Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Oreovictim]

I had two interviews today. Tell me if these are normal, please.

Director from school # 1

1. When did you graduate?
2. Why are you interested in Korea?
3. Tell me about your family?
4. What's you marital status?

That's it.

Director from school # 2.

Well, he didn't really ask me many questions. In fact, he just kept talking and talking and talking, and I couldn't understand 80% of what he was saying. (Don't get me wrong; his English is better than my Korean.) He kept talking about how he likes to go hiking. And about every minute, he would just start laughing.

He finally asked, "When did you graduate from college." That's all he asked. I eventually asked him if he has any other questions about my background, and he said, "No, your education good."

Have you had similar experiences?

[Roch]

[Aussiekimchi]

OP,
both these interview scenarios are common and I could not understand why until I had to start speaking Korean over the phone.
It is really difficult. Same for the Koreans speaking English.
With both of your interviews, the schools will not necessarily be bad, you will just have to get most of your info about the jobs from the current teachers.
Most bosses when they have to speak to incoming teachers will try to be as brief as possible, relying on other avenues of communicating the job description to the teacher..either through current teachers or recruiters.
Try to get in contact with some people working at the school now. If that is not possible simply turn the job down and move on to the next one...but you may get the same interview each time.

[corroonb]

I've had both types but the personal questions are so annoying. I've been asked "You have a girl-friend" not really a question and I lied and said yes because they were looking for an outgoing teacher and I'm not outgoing. I'm confident but not outgoing but he didn't understand the distinction. Then he asked how long we'd been togther (my non-existent girl-friend and me). What possible relevance could any of this have to my ability to teach english?
Most are not this bad and some are very nice and friendly. I usually just use the awkward ones as "experience" but they can be off-putting. I think excessive laughter is probably a sign that they are confused and that you need to slow down and speak more clearly. Anyway good luck!

[Oreovictim]

Corroonb -

You have a good point about talking slower, but the weird thing was he was doing the talking and the laughing. But either way, I appreciate your input.

It's weird about the relationship thing. The director asked me if I had a girlfriend, and I said, "Yes." He then said, "Oh, you will miss her?" (I was wondering if he thought that I would miss her and would want to leave before my contract's up.) I should have said, "No, but I'll miss my cat."

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My first interview was over the phone. I couldn't see the point to some of the hogwan supervisor's questions. Later I found out that she was just asking the questions from one of the hogwan's listening tests because the boss was standing over her and she didn't want him to see that she couldn't speak English.

I interviewed for four public school positions, and these were more professional, apart from one principal who kept saying 'please, please work here' - desperate Koreans tend to throw me off.

What really befuddles them, however, is when the candidate starts asking questions, like how many academic versus how many vocational classes one will be teaching, or if one could see the textbooks the students use. Why would a prospective teacher possibly want to know about things like that?

At one school I was being interviewed by a panel, a member of whom asked if I could speak French. I responed in French and they seemed astounded. I could have been speaking Russian for all they knew.

[corroonb]

No problem.

I think its probably not a bad thing if he started chattering away, at least there were no awkward silences and moments of complete incomprehension.

Its refreshing when you speak to a Korean with good English. I have a very slight speech impediment and only one interviewer has ever mentioned it so I don't think most of them are really listening/comprehending anyway. As long as you're polite and agreeable it should be fine and if you have to just lie. Say you're confident, outgoing, active , captain of the soccer team etc. How will they ever know if its true or not?

If its going badly or if their questions are too weird or personal just make some excuse and hang up. Thats what I did when a young female director started flirting with me. That was really embarassing.

BTW the best way to get info is by e-mail either with a director or preferably with a foreign teacher already there. Don't use telephone interviews for anything important as there will probably be lots of confusion

[theatrelily]

personal questions in an interview are (in large part) why I turned down a job earlier this year...

Below are some of the questions that were asked:

So would you be willing to submit to regular, mandatory drug testing?
Do you drink?
How often do you drink?
How much do you drink each time?
And do you think that that's excessive?

I must have come across as such a lush !

[spliff]

[Hotpants]

I've sometimes interviewed candidates alongside a Korean interviewer. I think it's partly a lack of confidence in English, but also that many Koreans don't actually know what's expected in interviewing a foreigner. They are unsure of the right protocol, so it will often appear that they ask apparently vague or irrelevant questions. You just have to accept this and if you can make the interviewer feel at ease rather than patronized, then I think it says a lot for your cultural tolerance.

[SeoulShakin]

The questions I was asked during my interview made me laugh. At one point I believe I said "do you mind my asking why you need to know?"
Turns out there is no set standard here as far as what's legal and what's illegal to ask during an interview. In Canada, some of the questions I was asked were considered illegal. In Korea, it's not, and is just chalked up to trying to get a vibe off of a person.
I was asked:
-Why do you want to come to Korea? (understandable, yes?)
- Are you a vegetarian?
- What is your religion?
- Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend?
- Are your parents still together? Brothers or sisters?
- Do you drink?

I signed with this school, because out of all the school's I interviewed at, they were the most honest in their responses to my questions. I made a good decision it turns out.

When I brought up the interview at a company dinner one night (when we were drinking - that's why they wanted to know if I did, to see if I fit in with them when we all went out), I told them how these questions really threw me off, because you are never asked them in an interview in the West.

They had no idea, and subsequently asked if I would mind writing out a better list of interview questions for them to use in the future. It took me all of 5 minutes, and I did so gladly. I saw that they had my list printed out, and have been using it to interview candidates for our new teacher.

It's just a cultural difference, and I guess often, they don't realize that the questions they are asking us seem to come from left field.

[theatrelily]

Seoulshakin....

I can see that...

but in my case the interviewer was a foreigner...and he made it apparent that he was asking because he disapproved...

Had the questions been asked by someone Korean I would have figured it was because of a cultural difference...

But the guy was Canadian and must have known that they were inappropriate...

[Milwaukiedave]

Seoulshakin has a good point about their being a difference between legally being able to ask questions like that here and back home. In the US, you'd wouldn't dare ask any personal questions (maybe other then what are your hobbies).

It is quite strange, but I try to give a short answer and not give too much information.

[SeoulShakin]

theatrelily -

If the guy interviewing you was a foreigner, I have no idea why he was asking you these questions. Perhaps they were pre-written for him by a Korean, and he was simply doing as he was told, since he speaks English better?

Who knows... interesting though.

[Col.Brandon]

Reminds me of when a girlfriend set me up with an interview. The director was only interested in asking my girlfriend about our relationship. He glanced at some totally irrelevant stuff at the back of my resume (high school results from 20 years ago). He was totally clueless.

However, I was white and breathing so I guess I qualified.