Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rumple]

So I go into my first uni interview today...it is in Daejeon, and at a well respected university (good reputation with ESL teachers, and quite large in size).

I've got two years experience teaching in Korea, and a Master's degree, and I'm thinking, "I'm competent."

Then I see my competition: they put about ten of us in a room together and called us one by one. I'm 35, and was the youngest. The first applicant to walk in after me started speaking what sounded like fluent Korean to an administrative assistant. Nobody in the room (besides me) had less than 5 years experience in Korea. Most of them were already at universities and were trying to move up to a better one.

They are hiring for more than one position, but damn, that's still some killer competition.

I had a 15 minute interview with two foreign teachers (there was a Korean there, but he just observed), and then a short teaching demonstration in front of three older, distinguished-looking Korean women, both of which spoke fluent English.

My unsolicited advice is, if you're going to apply to the majors, you gotta have game! I'm usually great in an interview, but all of the above was intimidating.

[chriswylson]

Daejon = "the majors"?! One day maybe you'll make it to Seoul.

[Rumple]

[chriswylson]

It is the caliber of the competition, the amount of competition, and how well the university shows that they want to hire good people (i.e. salary and benefits package).

Exactly. So why stay in Daejon then?! Get out of the CBA and join the NBA!

[DrunkenMaster]

Rumple, a very large amount of these people are shopping around for the best gig they can find, and if you hang in long enough, you might find that you get a job offer when you weren't expecting it.

[crazy_arcade]

I guess the Seoulcentric posters on this board have never heard of Kaist....

[chriswylson]

KAIST is one, yes.... the ONLY decent school outside of Seoul actually. Nice try anyway.

[bassexpander]

Daejon?



Ooooooooooookkkkkkkkk...........

Generally, our uni doesn't get to hire the top two or three candidates on our list. They go to better schools.

And we're in Seoul, by the way.

[KoreanAmbition]

Why is it that most people refer to "the best school" without caring what the teacher wants?


If every single teacher out there considers University XYZ at THE BEST IN KOREA but it doesn't appeal to a certain teacher, then it doesn't matter.

If someone wants to teach in Daejon, as this OP does, then he doesn't overly care about the situation in Seoul. In fact, some or possibly many of the others that interviewed against him might not care for Seoul either.

Bassexpander, what university are you at again? I thought you were at a good school, but you claim that your top recruits normally go elsewhere.

[ChinaBoy]

[Rumple]

[esetters21]

[DrunkenMaster]

[IMF crisis]

Any idea what the starting salary would be at this Daejeon uni?

[chriswylson]

Chriswylson, you seem to think you know the best universities in Korea. Let us hear your top five for reference.


There's a thing called Google. Or ask your Kaist girlfriend Seo InYoung, ha! Or even better... ask Mr. Dr. Prof. Pragic, PhD!!!