Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lapd]

I give up..for the second time on Korea.

Korea was my first choice when I started out, but after having a job fall through, and other frustrations, I gave up, thinking I was too old.

I got a job in China at a University, where these idiotic age restrictions do not seem to apply. It was an interesting, but difficult experience, and I wanted to make some real money, so I decided to give Korea another try.

After two months of being jerked around, I am ready to give up on the whole thing. The first recruiter (unlike China, everyone who contacts me is a recruiter) was an idiot who barely wrote English, kept changing his mind about what documents I needed and actually emailed me some poor soul's criminal background record as an example of what I needed to do. Of course, I fired him.

I was then dealing with a lovely woman, who spoke perfect English at a large Hagwan. She offered me a contract, which I signed and returned. Since then, she has contacted me twice to tell me the jobs "will not be ready". Obviously, I'm being played for a fool again. Two months wasted and at this point, something like $78 spent on documents and express postage, I've got......bupkis (nothing).

No sarcastic comments please, I'd just like to know what is the problem with Korea? There are millions of people there teaching English, so someone must be getting the jobs, but how? Has anyone gotten a job without going through one of these moron recruiters? And how does one get a University job?

Thanks

[Sody]

Hey, is it possible to get your documents back? It might not be so bad, I have known many recruiters who have sent documents back when it didn't work out. So maybe you can save your shipping costs at least.

[milkweedma]

try a 'good' recruiter like worknplay.co.kr
im using them now to get a public school job. a lot of people reckon they're very good.

[Juregen]

Why use recruiters at all?

[pkang0202]

if you have credentials then you shouldn't have a problem getting a university job

Go to the job postings page on here. there are dozens of websites that post EFL job listings in Korea. In those you should find plenty of University positions.

[PRagic]

Sorry to hear of your predicament. I agree with the previous poster, though. If you're shooting for a university job, don't bother with recruiters at all.

If you're looking to 'make some serious money', hakwon jobs are definitely not for you, anyway!

Getting to Korea can be frustrating. Having said that, once you are here...oh, wait...no, it'll just keep getting more frustrating.

But isn't that part of the experience. If we wanted it easy, we'd have stayed 'home'.

[nomad-ish]

[nobbyken]

Isn't it true that because universities and colleges generally offer better employment packages, they don't pay recruiters any finders fee?

So I can see why recruiters cannot be bothered to look for university positions for you. Some recruiters will ask for a cut from your first paycheck as payment.
Hagwons and public schools are more desperate for people, so they use recruiters.

My first job, I contacted Gepik through their website. My second, someone on here kindly emailed me asking if I would like her position when she left.

[maingman]

Juregen writes :

Why use recruiters at all?


errrrr why...not

[Zaria32]

How old are you?

I'm 62...and yes, lots of Koreans dismiss me out of hand because of my age. But that hasn't stopped me from working here.

[nomad-ish]