Korean Job Discussion Forums

[deepclick]

Hi,

I'm planning to apply for the EPIK programme but am unsure of something: is it better to apply directly to EPIK or to go through an agency? I'd appreciate it if you could lay out the pros and cons of each route.

Many thanks!

[romano812]

I'm not sure what to tell you. I went through a recruiter with GEPIK and it had pros and cons. On the plus side I had somebody to talk and translate for me because nobody at my school spoke English well enough to communicate (and that includes the teachers that worked in the English department). On the negative side my recruiter was a complete POS that lied, misrepresented himself, the school, and the company that he worked for. The recruiter caused far more headaches than anything else and in the end both the school and myself lost out.

[Patrick Bateman]

[bixlerscott]

For EPIK, a recruiter can negotiate it down to a specific province while directly applying to the program opens you up to last minute placement anywhere in Korea. Also a recruiter gets the wheels of beaurocracy moving in a timely manner with the application process leading to a letter of appointment with E-2 visa. Even with a recruiter, the provincial office of education or orientation people will probably place you at a different city or school such as a rural location than the mid sized city your the recruiter told you, but you're in the province of your choice. You usually can only get city placements if resigning and requesting a transfer at the same time which is what Korean teachers have to do in order to teach in Wonju, Chuncheon, etc. The schools are in a que to receive teachers where the school next on the list when you're name is submitted for placement at the end of orientation or the day you arrive if arriving off season will receive you. A recruiter simply acts as a liasion agent between you and EPIK's POE of your choice while if you directly apply, you'll be going through the main office in Seoul that places teachers in any province. There are huge differences in the provinces in the line of benefits such as Gangwondo offering 5 weeks vacation while Gyeongseongbuk-do offers a paltry 2 weeks. The catch is Gangwondo is very rural and boring while Gyeongseongbukdo is also rural, but much more interesting offering more historic sites, good fishing, and more festivals. Also other provices such as Gyeonggido offers directly easy access to Seoul while other provinces offer a warmer Southern climate with a Winter that rarely snows and freezes solid like common in Gangwondo, but nothing tropical. Jejudo island is barely subtropical, small, and isolated, but offers cheap flights to Seoul should you be hunting for a can of Libby's pumpkin, Advil, or a nachos bell grande or a Megabox movie theater. Wherever you go, Gmarket offers hard to find things like electronics, Western food items such as slabs of fresh salmon and great nacho chips, clothing such as Polo from American market, and god only knows what else to be found in that enormous site.

[Fox]

I think you're more likely to be accepted if you go through a recruiter. The recruiter you'll be interviewing with has a financial incentive to get you hired; the person you'd be interviewing with at EPIK has no such incentive. Recruiters are also convenient from a paperwork perspective, and their services come at no direct cost to you.

[Deep Thirteen]

I've been wondering this myself as I prepare to apply.

A recruiter may have a incentive to 'sell' you, but applying directly would mean that EPIK doesn't have to pay the recruiter right? I might be missing something of the Korean mentality or bureacracy, but it seems that from a commonsense financial standpoint, a direct applicant in a pool with others coming from recruiters would stand just as good a chance?

The only reason I can think of that a recruiter may be able to increase your chance of hire is because he/she may have some pull or special relationship with the office.

For the other benefits mentioned though, I can see why using a recruiter would be attractive especially if you very particular about placement.