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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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little L
Joined: 10 Sep 2007
Location: NYC
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 Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:34 pm Post subject: getting so discouraged |
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I'm a Gyopo looking for an ESL teaching job in Korea and no one will hire me (except for the crappy places that everyone disses on this forum)!! Everyone keeps rejecting me because I'm not Caucasian. I can't believe it, I've NEVER ever faced this kind of discrimination before, let alone in my own native country?!??!  I'm getting incredibly discouraged... any advice, anyone??    |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Have you triend public-school placement programmes like EPIK? EPIK's a big crap shoot, but I'd still much rather take my chances with it than one of the chain hagwons. |
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little L
Joined: 10 Sep 2007
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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| No, I don't even know what it is, but I'll Google it... thank you! |
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mj roach
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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If you read thru the job ads on the K/Job Board you will find jobs advertised for Kyopos.
The most recent ones posted by-
Worwick Lang. Studio- Sun. 16th
Sanbon EBY Talking Club -Tues. 18th
Recruiters posting ads for Kyopos -
ACE Thurs. 13th, Wed. 19th
Kims-Korea Sun. 16th, Tues. 18th |
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little L
Joined: 10 Sep 2007
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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I can't even tell you how many jobs/recruiters/schools I've applied to every day, with not much to show for except the really low paying offers with really bad contracts!! Today alone, I received 4 rejections for being a Korean-American... btw I don't speak Korean 
edit: I already applied with ACE, Kims, you name it... probably at least twice each! And I'm not an idiot... In fact, I pride myself on my grammar and spelling skills, went to a top university in the U.S., graduated with honors... basically, this sucks!  |
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Alyallen
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Location: The 4th Greatest Place on Earth = Jeonju!!!
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Public school.... |
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jeffkim1972
Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Location: Mokpo
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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Just go to CDI, ignore all the negativity about the place from here. It appears to me that it's the most reputable academy that doesn't care about hiring perfectly normal gyopos. Most of the negativity are from jealous types that were spurned by CDI.
I've been in the building and the atmosphere is very corporate, unlike some of the smaller hagwans which have day care atmospheres.
Learn some Korean as best and fast as you can and then you can easily work for a Korean company or multinational in Korea to begin a career.
You are also an F-4, so you can do privates.
It really is the loss of the Koreans for not hiring you, so don't feel bad. Korea is probably the most superficial place in the world.
If you went to a top college, then you're selling yourself short by teaching English, trust me. After a month of it, you'll tire of it anyhow.
Good Luck. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| little L wrote: |
I can't even tell you how many jobs/recruiters/schools I've applied to every day, with not much to show for except the really low paying offers with really bad contracts!! Today alone, I received 4 rejections for being a Korean-American... btw I don't speak Korean
edit: I already applied with ACE, Kims, you name it... probably at least twice each! And I'm not an idiot... In fact, I pride myself on my grammar and spelling skills, went to a top university in the U.S., graduated with honors... basically, this sucks! |
If so, why not go for a corporate job? |
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thegadfly
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:47 am Post subject: |
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You've "never faced this kind of discrimination before, let alone in your native country?" Um, you give the impression you were born and raised in America -- you don't speak Korean you say. Your native country is America.
I think I am going to start expecting people to refer to me as a Czechoslovakian-Yugoslavian-American, and start referring to countries I've never visited as my "Native country." Then when I get there and am not immediately accepted because of my skin hue and facial features ("we're the same blood, right! We're the same, take me in!"), I will complain about being a prodigal son that doesn't get his slain (slew?) fatted calf!
If your parents came from Korea, and you were born in America, your "native" country is America. And the discrimination you are facing here you have never faced in your native country.
That out of the way, good luck with your job search. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:30 am Post subject: Job |
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I really like Korean Americans. There were a nice couple living next door to me, & they really helped me settle in when I was clueless about Korea & fresh off the plane. They've gone back to the US now.
I'm sure I saw a job advertised in ESL Planet for a Gyopo / Korean American position. Good luck with your job hunt. EPIK would be a good place to start. |
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Freakstar
Joined: 29 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:13 am Post subject: |
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| jeffkim1972 wrote: |
Just go to CDI, ignore all the negativity about the place from here. It appears to me that it's the most reputable academy that doesn't care about hiring perfectly normal gyopos. Most of the negativity are from jealous types that were spurned by CDI.
I've been in the building and the atmosphere is very corporate, unlike some of the smaller hagwans which have day care atmospheres.
Learn some Korean as best and fast as you can and then you can easily work for a Korean company or multinational in Korea to begin a career.
You are also an F-4, so you can do privates.
It really is the loss of the Koreans for not hiring you, so don't feel bad. Korea is probably the most superficial place in the world.
If you went to a top college, then you're selling yourself short by teaching English, trust me. After a month of it, you'll tire of it anyhow.
Good Luck. |
Seriously, dude. Jeff here has some good advice. Chin up. Not sure why you're having such a hard time but I haven't faced any discrimination for being a gyopo since I got here - if anything, being a gyopo has helped me. I've been here for almost two months now and I flew out here without a job thinking I was just going to wing it and I'm glad I did.
I interviewed at two hagwons my first week here, and though I continued to get calls from hagwons to come in and interview, I didn't bother because one of the hagwons offered a sweet deal and I knew it wasn't going to get better than this for a total newb with no experience like me. 2.5 million KRW + housing or 30,000 KRW/ hour - based on a 30 hour work week, that's 3.6 million KRW a month. And by the way, per Jeff, CDI isn't for everyone...but they do pay well. I bet they'd hire you no problem.
So I went through training, taught for 3 weeks with no problems and then quit because I took a job from a Korean company. I'd faxed a cover letter and resume to 5 companies here in Seoul, followed up with phone calls and landed interviews with 4 of them and received 2 offers - this all happened in the last 3 weeks.
Are you fluent in Korean? I speak Korean and can read and write a little, but my Korean in general needs a lot of improvement. If I want to do well at this new job, I know that I'll have to work on my Korean ASAP even though I'll be mostly corresponding in English. Honestly, I could probably make more at my hagwon job and doing privates on the side, but the perks at my new job are pretty nice and it's worth it for me to try to make it in the corporate world here. I've talked to other gyopos who said they had friends who had a hard time finding jobs back in Canada or the US after teaching English out here and I don't want to encounter that same problem when I go back home.
Do you have an F4? If so, your visa status definitely gives you an advantage here. Anyway, just trying to encourage you and let you know that there are opportunities out there for people like you. Don't give up. Good luck, man. |
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little L
Joined: 10 Sep 2007
Location: NYC
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:06 am Post subject: |
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| Juregen wrote: |
| little L wrote: |
I can't even tell you how many jobs/recruiters/schools I've applied to every day, with not much to show for except the really low paying offers with really bad contracts!! Today alone, I received 4 rejections for being a Korean-American... btw I don't speak Korean
edit: I already applied with ACE, Kims, you name it... probably at least twice each! And I'm not an idiot... In fact, I pride myself on my grammar and spelling skills, went to a top university in the U.S., graduated with honors... basically, this sucks! |
If so, why not go for a corporate job? |
I actually have a corporate job (quitting today), and it's driving me bonkers. I can't stand sitting at a desk staring at a computer for 9 hours. I am considering getting my master's in education, which is why I'd like to try my hand at teaching for a year in Korea to see how I like it. This way I also will get to know my culture and hopefully also learn Korean.
I unfortunately can't get an F-4 visa because my mom is unable to locate her birth certificate in Korea to renounce her Korean citizenship. She said it's lost in some city hall somewhere because they don't keep very good records or something of that sort...
As for going over there on a whim... I considered that option, but am definitely wary of it. Not to mention, my family completely disapproves of that idea and I don't have the resources to get myself out of trouble if I were to need help. |
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trubadour
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:40 am Post subject: |
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| Race is gay |
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trubadour
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:42 am Post subject: |
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Sorry I'm knocking happiness.
Race, as a form of identity, is...
oh.. |
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50 Won
Joined: 14 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:03 am Post subject: Re: getting so discouraged |
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| little L wrote: |
| I'm a Gyopo looking for an ESL teaching job in Korea and no one will hire me (except for the crappy places that everyone disses on this forum)!! Everyone keeps rejecting me because I'm not Caucasian. I can't believe it, I've NEVER ever faced this kind of discrimination before, let alone in my own native country?!??! I'm getting incredibly discouraged... any advice, anyone?? |
Being a gyopo myself, let me tell you that you need to be patient. I've been teaching here for seven years and I understand your sentiments. My advice is to look for a hogwon job in your first year, but do your homework. Trust me, you don't want to have any regrets. Also, some employers prefer gyopos or hire them exclusively.
Stay on your grind, do your homework and you'll be okay. |
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