Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eac02]

Does anyone know how many SMOE positions are open for September and how competitive it is? I've heard there are tons of positions, so many that they are having trouble filling them and I've also heard there are only a few positions and it is really competitive.
I want to know what my chances are of getting a job.

[Bibbitybop]

There are positions that go unfilled and the number of positions has been growing. They even hire people who start after the beginning of the semester just to fill spots.

SMOE does hire people with only a 4 year degree and nothing more, but they really do want someone with a field related to education or English. If you don't have a degree in those fields, at least get a TEFL to boost your chances. Tutoring some immigrants in your home country would help, too. Many universities look for people willing to spend an hour a week with a foreign student.

I find that recruiters often play up the qualification game. One friend of mine with an English-related Masters degree was told he "might not be qualified." What a joke. He got the job, of course.

[Flash Ipanema]

I just asked Julie at Worknplay if they had any public school positions available before August. She said they only had positions in Gyeonggi-do, not Seoul.

She could be wrong or not know all openings, or maybe we just have to wait for someone to quit early.

[eac02]

but are there positions open for august/ september?

[JJJ]

Of course there are positions open in August. There are positions open all the time. I finished with SMOE last year, took some time off, gave them a call a few weeks ago and just started on Monday back here in Seoul.

So, if you want to start in August, send your resume in early June or so, get your background check done, send for a few copies of your transcripts, get them all notarized and be ready to move to Seoul.

[bassexpander]

They always have open postions.

They "try" to put out a PR campaign around hiring time about how "tight" the market is, and that there are few jobs out there. It's a lie.

The reality is that there are many jobs open, but they often stop hiring after a certain date is reached (but they will probably hire for the next semster shortly).

The people with SMOE/EPIK/GEPIK play this PR game where they come out and state how they've filled the positions and have an abundance of teachers from Japan who are coming, etc... there was some fruitcake from SMOE or GEPIK (I forget which) who was quoted saying this about 2 or 3 months ago. I am convinced they try to do this to either save face, save their jobs in the face of a new administration, or for negotiating purposes to make foreigners think they should snap up whatever crap-low offer they put on the table.

Now, about 3 weeks ago, we saw a different article stating that hundreds of these positions were never filled. So much for that dumb-ass Korean guy bragging about how they had so many "more qualified applicants" from Japan.

The truth, as we have learned, is that only a certain amount of open positions are made available to recruiters, so that's why recruiters often say that "no jobs are available." They aren't about to tell you to ask another recruiter who has more openings -- they'd rather place you in one of their current jobs, or a crap hagwon. This is why it's important to shop around and talk to many recruiters.

There is a rumor, which I have heard from very reliable sources, that a family member of a gov't official has been awarded the right to "sell" the openings off to different recruiters. Each recruiter is allowed only a certain number of openings to advertise, and this lucky guy gets a cut of whatever the recruiters sell..... nothing like using your own family member to make money off of the government's English teacher plan, eh? I'm sure this individual is raking in millions.

Meanwhile, many positions go unfilled. This situation is ripe for a good news story.