Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ttompatz]

[frankly speaking]

100% agree with you Tom.

However, when applying for positions that aren't entry level, you would be up against people with actually relevant experience that 100% pertains to the job and not just how you spin it.

I know too many people that have been in Asia for 4+ years that tried to go back and get into the field that they are actually trained in. Most of them have had very little luck and almost all have had to start from the bottom. Many have also had to go back to University to brush up on relevant skills.

You are a bright guy with a lot of good advice here, but be careful to paint too much of an optimistic picture on EFL jobs in Korea helping someone get jobs in an unrelated field back home.

Yes, you might have basic communicative ability, but someone that has only been in Korea for a year or two most likely won't. If you parade your language skills, they might put it to the test.

If you think it is that easy, then I challenge you to actually go back and try and get a good non entry level position parading your unrelated qualifications.

Unrelated experience, is unrelated no matter what country you are doing it in.

I think that people that actually have a career path should stick to it. It looks much better on a resume to be building towards something rather than switching in mid stream every few years to do fun and interesting things.

One year post graduation isn't going to hurt you, but if you stay in Asia for a while, it will be hard to get back in the game.

[goniff]

the short answer is...

NO!

[Hotpants]

If you already have a steady job back home, and if you are just thinking of Korea as a temporary escape from the daily grind, don't do it. TEFL doesn't sound like the answer for your situation. The job market is really a much tougher place for all these days whether at home or abroad, and anyone in a halfway decent job now is really lucky. Start applying for new jobs which might have more appeal, but don't quit your day job just yet.

[Sody]

[cedarseoul]

I agree with ttompatz; his "mock interview" resembles the interview that landed me my job (which is not entry-level). And as for my wife's paralegal position...it's entry-level in her firm, but above average in terms of salary.

Now, like I said--we're coming back. We preferred ESL to the office grind. We'd rather live in Seoul than Cincinnati.

But in my interviews here in the States, managers were very interested in the fact that I survived--thrived, even--in an "exotic" environment, that I embraced the challenge of living overseas, that I developed basic communicative skills in a second language that's not Spanish. Maybe this experience wouldn't help so much in a highly specialized field or for an executive-level position...but for the types of jobs most BA's and BBA's pursue, I think it can be relevant and an "edge" over young would-be professionals who never left the comforts of home.

[winterfall]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[frankly speaking]

Very good points Patrick.

My example interview wasn't personal experience though, I was just characterizing the typical 1-2 year teacher in Korea. Not those that are professional teachers that are building a career path.

[PatrickGHBusan]

I know frankly speaking.

I just thought your interview example was quite useful.

[KoreanAmbition]

Go to China for 3 or 4 years.... make sure the final year is working in one of the main cities.

Study Mandarin as hard as you can.

Then return home, and make sure you highlight your Mandarin fluency at the top of your resume.

You won't have any problems getting interviews.

[misher]

Yep,

It is one of the things that shocks me about South Korean ESL teachers. the vast majority of them can't speak any Korean whereas I met many teachers that had JLPT 2 and a high level of mandarin, spanish etc from living a few years in those respective countries teaching. You can harp on all you want about how useless Korean is but if you put in some effort an employer will take notice. I've managed to get some good part-time work already because the adjossis that hired me were impressed that I've only been here for 8 months and can speak at a lower intermediate level. To them they saw it as determination and motivation.

And no survival Korean doesn't count. An employer will not be impressed because over 4 years you learned how to say "left and "right" and blah blah blah "chuseyo."

If one cared about their future they would make an effort to at least get to a lower intermediate level (to the people that stay only one year to travel this post doesn't really apply) . Too bad most ESL teachers can't be arsed. They're throwing away a good opportunity in my opinion.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[fustiancorduroy]