Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ed1980]

Finally lost patience in our recruiters, a friend and I are flying out to South Korea at the end of the month to look for work.


any tips? must do's before we fly out (were from England) , is it as simple as:

fly out to Seoul,( or would you advise starting off somewhere else?)
check into a hotel
walk the streets lookig for suitable schools
get a job

?????????

i take it a return ticket is probably best? , the cheapest i have found is just under �400 - is that reasonable ? - where else is cheaper ???


thanks in advance people

[Derrek]

If I were you, after getting to the airport, take the shuttle bus to Itaewon. Itaewon is centrally-located, and a good location to reach many schools in Seoul. At the airport, the buses are located just outside of the front door -- can't miss 'em. Find the one that has "Itaewon" on the sign. You'll have to buy a ticket from the guy at the booth -- maybe it's 6,000 to 11,000 won. Don't take a taxi -- waste of money.

Take the shuttle bus to Hamilton Hotel. Stay there for one night, and look for a Yagwon the next day (cheap hotel). Yagwon will cost half what Hamilton does per night, or less.

If you'd rather go cheap -- I suggest a place like this: http://www.hostelz.com/display.php/17000+Kims'+Guest+House

[chronicpride]

ed,

Here are some ideas that have worked for others and can work for you:

-Before you leave England, go on ICQ, AIM, Yahoo Messenger, and MSN Messenger. Search for and message as many Korean people that you can find and explain that you are coming to Korea to learn and live in their culture and interest in finding a job and are hoping to make friends with any Koreans in Seoul, who could help you out getting oriented. You should be able to find some people that are interested in making a new foreigner friend. If so, make sure you get their phone number before you leave. Perhaps they'll even offer to meet you at the airport. At the very least, they'll be able to show you around, show you where english hogwans are (they're really easy to find if you have a Korean friend with you). If the schools you visit aren't hiring, ask if they have phone numbers of some recruiters that they deal with. Many schools have some relationships with smaller operators that don't advertise online for teachers and just try to place who is in-country and meet through networking. In my experience, these are the guys that have more jobs than teachers.

-When arriving in Korea, find a hostel to visit or even stay at. You'll find many other foreigners there that can offer advice and maybe even show you around. Many hostels in big cities also have bulletin boards with job postings on it.

-If you're having trouble making that Korean friend to help you find schools, you can likely find help from someone at the hostel or you can try going to organizations that specialize in expat services and orientation. Like YMCA, for example. People there can be a good resource of advice and assistance.

You'll realize, once over here, that it's all about networking and word-of-mouth. The more mouths that you find, the more opportunities will come up.

PS. Make sure you get phone numbers of current and former teachers of the school, to gauge their opinions, before you decide on your offers.
And 400 pnds sounds like a good deal, which is $900CAD to me. I'd take it.

[Squid]

Now is the winter of our discontent... Winter is approaching fairly quickly. Pack some decent warm clothes- slacks, sweaters... and at least one pair of extremely durable shoes.

The Itaewon idea is sound, and hit a few of the expat bars around there, you'll soon find out the areas to go to look for work.

Best of the proverbial.

[Harpeau]

Purchase some thermal (nuclear) long underwear. Land's End has an awesome catalogue (socks too!) Ask yourself what you need while you're here. You can bring many things, or just a few ~ depending on your personality.

When you get here, get a cell phone ASAP. Go to Technomart and get one that has an English menu (Nokia is good). You may have to ask for a card phone (BPS~PPS??) they're handy- pay 30,000 won in advance and then use up the time.

Another good thing is to get a name card. At this point, you don't need too many details on it- a name, degrees, email, webpage, and a phone number. Networking is important, but be careful how you come across to certain people.

Also, bring some sharp clothes with you, making a good first impression is important for many people. Bring things like vitamins, minerals, etc. Be careful to make sure that they are legal. Carry on any perscriptions and make sure tablet bottles are well marked. Take melatonin to help fight the jet-lag.

While looking for work, try and cover any tattoos. Some employers may get the willies from them.

I would suggest trying to find a nice little yogwan or small hotel for the first week. Getting over jet-lag is a pain and being in a noisy hostel may be hard on your sanity. Though, the tradeoff of meeting people might be good.

Be a little bit wary of MSNing total strangers. I personally wouldn't do it. Take life as it comes and you will do fine.
Be ready for anything. Expect the unexpected.
Best of luck as you head over. Have fun!

Harpeau

[ed1980]

thanks for your help you 4.

we are gonna fly out then head for itaewon. maybe one day I can buy you a beer over there to thank you for your help !

cheers again

[waterbaby]

You might want to have a look at this thread about Cheap Accommodation for One Month.

And this thread about Landing in Korea and then Finding a Job

[SuperFly]

And avoid the black taxi's unless your papa is rich.

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

[ed1980]

cheers all.


what do you think is a good price for travel insurance ?

considering not bothering but not too sure.