Korean Job Discussion Forums

[panfilm]

I've been teaching in Central Europe for close to 10 years (same employer), and I'm thinking of moving on; Korea looks interesting, but I have some questions concerning the application process and the importance of the contents of the transcripts.

My issue is...

...when in university, I underwent a bout of severe depression. Four or five semesters in a row I signed up for full time classes (15 units each semester) but couldn't bring myself to go onto campus. Result: as many semester's full of solid 0.0 grade points / Fs. They killed what would have been an otherwise OK GPA.


Question #1: Would I automatically be rejected on the basis of the low GPA (2.3)

Question #2: The huge block of Fs can be explained with reference to the depression, but would I then have hung myself on my own petard, because the prospective employer will shun me as though diseased?

Question #3: Are apps, transcripts and suchlike held in some sort of clearing house, to the effect that were I to submit such an application + transcripts complete with truthful explanation of the Fs, would I thereby doom myself with regard to Korea?

Question #4: Is it an error to suspect that in Korea the opinion about depression is quite negative, that anyone with a hint of such trouble is toxic or radioactive?

Any advice, suggestions, recommendations...?

THANKS!!!!!!!!

[yingwenlaoshi]

Don't worry about it. Immigration, not your employer, needs your sealed transcript. It's only to prove that you graduated from university.

[panfilm]

I love your avatar --laughed right out loud. Thank you so much for the reply, I really appreciate your response...

[sarbonn]

Like Ying said, no one is going to care about your grades. I would be really careful about revealing depression though. They are really anal about pretty much anything health or mental wise that comes up.

[oldtactics]

Nobody cares about the bad grades. DON'T draw attention to them with a letter. They just need to see that 'degree conferred' at the top.

As for the depression, I don't think it's looked upon as 'negative' as much as it's looked upon as 'don't ask don't tell'. Korean society doesn't really encourage the discussion of -feelings- so any issue that one has is a personal issue that doesn't get talked about with others. Therefore, I wouldn't bring it up around your employer or coworkers.

Korea's wonderful, hope your application goes well!

[storysinger81]

If anyone does ask, just say someone in your family was experiencing health issues at the time and you needed to be with them. Then refuse to answer more questions about it.

You're not lying. Technically. You are a member of your own family.

As others said, don't freak out about it. Your experience abroad should cancel out any hesitations employers have about your uni record.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Yeah - you're in luck here. No one will care. The bigger question is *if* you can come up with all the necessary paperwork, not whether it's filled with As, Bs, Fs, 4s, or 0s.

[Ukon]

How the hell did you pass university?

[Ramen]

[Cerriowen]

[ChinaBoy]

[AminoUp]

ChinaBoy --

Though I've never been there myself, I've seen ads for a Dr Park's Psychiatric Clinic in the Seollung area... might be worth a shot if you're needing those sorts of services. I've heard from other foreign teachers that pretty much all antidepressants from back home are available here, but again, you have to be super-secret about it.

...of course, this whole topic reminds me of the fact that I had to retake my drug test because Effexor apparently shows up as a scary and possibly-illegal substance, which was really no fun at all.

[Cerriowen]

[panfilm]

Thank you very much for the very illuminating responses to my post; I'm very relieved by the answers thus obtained, and will be actively looking for work in Korea...

[Lauremony]