Korean Job Discussion Forums

[adventureman]

...

[some waygug-in]

So I was qualified to come to an interview, as I had sent my resume in previously with all my documents, but as soon as he saw me.........sorry, we aren't hiring. So why did he call me in for an interview?

I was wearing a business suit, was clean shaven, had a fresh hair cut.

I can't speak for schools in Seoul, this was in Busan. I've had recruiters tell me that xxxxx school won't hire you because your too old.

I am not saying that qualifications don't get considered, but unless you have a Masters , (which is way overqualified for most hagwans) then age/appearance are probably going to be the first considerations.


And did I mention the other place I applied at, where the 22 year old guy they had hired definately had less qualifications than I.

[JacktheCat]

There is one type of school that prefers older teachers: public high schools, most especially the girls high schools.

Hang in there. The schools that discriminate against us oldies are the ones you don't want to work for anyway.

This age thing is a little ridiculous, I am only 31, but I have already been told by two Korean universities than I am too old.

[YoungLi]

I wonder if you LOOK considerably younger than your actual age if they take that into account. I'm 35 years old but everyone says I look like I am in my mid twenties or younger. People are SHOCKED when I tell them my age. No offense, but I've seen twenty-somethings look quite a bit older than myself. I am STILL being frequently carded!

[shalom]

Hi,

Thanks for the info and encouragement. I appreciate it. I haven't yet applied for any position. Having wasted much of my life and now doing a degree, I intend to apply once I complete my degree.
Just eager to find out information, hence this post.

Thanks again

[bowery4]

After basicly 5 months of looking for a job (3 1/2 months in NYC, 1 1/2 here) I am still looking for a job IN SEOUL, I am here and I look about 30-35 but I am 45. Don't count on getting great offers!! I have gotten a few but always there is something wrong with the job. There are many reasons why this culture is the way it is about age. There is a confusionist (lol spelled wrong on purpose) type of thinking: that the older you are the more you have to be differed to. There is the shallownesses and in general slimlyness of the business here. I have qualifications and experience just slightly outside of the field of English teaching (3 and a half years teaching art to 2 1/2 years, k-8 and 1 year to college) but I would be a much better teacher than 80% of the 23-28 year olds I see runnung around this town. It is fustrating me to no end. The last couple told me I seemed too calm? LOL, Yeah I am not 14. I think it is best to search and get the job before you come here and of course now I am looking a little ways outside of Seoul. I wasn't really expecting this to be this big of an issue. MY GF lives in Seoul and I really want to see her w/o the 1 to 1 and 1/2 hour commute, but what ya gonna do? Oh BTW being from NYC I expected the subway would have express trains (not) and never thought it would be closing at 11:40 pm (Korean poor people curfew)whew.......no wonder it is so clean. Also BTW, some apt. leases say you can't have over night guests, check it out before you sign. Maybe I could understand if I had roomies but this is for a single person. Talk about culture shock.

[shalom]

bowery4 wrote,

"After basicly 5 months of looking for a job (3 1/2 months in NYC, 1 1/2 here) I am still looking for a job IN SEOUL".

Hoping and praying that you get a great job in the very near future bowery4, all the best with your search mate.

[desultude]

I was, fortunately, hired a few years ago. Now the person who sits on the hiring committees at our uni says that he prefers "younger" faculty as they are more "moldable".

By the way, he is a Westerner.

[YoungLi]

bowery4... I think you answered my previous question about looking younger. Really, it helps being female of any age in this this field where there are "already too many males." I think the discrimination has more to do with sex than age in many cases. That's what I'm hearing thru the grapevine from Directors.... they prefer females ... most of the time. At least they CAN come right out and say it legally. It's illegal to do that in the United States. Hey, maybe ask them what they perfer age and sex wise? Besides being a male though and your age you do have teaching experience and that counts for a lot. Why not look to a recruiter? What can it hurt at this point? Just a thought.

[bowery4]

Thanks, that is nice to offer your prayers and advice. I have a couple of recruiters and they seem to try anyway. That is good; I had Edward Kim from NETKOREA tell me I am just to old to get a job in Seoul, which was honest but ageist just the same. I understand but can't help to not like him for it, he could at least try! He has a couple of ok, looking jobs. I think next week, the plan is to go around to institutes on foot with my resume near Jong-ro and Kangnam.
I had an interview at Seoul English village Wednesday but it seems for 160 hours a month (plus they include some extra hours not paid in the contract, at least they are upfront about it) they only pay 1.8 and the housing is one room (on the "campas"), shared bath and they give you dorm like meals. I think it is kind of a bad deal. I was offered a part time job 3 days a week, a week and a half ago, 1.2 plus housing and severance 1/2 health and bonus, I would have to pay 1/2 the visa run as well and they take 75,000 extra for "utilities", and then I have to find other work. I think that offer is still open, so I might call them Wednesday and see if it is. I am running low on energy for searching, and that means I have to set up other PT work which may be easier (than searching for FT) and better paid but I am not sure (the reason I didn't take it in the first place).