Korean Job Discussion Forums

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

Well, we're interviewing again...

The guy today came in dressed for a picnic! Cargo pants, T-shirt...

1st strike against him.

I asked: Do you have a resume?

He looked at me as if this were the most unusual thing he's ever been asked for!! Rolling Eyes

Strike 2.

Do you have any documents? Diploma? Transcripts?

Nope!

Strike 3!

Rolling Eyes

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

So, people just kind of drop into your hagwon for interviews?

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

First, it's a university.

Second, no...he was scheduled for an interview...apparently he was recommended to my boss by someone from a sister school.

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

Lemonade · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: South Korea

OP, if you are getting all these types of applicants at one time, has it ever crossed your mind that a disgruntled person is behind a lot of these emails?

I've been in the position of having to hire a lot of employees... it's not fun. The worst is when you hire someone and later down the road you wind up regretting that decision. For example, your boss catches them embezzeling funds and/or stealing merchandise. Twisted Evil

There's a lot of evil people out there. I learned, "never trust anyone with money" the hard way. Sometimes the people you like the most turn out to be the worst underneath all that play acting.

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

after reading this thread, i really dont wonder anymore about why ESL teachers have a bad reputation here...

Aussiekimchi · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Location: SYDNEY

welcome to my world.
I get all types.
From Koreans claiming to be gyopos after a 6 month vacation in Vancouver to the 74 year old man in a trench coat wanting to teach at any girls school! ....Yes I have the photo and was tempted to use it as my avatar!
You all know about the transcripts ... a kiwi sent me his in a ripped envelope from the local electrical commission!
One American sent his actual passport not a photocopy!
All over the world there are parents who get terminally ill....strange how all of their offspring have applied to work in hagwans in Korea!
The applicants who send their photos after much photoshopping. We meet them at the airport and walk right past them.
There was an American who sent his photo where the camera must have been sitting on the floor or a table below him. He looked like a giant. Met him at the airport...he was about 5ft1!
And lastly, there was a guy who applied this year.
This is my favourite....
I asked him why the decision to come to Korea...
he told me that he was presently in Thailand and could not find a girlfriend...he had heard that Korean women were more accomodating....

(Guys read between the lines here...I REALLY cleaned that quote up!)
OH
MY
GOD!

I really do hope none of the above people are working in Korea!

thegadfly · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I had one applicant come to a Sunday interview -- the school was closed on Sunday, but I agreed to meet him because his resume looked ok, he was in Korea already, and he seemed nice on the phone.

He shows up 90 minutes late, wearing shower-shoes, Hawaiian shirt, and shorts, unshaven and reeking of soju...I had met him at the subway station, shook my head, and told him he had wasted my time...he followed me halfway home before I finally got rid of him.

Another fellow asked several times during the interview, "so, can I hit the kids? Some of those little $hit$ need discipline! How hard can I hit 'em? Can I use a stick." No, not a joke...guy was dead serious...he actually made ME nervous during the interview....

Then there was the fellow with a great resume...he seemed surprised when he was asked to discuss the terms of his contract. My boss was willing to give more than the advertised base salary because the fellow's resume and interview were so good. At the time the advertised base was 2.6 million (was a good school). My boss asked what the fellow would like as his salary. The guy replied 1 million. My boss asked again, and got 1 million won as the answer again. I stepped in and said, "you know, the advertised base salary is 2.6 million -- you are asking for 1.6 million won LESS a month." The guy replied that as long as he was happy, he didn't care about the money. Boss looked at me, I looked at him and shrugged. My boss ran and wrote out a new contract for 1 mill.

Later that night, the guy comes back to the hakwon (I was working late on paperwork) and starts beating on the door. He is drunk and angry, waving the contract at me saying, "your racist boss is offering me a million won because I am black, isn't he?" Didn't know quite how to reply.

Apparently, you negotiate in Korea by asking for far LESS than you want, then the other guy offers you far MORE than you are worth, then the two of you come to a middle ground you can both accept. Seriously. He explained it to me, in detail. The guy was from Chicago, and claimed to have a degree in law...gonna guess he never won a case, hence his need to teach in Korea....

"Your Honor, my client is guilty as charged!"
"but..."
"No buts! He is guilty!"
"Fine...next case."
"D'oh!"

Aussiekimchi · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Location: SYDNEY

University degree - $30 000
Airfare - $2000
Summer Hawaiin clothes- $500
Soju consumed the night before the interview - $15

"Oops..forgot I am an idiot!" - priceless.

This guy dressed in the Hawaiin shirt, cargo pants and reeking of soju seems to growing in notoriety.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject:

Dan The Chainsawman · Joined: 05 May 2005

My esteemed facility of edutainment recently interviewed a man who claimed to have a Ph.d. and also claimed to work full time at a major Korean univeristy. Further, he agreed to come work for us for a mere 25k an hour for roughly 16 hours a week.

I think they turned him down apparently they thought he was asking to much.

Trespasser · Joined: 25 Apr 2006

Wow!

Why in the world would people behave in such a manner? Do they really think that it could be beneficial? I can't imagine doing or saying any of the things you all have mentioned. How mortifying.

I will be in S. Korea later this month looking for employment. Interviews have never been exactly easy for me because I can get nervous. However, nervousness is a far cry from thoughtlessness. Do any of you have any tips regarding what employers prefer to see in a candidate?

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

Dress for the interview: Suit, dress shirt and tie is best, but dress shirt and tie would be acceptable. For women, a nice skirt or pants and "dressy" type shirt.

Take a shower!! We don't care if you have long hair, short hair, a beard, mustache or tatoos, as long as you're CLEAN!

BE ON TIME!! If you're late (and because of our location, people sometimes get lost...we understand that) CALL and tell them your ETA. Interviews are arranged when WE have free time. Being 30 minutes late may cut into our class time and someone else may need to be called to sit in on the interview.

Ask questions! We want to answer them and will to the best of our ability.

Bring your documentation. Resume (so what if you already sent it), diploma, passport, transcripts, letters of recommendation, passport sized photos and the like.