Korean Job Discussion Forums

[imaginingdreams]

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this recruiting company? I am considering this option, but also one of the jobs that is available-it is a private language institution.

I have heard so many bad things about these that I am almost afraid to take a job in one of them.

I am completely new to all of this, any advice would be much appreciated!

[morrisonhotel]

They've told me recently (i.e. today) that they have no jobs until next Feb. Take from that what you will.

[imaginingdreams]

Oh yes, that I know. The job that I am considering isn't until next Feb. I am just wondering if Footprints is reputable, and whether I should be hesitant about taking a job at a hagwon.

I also considered EPIK, but arriving in August was just too soon for me, so I decided to explore other options. Footprints is one of those options, so I thought I'd ask about it on here.

[iggyb]

I went with Footprints this week due to seeing it recommended several times here --- in threads I searched for looking for "good" "recruiters".

I had bypassed them originally because they place people in multiple countries. But with the good recommendations, I picked them after SMOE dropped me at the last minute.

I also picked them because someone from their org came here and explained what had happened with SMOE - which was considerate.

I just started with them....so I have no personal experience to report one way or another on them.

On hakwons vs public schools:

If you already feel too scared about them, then it would probably be a good idea to not go that route.

If you are a person who can accept risks and take a few bumps and bruises --- if you are the kind of person that can keep his head and plan things out and work well under pressure ---- then there is no reason to completely avoid the hakwons.

That is basically saying ---- if you are willing to accept the fact you might land in a bad situation, no matter how well you try to scope the hakwon out ahead of time, and you are the kind of person that can calmly work through problems --- you should be able to handle the hakwon industry.

Hopefully, you will land fine in a good hakwon and end up thinking the people who complain at Dave's are a bunch of loser crybabies...

You have a better chance of landing in an OK place that has some headaches but not enough to make you want to run away. Then, if you decide to stay in Korea a second year, you'll have a better chance of finding a better place - though that is far from foolproof.

No matter where you teach, public or private, use your first and second paycheck to save up enough money to buy a ticket home at a moment's notice (with those kind of tickets being more expensive, keep in mind).

Having an escape ticket nest egg will give you some peace of mind and give you a minimal safety net if you end up in a worst case environment...

[climber159]

I used footprints when I first came to Korea two years ago. I was placed with SMOE (as I had requested). During the visa process I was in contact with two Footprints staff (including Ben), and they presented themselves very professionally.

So, to answer your initial query; yes, I think they are reputable. I think they do their best to place their recruits in schools that have decent reputations in Korea. That said, there is no absolute guarantee the school won't cheat you. Apparently public schools will even pull the rug out from under you; as we have recently witnessed with SMOE canceling the contracts of 100 new teachers at the last minute (and after they had obtained visas and flights).

IMHO if you want to teach in Korea, take a job Footprints is offering you for February. BUT, make sure you have enough savings or enough on your credit card if you have to leave Korea before completing one year.

[iggyb]

One reason I decided to take the advice of some vets in the K-blogs and pay my own way over using the tourist visa waiver to scout jobs now that SMOE fell through is --- you have to check out a hakwon no matter how the job comes to you. It doesn't matter how great the recruiter's reputation is, they can't keep an eye on an institute enough to know if things have gone bad ---- until one of their people they place there gets screwed.

I'd still rather look for work from the comfort of home, but I have an in-law waiting, and going over will help in checking out a hakwon. It still is far from fool-proof. Hakwons can go bad with one simple top level change in personnel.

Anyway --- you have to talk to more than 1 foreign teacher at any hakwon you get an offer from. Try to talk to them all if you can.

And you have to build up a cash reserve to at least buy a ticket home at any time.

I only did hakwons my first time in Korea because public school jobs weren't like they are today, and I am willing to risk going back into a hakwon now this 2nd time around. Getting a good enough deal out of the hakwon industry is certainly possible. You just have to accept you might land badly and work your way out and into a better position...

[sweetiesmith]

I am working with footprints now. They're a pretty good company. I was just place two weeks ago in with Busan MOE. It was fast and easy working with Evelina. Right now they may have nothing until Feb, but they get jobs all the time.

[D.D.]

Everything is ok if their bottom line is not disturbed. I like how in the interview they keep talking about themselves not being hurt too much by the SMoE disaster. This is the Mcdonalds of recruiting willing to suck the .... of the education departments to get ahead. Their interviews are made up to weed out anyone who can think for themselves. Not even 5 minutes into their interview I knew I would have to hang up or start lying because they are profiling for ants to fit into the system. These guys kill education by sticking people who are young and too stupid to have original thoughts into jobs. The brave new world of recruiting- The new world order of recruiting and heh they were not hurt too much by the SMOE thing so all is well.

[bassexpander]

Footprints is one of the larger recruiters of public school jobs. They seem to have a good reputation. A second suggestion of a reputable place (although you can only choose one to apply with for a public school) would be Korvia at www.korvia.com .

No matter what recruiter you choose, DO NOT buy a non-refundable ticket before you come:

http://www.themidnightrunner.com

[asmith]

Recruiters are pretty much all the same. They are there to make a buck. Nothing wrong with that.

But don't put all your eggs in one basket. Sign up with all of them.

[iggyb]

[timetotravel]

I went with Footprints two years ago and they were fantastic. Got me into a public school job with EPIK and supported me the whole time I was here. Even if it had been several months, if I had an issue I would email them and they would always respond with something helpful.

[yellowdove]

I am in the middle of working with Footprints to get my husband and I our first jobs, and Ben has been nothing but great to us. He lets us know when there are positions that fit us, and because of him my husband and I have an interview tonight for a position that starts in November. Hopefully they will be just as helpful when we actually go over there, in case anything goes wrong.

[D.D.]

[iggyb]

They must have changed it or use different ones, because that was not my experience a couple of days ago.

I can't remember word-for-word, but pretty much all the questions -- that were not about the specifics of my background -- were about the ability to adjust to different environments and going about planning for things I might not have experience in to guide me and so on. They also wanted me to give examples from my past that might demonstrate my ability in those areas.

The questions were in the ballpark of what I'd expect someone hiring a person to work overseas would ask...

The SMOE interview people, I thought, did about the same though with a different style of questions.

The only interview this time around I felt awkward about was for a university who did the interview quickly and asked no followup questions, giving me the overall impression they weren't really taking the interview too seriously or were not used to giving them over the phone or something...