Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nwiley]

Hey Guys,
I went through a recruiting company called "reach to teach". They got me a job with Avalon. Where and when, are still up in the air as they have no positions opening yet. They are being slightly vague about when exactly I will be going.
Another twist, I am half korean. I am 100 percent American and have no accent. I don't speak any korean. However, I heard that this was going to be hard for me to deal with, in terms of getting jobs and just handling myself when I get there.
Someone from Daves recommended another recruiter to me. He is just one guy, not a company. He is Korean but grew up in America. He is fluent in Korean and lives in seoul. He promised me all the same things as my first recruiter did. However, he seems a bit more together.
Right now I am just wondering which recruiter to go through, because this second private recruiter has told me he doesn't really want to waste his time looking around for jobs if I am not going to go through him.
Anyone have any advice?
Thanks guys really appreciate.

[toadhjo]

While I don't have any personal experience, if you're looking for a hagwon job, the general consensus on this board is that you should use as many recruiters as necessary to get what you want.

You need to keep in mind that recruiters aren't really working for you, it's in their best interest to place you as fast as possible so they can get paid. Thus, of course they don't want you to work with anybody else...but you should do so anyway, without mentioning it.

[pie eater]

If I was half Korean, I would get the appropiate visa and go to Korea and find something better than Avalon. You don't need to go through the recruitment mill like the rest of us suckas!

I wouldn't work for Avalon in a fit.

And I am sure you have some kind of regional North American accent.

[okayden223]

OP does this recruiter have a website? Even if they were recommended I would be cautious about working with someone without a real company. First off, don't even bother sending any documents until you've spoken with a foreign teacher at the school the guy says he can line you up with. That is definitely important. It's definitely frustrating to not know where you might end up. I don't think being an ethnic Korean will really hurt you. I have some friends here in the same boat and I guess their only real complaint is that a lot of people expect them to be able to speak Korean. Other than that, it shouldn't affect you unless you let it. There are a lot of recruiters out there...get a few involved. I personally always recommend either asknow.ca,esl411.com, or kimnjoe.com. All 3 are at least very quick to respond and try to set up interviews. All will provide photos of the apartments, the school, and contact info of the current ESL teachers. Hope this helps...feel free to PM me with any questions.