Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Justine]

Hey,

I have been dealing with Reach to Teach who are helping me throught the EPIK process. They have my references, application and most documents.

Is it really true that you only find out where you will be placed when you arrive for the orientation?

[andrewchon]

Yes

[Justine]

And if you dont get where you want? You just suck it up and go?

[andrewchon]

You get a chance to transfer after 6 months.
If you don't like the school then ask for transfer.
If you don't like the level (elem<->MS<->HS) ask for transfer.
If location is really important to you then you should take matters into your hands and apply to hagwons.

Selection process is thus:
You give your preferences.
Schools in the area of your preference decide whether they want you or not.
If school wants you, you're in.
If schools don't want you then you maybe placed where ever you are wanted.
If no schools want you, you maybe placed anyway but the school will resent it.

There's noway of finding out whether you were wanted or not.

[blonde researcher]

True EPIK time frame and process

Recruiters advertise and run around madly worrying applicants into getting their papers in by Oct 1 in order to get first interviews to confirm they will be offered a job.

Some recruiters (such as with Footprints) will do a premiminary interview with you and keep or lose you at that point. Or you will get a phone interview directly from a person working in the Seoul EPIK office after you have sent in the required papers by email or applied to their website or to another recruiter.

You get told directly or via your recuiter you passed the interview and will be offered a position but on the condition that you must send all your documents correctly and in full and very soon.

Your recruiter keeps telling you "first in with papers-best chance" and also you would get your first pick of the location you want "if you are 'early in"
Recruiters 'encourage you strongly' to get all final visa papers sent to Korea by the first official cut off date of 15th Dec as they want to keep you secure.

but ....Advertising still continues from recruiters and papers are still received after Dec 15th

waiting waiting ..... and more waiting

In the middle of January all the provincial and city head office of education people arrive in Seoul to look over all applicants who have submitted papers to EPIK. These POE make the final choice if they want you or not. You may want Busan but Busan POE may not want you - so you get shuffled to another location.

late January you get sent your NOA and contracts sent to you for where you were selected. On the contract you will know the province or the large city only, such as Daegu or Busan, not the teaching level

You arrive in late Feb to the orientation and at the end of the week you get told the final school location and teaching level you will be going to.
If you dont like this : too bad - this is where you have to go as you previously signed off on your paplication that you agree that EPIK can place you anywhere and you signed you knew couples not married were never guaranteed housing together, and you agreed to being housed up to 60 minutes from your apartment which might happen if you get into Busan.

All information above on this process is available on the EPIK website on the downloadable 'invitation for March 2010' word doc and the 2010 contract doc

If you commit your documents to EPIK in October or November or December you eliminate yourself from any other good jobs or positions in Korea as you dont get your NOA or contract from PEIK until late Janaury.
This is a long time waiting.

Best advice - prepare 2 full sets of visa papers (one to EPIK and one in case you change your mind when you are caught in the process or the waitng, and you want to accept or apply for a different position. Not all public school EPIK jobs are even done through EPIK.
Some POE hire all year and not through the EPIK process above.

Until you take the EPIK NOA to the Korean embassy in your home country you are still free to apply where ever else you want to spread your chances.

[WillTurnerinVanCity]

[Justine]

So, how many people per group dont get their specified place?

[cruisemonkey]