted to live in a hotel for a few days so this might be fun.

AS far as Visa's go, though, going over without a job I assume I would be on a travel Visa and once I get a position I would scoot over to Japan and do the work Visa over there?

Also, I'm 6'4 with size 15 feet. I am assuming I should have all my needed clothes and footwear before I get over there? Or is there any chance I would find things?

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

A copy of your birth certificate is no good. Ensure that you have the original in your hands - it is an absolute inflexible requirement to obtain a Canadian passport, no exceptions (for the Canadian-born) under any circumstance.
I'm not sure about being 6"4 since I'm a girl, you might be o.k. but stock up in the pants departmentment just to be safe.
And you will need to bring shoes. Bring hiking shoes, work shoes, runnings shoes, and winter boots.

Canadians don't even need a travel Visa. We can come in for up to six months with just our passports. Then when you get a job it's a fun yet expensive night (or two) in Japan.

BDups · Joined: 23 Aug 2005 Location: Jisan, Daegu

I just had a quasi revelation.

What if I were to go through some recruiters while home in Canada, giving them the idea that once they get me a contract and a job, I take it, but with every intention of turning down the job I get offered.

If, however, I get a contract that is perfect to my desires, with pictures of the apartment and school and pretty much everything I ask for, then I would take it, but short of that I turn down the job and head over "sans job".

Man I am just discovering how cheap I am..but I really don't want to foot this airfare! haha

The night(s) in Japan almost seem incentive enough to head over without a job

Oh one other thing; if I decided to head over jobless but want recruiters to set up some interviews, is there incentive in this process for them? Not that I have much concern for them given what I have read, but I think if there was little incentive for them finding me interviews I might get shafted on the employers they set me up with.

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Yes there are incentives. We do not pay for their services, the schools do, and the recruiters only get paid if they find the teacher a school.

That is why there are so many shady recruiters around... the bad ones will try to set you up with every job that comes their way. The good ones will listen to what you want and wait for suitable jobs.

I was like you.... to cheap to front the ticket!! I found a job through a recruiter before I left and everything has turned out great! The recruiter did not pressure me to take the job (but I did anyway), the boss is great, the teachers are great, and I live in the sticks but have a great time anyway. It can all turn to crap, or it can all work out....

If you come over here before finding a job, make sure you let us all know. You'll need a bit of support when you get here, it can be pretty scary in a country that doesnt speak English.... just figuring out the bussing system to get to an interview can be daunting!

pegpig · Joined: 10 May 2005

Your birth certificate is only needed for your passport. I'm not sure if that's clear. Your passport doesn't take that long to get. Give yourself a couple of months to find a job if you're doing it from abroad. You want to make sure that you have a good look at what's out there.

If you're coming over w/o a job you better bring more than just a little cash. If you're spending a month in a cheap hotel that could run you a $1000 - just for the hotel. I've never done it, but I can do simple math. Also, the school may not be willing to pay for your trip from Canada AND a visa run to Japan. I know if I was the boss I wouldn't pay both. If you're normal looking and a little on the younger side they'll probably pay for your airfare, but if you're older it may be more difficult. Some posters may dispute that.

What is with people getting 15~20 copies of their transcripts? Are they thinking of signing 20 contracts and never going back to their home countries in between? You only need transcripts for each job that you actually take. If you're handing over a copy at each interview you're crazy.

Good luck.

RachaelRoo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Anywhere but Ulsan!

It is always wise to bring more money than you are likely to need, but I doubt that you would really need to stay in a motel for a full month. Let's say you arrange the interviews before you arrive through a recruiter - you arrive, spend two nights recovering and taking in Korea, then have an interview every second day for, say, six days. That's three interviews - choose one position. It will take a week or less to get your 'blue form' (mine was processeed in 2 days) - then you're off to Japan and ready to work in two days. That's less than two weeks of motel living. My employer even let me stay in the apartment they provide while my blue form was being processed. Total nights I spent in a motel upon arrival without a job? Two. It all depends. How old are you and are you normal looking? I don't mean to be rude, but someone who is fat, old, or really goofy looking might have a problem. Someone who is presentable and 22-32 years old is going to have more job offers than they can sort through.
I suggested 15-20 copies of your transcripts because they are free, so if you loose them or decide you love Korea so much that you never want to leave, you don't have to deal with the hastle of getting more.
The night(s) in Japan are a real incentive for coming over sans visa. You'll meet a whole bunch of white people all heading in your direction. 60-70% will probably be Canadian. It takes 15 minutes to fill out the paperwork for your Visa and then your can tour and party all night long. It's an amazingly well developed and interesting country.
Recruiters will be happy tp set up interviews for you before you arrive. You can even find out the basics about the school, set up interviews with the ones that sound suitable, and then observe the details once you're here - that's probably the most efficient way to go.