Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mick_luna]

I've been looking around the forums at ESL Cafe, and I'm wondering about what the visa situation is like in these countries. I heard about the arrests and deportation of a lot of Canadian teachers in Korea last year.

My situation is like this: I've got loads of teaching experience, and i'm a voracious reader and a natural autodidact, so I feel more qualified than lots of people i know with a Masters. i put down the degree on my CV, because a lot of employers just automatically filter you out if they don't see that, and because I feel i more than qualify for having achieved that level of education. i didn't complete my university degree because i felt like a lemming being processed through the academic environment.

i haven't regretted going out and discovering the world for myself, but i realize it isn't a view shared by a lot of employers. and the particularly strict laws in much of Asia may make this especially touchy.
I've been told that work is possible in Japan and Taiwan (not sure about Korea) sans degree, with sufficient work experience.
OK, there it is ;0)
www.exotica.freeservers.com www.portfolios.com/exotica

[Big Mac]

I wouldn't go to Korea without a degree. You can teach illegally and maybe not get caught....but I wouldn't risk it. Especially since they've been cracking down.

If you don't have a degree it is pretty well guaranteed they will not grant you the E-2 Visa.

[keithinkorea]

You need a degree to teach in Korea. You wont get an e2 visa otherwise. The only way of working 'semi-legally' teaching in Korea is if you're a gyopo (ethnic Korea), if you have that then I've heard you can tutor here legally, or even if it is slightly illegal as you're a blood Korean they'll turn a blind eye to it.

As there are so many people teaching with degrees not having one will put you at a serious disadvantage and probably not allow you work in pretty much any teaching job.

You may think you have the equivalent experience of a degree holder, but nobody has actually validated that have they? You haven't earned a degree no matter how intelligent you are.

I've only met one teacher (who admitted) to buying his degree of the internet and not earning it. Actually, I heard he was an excellent teacher, but illegal all the same.

On the other hand the freakiest teacher I've met in my time in Korea had an MA and was a truly frightening individual.

[Homer]

You may be experienced and intelligent but teaching in Korea still requires a completed university degree.

Considering what happened here lately, I would not advise coming here to teach illegally.

You may have to consider other options or...sadly lemm it out and complete that degree you never finished....

[SuperFly]

I would not make my decision based on what 10 or 15 personalities respond on this thread. It might have been a few years ago (96-99) that I was teaching in Korea, but I met at least 30-40 people of various backgrounds that were not only teaching illegally, (Not always because they didn't have a degree, but more so for the freedom to charge more and work more) most of them were never caught. Of course there are busts, and you run a huge risk. While I think personally it's a bad idea...I wouldn't discourage you from at least checking it out because I did meet a few well qualified people who did quite well for themselves.

Example: Lets call him Jim. He played ultimate had lots of friends maybe one of them could verify this story. Jim rode a motorcycle, lived in a great little house and had real nice parties. Jim worked all his hours in a big hospital. He taught the doctors, he taught their wives, he taught their kids.

Jim had a Phd and previous teaching experience in the usa.

Jim made a lot of moola and Jim rode his bike accross Russia when it was done. He also paid off a house back home.

Every body dance now...

[chronicpride]

Sorry Mick, only cute North American girls under 30 can get turned the blind eye on such things over here, at the moment.

[Beavis]

[deleted]

[JeJuJitsu]

[mick_luna]

I'm aware of the facile reasoning behind the degree. While 'finishing what you start' is the time-honoured cliche, it says nothing about the social processing of millions of lemmings (sorry, students) through impersonal academic labyrinths. What the first,second and third degree is really about is a machine-worshipping society's answer to primeval coming-of-age hazing rituals. Testosterone-fuelled fraternities and armies aren't content with this bureaucratic replacement for the ancient Lord of the Flies weeding-out process, and so continue to torture and occasionally kill would-be junior members of the club.

But i guess i can assume anyone who quotes Konen the Baawbarian is quite happy with that state of affairs. Long live the status quo, all hail Emeror for Life Bush and his dynasty.

[mindmetoo]

[Yaya]

[billybrobby]

mindmetoo summed it up nicely. In my mind, I can hear Brad Pitt's voice saying "you are not a unique and beautiful snowflake."

[TECO]

LMAO,

Lot of jokers on this thread that think they got it all figured out because they've got their degree.

The most idiotic people I've met in my life have been in university. Some of the brightest, articulate and well-read people I've met have never been to college.

Let's see....who didn't finish university....Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs....

Pure comdey - people here lecturing on the Korean philosphy underpinning immigrations reason for requiring a degree. LOL!!!

What do you guys know anyways, you're just migrant worker TEFL'ers.

[mick_luna]

well put, TECO. Some of the greatest thinkers in history didn't have 'credentials,' approval or accreditation from their society. Socrates comes to mind (a stone mason), Jesus (a carpenter), Van Gogh (a penniless artist with severe depression), even Einstein had problems in school. And as TECO said, a lot of great entrepreneurs started off with nothing, and never had any formal higher education. Henry Ford would be a prime example (not that i approve of his right wing politics,but he was an undoubted success as a businessman).

And I love the assumption by Yaya and the poster before her
that all of those not 'slaving away' for a degree are party animals, or hippies off seeking a better high. Firstly, you self-righteous, fascist-loving machine components, getting a degree is not such a Herculean task. Working in a coal mine or on an oil rig to supply your energy, or fishing for your seafood in storm conditions, those are Herculean tasks.

And when we have a president of the United States who dodged the draft, did cocaine and partied for most of his adult life, then gets pushed into office by his family connections, but can't even spell or speak properly, don't talk to me about your meritocracy. Never mind the fact he's a fascist terrorist.

I actually didn't know what a lot of machine-think posters we had on this site. I've actually run into a lot more interesting thinkers, generally. And I don't just mean because you were disparaging to me, or to 'my kind' as you picture us. In your mind, are all of the working class of the world that way because they are stupid and lazy, and that you have your advantages because of what a superior person you are? Must be nice in your little ego-driven world. And as pointed out earlier, a lot of working class people rise above that level through ingenuity, rather than jumping through your academic hoops.

[Yaya]