Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chilgok007]

........

[chilgok007]

On a related note, has any one ever heard of any business English hakwons? If so, what are they like?

[wylies99]

Most of them won't talk about it- they don't want competition.

[wylies99]

See?

Greedy SOB's.

[PRagic]

Hmmm. No corporate experience, no business degree, no education degree, a year of experience at a hakwon. OK, I'd say you are just as qualified as anyone to teach at a company if they'll hire you.

A lot of the big companies do indeed recruit on Dave's, but I believe you will find that they are looking for people with education or business degrees, and they do attract people with MBAs who are looking to just get a corporate rather than hakwon name on their CVs (though it really doesn't help them much anyway).

You can try working through corporate agencies that send people out to companies, but, then again, you'd have to ponder the legalities.

In general, if you want something, you have to invest. Get an MBA, or a CELTA/DELTA. Try doing more coporate oriented teaching. Whatever it takes. If you continue to sit back and say, 'Well, I have no appropriate qualifications, but I'd like to do something," then you are going to have to get mighty lucky. And, no, most people don't want the competition. In short, stop trying to take the easy way around everything and be proactive.

[jmbran11]

I work for one of the aforementioned Chaebols, so I'll throw you a bone and tell you how things work here. I can only speak for my office.

The vast majority (if not all) of my coworkers have a Master's Degree or several years of teaching experience. Many have both. I would estimate about 1/3 have significant business experience. We were hired from inside and outside of Korea. We range in age from late twenties to mid-fifties, which means virtually no one is fresh out of university.

Management hires through TESOL conventions in the U.S. and the occassional ad on ESL Cafe. I have been told that when the company places an ad, there are hundreds of responses, so a good resume is necessary. As far as I know, foreigners requiring an E-2 visa are not hired through recruiters, though some of the Korean-American/Candadians (F-4 status) are hired through employment agencies.

If you want to work in the corporate-teaching world, just keep applying. Build your resume with another year or two of teaching experience in Korea. Consider completing a Masters Program while you're at it. Try to acquire a part-time job teaching at offices in the mornings or evenings to build corporate experience, possibly through www.worknplay.co.kr or word of mouth (of course, it's your responsibility to do so legally). Try to move up on the food chain (hogwon to quality public school to university) and keep an eye open for an possibilties. Then, when you apply, make sure you put your best foot forward with a professional resume (and photo/video/lesson demonstration as needed).

And, it's probably true that no one is going to go out on a limb to hook you up with your dream job.

In any case, good luck!

[chilgok007]

[chilgok007]

And another question:

Do you think it's possible to "backdoor" your way into a major corporation through English teaching? Do most Corporate English teachers stay English teachers or do they ever find other positions in the company? Not that I'm looking for an "easy way around" this, but before I entered this line of work my original goal was to work in business, and I still want to persue that goal in future. My line of thinking was that getting a corporate teaching job would be a nice "transition." Am I thinking about this the wrong way? PRagic did say: "they do attract people with MBAs who are looking to just get a corporate rather than hakwon name on their CVs (though it really doesn't help them much anyway), " So I'm guessing even this type of job doesn't count for much more than general work experience outside of the EFL field. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Tukkong]

To the best of my knowledge, and from what I have heard, teaching will not lead to a business job...even if you have business qualifications.

[wylies99]

In other words, it's who you know.


Brevity.

[PRagic]

The golden rule of thumb in Korea is, 'Once and English teacher, always an English teacher.' Never get your hopes up of breaking into the business side of the company once you are on board as an English teacher. You will simply be an augmentation to the building of their business skills - nothing more, nothing less. The management structures at Korean firms are highly xenophobic, or, if you want to be politically correct, they do not assume that foreigners can accept the rigid hierarchy and function successfully to the benefit of the company. Ok, that plus the pay is subpar and the hours are insulting.

And I would suggest thinking long and hard about going to corporate teaching route. You'll get less vacation, work more hours, and have more b.s. to wade through than if you worked at a university. Some of the places pay a decent wage, but, then again, you are usually stuck at a corporate training center in the middle of who-wants-to-be-HERE, and you'll be pulling a 9-5.

If you have your heart set on a real corporate job in Korea, you'd be better served to get your MBA from the best possible school in N. America (or an international business or economics degree from a leading European university such as Helsinki or L.S.of B.), get hired in the West, and then shoot for a transfer back over here. They don't do a lot of hiring from in-country. Most Korean business people I know take the attitude of 'why are you here, anyway, and why do you want to work in Korea? Kind of a complex here at the national level.

[justin moffatt]

Informative post. I just landed a corporate gig, and am waiting for the politics to ensue. The first two weeks have been too ideal (surfing the net), waiting for the teaching schedule to formulate. My largest concern is the Korean work practices to be enforced, with an expectation to work beyond my 9-5 hours and beyond the agreed teaching hours (which of course was not in writing). Fortunately, I am not working at the infamous training business camps. However, I am unsure how to be firm yet reasonable when their expectations begin to increase. Again, as I have indicated previously in posts, the job security in these types of positions is fleeting (compared to uni gigs which are less likely to ax you during the semester if you request adherence to a contract). Any thoughts?

[PRagic]

In for a penny, in for a pound. You already took the job, so get ready to play by the house rules:

1) Don't be too geared up to offer your input on business matters. It's not your place, and you are nowhere in the decision making hierarchy. Don't be dissapointed when nobody asks you, either.

2) "Flexible" is a word you should have tatooed onto your forehead. A couple of extra hours? Will do. Can't take vaction then? Such is life. If you start throwing up the contract, you'll be percieved as a person that puts their own affairs ahead of the harmony of the company/department/team. That's not good. Thems the breaks. When in Rome....

3) Stash the ego at home before you go in. Stay calm, stay polite, and defer to your elders. Brush up on your Korean etiquette as well. Two hands, turn the head, watch where you smoke and when (if you do), go out when they want, even if you don't want to...you know the drill.

4) Get into the language pronto. Nothing makes you look better here than trying to make a go of it. Dig the food, dig the language, or at least learn to consistently seem like you do.

The up side is that you are there to teach English, and that goes hand in hand with speaking in a culturally effective way. You can call the shots in the classes, but be ready to do it differently when you head out. That is, unless they want to try it your way even socially.

[Kimchieluver]

[PRagic]

Fantastic example, and that's nothing to sneeze at. That'll cover your weekends out, or at least your utilities and phone and/or management fees. Nice going there.

You learn as you go, and you'll take a lot more with you when and if you leave to head back to your home country.