Korean Job Discussion Forums

[melbutch]

I�m a recent college graduate who is planning to move to South Korea to teach English in the fall, and I�m overwhelmed by the variety of agencies and companies for teachers. I�ve read a multitude of horror stories on these forums, but there is not a lot about really positive experiences. So now I�m wondering: in your opinion, what is the best agency to work with?

By �best�, I mean a few different things; who is the most reputable? Who provides the best benefits and highest salaries? Who provides reliable pre- and post-departure support for questions and concerns? Who have you had a positive experience with?

(It may be helpful to note that I have a B.A. in International Studies and Political Science and do not have TEFL or CELTA certification. I have two years of teaching experience abroad.)

I really look forward to your feedback!

[Ukon]

A good School under SMOE or GEPIK/EPIK would probaly be best....

Truth be told, it really deals with local staff at whatever branch/school....even wonderland has good branches.....

[ontheway]

There are thousands of schools employing E2 English teachers in Korea. Most will employ one to three foreign English teachers. There are hundreds of medium sized schools employing four to ten foreign English teachers. There are a small number of very large schools employing more than ten E2 English teachers in a single location.

Of course the chains have large numbers, but for the most part, each branch will have just a small number of native English teachers on staff, and for most purposes, it will be similar to other schools of that size that are not part of a chain.

You should read up on Dave's, and when you find a school that you like, do a search for that school.

[melbutch]

The reason why this is a little confusing to me is because there are SO many negative posts about the practices of EPIK/GEPIK and other companies/recruiting agencies. Yet there are very few posts about having a positive support experience. Are all those complaints the exception rather than the rule?

[Otherside]

[lookingforworkinasia]

EPIK/GEPIK/SMOE generally maintains a certain standards of paying you on time and avoiding problems that could be construed as fraud, which is a blanket statement that can't be uniformly applied to Hagwons. Additionally, most public school jobs will offer better working hours, benefits, etc. than the private sector. There are exceptions of course, but in general this is a good way of looking at it.

That being said, I'm currently considering breaking my EPIK contract and looking for a new job. For the most part I'm very happy with my position. All my students and co-workers are great, and I've had very few problems that I haven't been able to work out with just a friendly conversation. I've actually stayed as long as I have specifically because I love my school so much. I'm thinking about leaving because dealing with EPIK, as an organization, is just...yeah. Let me put it this way: Even though my job is great, I regret having to deal with EPIK in order to get it.