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Got a recruiter to recommend?
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sanityorlove



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Location: Massachusetts, USA

PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bump! Smile
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authoritar



Joined: 15 May 2011

PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would suggest to avoid recruiters, in the main they are a complete business and are not really interested in your welfare. If I was you I would join the relevant pages on Facebook and use the jobs liting here. email as many schools as possible and wait until you find one you are comfortable with.
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ttompatz



Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea

PostPosted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

authoritar wrote:
I would suggest to avoid recruiters, in the main they are a complete business and are not really interested in your welfare. If I was you I would join the relevant pages on Facebook and use the jobs liting here. email as many schools as possible and wait until you find one you are comfortable with.


Utter nonsense.

For the vast majority of jobs, unless you can read/write and/or speak Korean OR are going for a public school job (direct from the program website) a recruiter is almost the only way a newbie who is NOT in Korea can find a job.


they are all good and they are all bad

Search yourself and you have access to perhaps 20-50 potential employers who may be able to actually READ your resume and perhaps can get you through the visa confirmation process (not always easy for 1st time applicants).

Use 20 recruiters and that number jumps up into the many hundreds or potentially over 1000 jobs, even if the employer himself doesn't speak English (lots of hagwan jobs, MOST private placement PS jobs and virtually ALL private K-12 jobs fall into this category).

The problem lies in the fact that most people do NOT understand the role of the recruiter.

They are an introduction to a potential employer that you yourself would not otherwise be able to find. Then, if they are any good at their job, they guide you through the placement and assist with the paperwork necessary to get you as far as the employer.

They are NOT your friend.
They do NOT work for you (they are paid for and work for the employer).

They are like a used car salesman.
You walk onto their car-lot (website), peruse the cars (available jobs), if you see one you like you inquire about it.

After you listen to the sales pitch you let YOUR mechanic have a look at it (due diligence checking out the school).

If it is all good then you make the offer (accept the contract) and complete the sale (begin the paperwork for your visa application).

A good salesman will ensure that the paperwork is in order to make the sale and allow you to register the car. (A good recruiter will make sure your paperwork is in order and help get you through the paperwork to get your visa.)

I have no problem with using a recruiter or telling anyone else to use one (or more the case, many). They are your best option for fining the BEST fit when it comes to a job in Korea (or most of Asia for that matter).

ttompatz wrote:


For someone who is abroad, no connections and no ability to communicate in Korean then recruiters are a necessary evil.

That doesn't mean it is a crap shoot.

ALL recruiters are good. All recruiters are bad.
BUT they are a bridge to a job that you would not otherwise find.

The trick is in understanding what they are and what they do.

ttompatz wrote:


Really, when it comes to a recruiter, who cares where they are from or where they are based?

A recruiter is nothing more than an introduction to an employer.

Unless you have an extensive network of friends and/or colleagues in your target country OR can read/write and speak the local language and can apply directly they are a necessary evil.

REPEAT: A recruiter is nothing more than an introduction to an employer.

Hello Mr. English speaker this is Mr Hakwon owner.
Mr. hakwon owner, this is Mr. English speaker.
Mr. English speaker, here is the contract. Please read and sign.
School, here is the signed contract. Pay me.
Good bye.

-You are not paying them anything (or you shouldn't be).
-THEY DO NOT WORK FOR YOU! - They work for the school.
-They owe you nothing once you get here.
-They are not your friend.
-They are not your baby sitter.
-They cannot help you if things go to *beep* after you get here.

Beyond that it is YOUR responsibility to check the school out.

Do NOT trust ANY recruiter. They are like used car salesmen. They will lie and sell their soul to get the signature on the contract.

Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE in regards to the school or get burned.

Use the recruiters for what they are. Use more than one and keep going until you get what you want. There is no rush and there is certainly no shortage of jobs.

When it comes to the school - again - repeat - Do your own DUE DILLIGENCE.

1st - READ the contract over very carefully. If that doesn't scare you away then...

The best you can do is minimize the risk by talking to MORE THAN ONE of the foreign staff and ask POINTED AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS (*when the boss is NOT listening over their shoulder). Don't accept non-specific answers and broad generalizations.

No foreign staff references to talk (directly and via e-mail) to = walk away now.

Accept NO EXCUSES for any reason.

ONE CAVEAT: if it is a public school there may not be a Native English Speaker to talk to but there is a chain of command OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL (your POE liaison) if you have problems and they are more strict in following the terms of the contract.

7777
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sanityorlove



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Location: Massachusetts, USA

PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks, guys. i'm somewhat of a newbie (been doing lots of research though) and am just a bit overwhelmed with my options when it comes to actually getting the ball rolling. i realize i missed the boat when it comes to the major applying/hiring months, but was still hoping/planning on trying to get a position teaching english at a public school in busan for october. any thoughts on this? or perhaps other threads to direct me to? feel free to PM me as well!
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CPJ



Joined: 30 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ttompatz is right on!

Use lots of recruiters! That's what I have always done. Talk to the teachers at the school and ask the tough questions. You'll know fairly easily if you want to work at that school or not.

I know Busan and the 2 best sources for getting jobs there are www.rbikorea.com and www.esljobkorea.com

RBI is the biggest and seems to deal with the most schools in Busan. Su does eslkorea by herself but still has many jobs in Busan. They probably represent 80% of the Busan schools that use a recruiter. Ask them about the schools and they'll give you an honest answer. Again, you'll find out sure enough when you talk to the teachers at the school. This is a MUST!

If you want Seoul, find a recruiter in Seoul. Same for any other city. Makes sense.
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mikesaidyes



Joined: 26 Apr 2011
Location: Sanbon, South Korea

PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just signed up for Herald School in Sanbon through English & Korea. http://englishnkorea.com/ Overall, I applied through about 50. That way, I got a good feel of how one acted versus the other, different processes, etc.

After applying on their website, Mr. Kim, the Director, contacted me to inform me their North American recruiter would be in touch. He contacted me that evening to discuss a position.

He put me in touch with the school and we interviewed over the phone. The school director spoke English very well and was very polite. The recruiter then answered any questions I had and a contract was offered.

After obsessing over these forums and contracts, etc., I of course went and asked them for the world. They made all of my requested changes (making things more specific) in the contract.... TWICE. That's right, two rounds of revisions.

Their professionalism and experience with teaching abroad (Mr. LaForte, the American recruiter, himself taught) was a HUGE relief considering all of the horror stories and weird moments I'd had with other recruiters.

The school, luckily, also had YouTube video of their accomodations, school and the town, which also helped ease my worries of moving halfway around the world.

I mailed my visa documents off today and leave August 15. Can't wait! In the end,I'm very pleased and have also learned to take 90% of the freakouts on ESL Cafe with a grain of salt.
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CPJ



Joined: 30 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

LOL.

Your recruiter is answering your questions?

And what does it matter if the director speaks fluent English?

I hope you spoke to the teachers at the school. If not, you're rolling the dice!
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Sambalina



Joined: 16 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I too found footprints to be slow and uncommunicative. Despite repeated efforts on my part to tell them I wanted a GEPIK job, the only sent me EPIK info. This might have been because of the hiring freeze, but they never said that. It took them over two weeks to even respond to my original application, and they haven't been in touch with me for over a month.

On the other hand, I have really enjoyed working with Teach ESL Korea. Dan is very friendly and helpful. I worked with Scott on the Korean side of things, and while he is very abrupt, he is quite organised, and was fairly dedicated to getting me the job I wanted. The thing I found best about this set-up is that Dan is an American, who can understand perfectly what you want, and Scott is Korean, and seems very connected to the Korean ESL industry. Dan helps communications between you and the Korean side of things. I found the system to work quite well.

I'd definitely recommend working with teach ESL Korea. So far my experiences have been very positive. I have yet to see about their 'in-country' follow up type support, but the job hunt support was timely, informative, and friendly.
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sanityorlove



Joined: 11 Apr 2011
Location: Massachusetts, USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks for all your posts, guys.

just wanted to give a slight update to the process for me so far. i applied to 10 different recruiting companies (RBI, ESL Starter, ASK Now, Korvia, Footprints, Pegasus, WorkNPlay, TeachKoreanz, ESL-Planet, and Morgan Recruiting) with the first 5 responding to me almost right away, and the last 4 not responding at all. I am waiting on documents (CBC & apostilles) for some of them and with others I have already had interviews. Yet still others that I had the most hope for (RBI) have only responded to me once and have yet to communicate with me for a second round.

My main question right now that I was hoping someone could shed some light on was what is going on with ESL Job Korea with Su. I had read many great things about her and was excited to apply through the website, but it seems to be down with certain pages. When I clicked "apply," I filled out the application form but was unable to submit it because I get a "page not found" every time I try. I attempted to email the information to Su herself just from getting her email address but the emails are undeliverable because apparently the email address does not exist. This is all through esljkorea.com, which is the correct website address, right? or have I just been attempting to apply to a website that doesn't actually exist in practical form anymore?
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KSacchetti



Joined: 18 Aug 2011

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Everyone

I am currently working with Reach to Teach and am a little nervous that no one has mentioned them in this thread. They have been very responsive- answering emails within the hour in fact. Has anyone else had an experience with them?

Thanks in advance! Very Happy
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elltotheoh



Joined: 31 May 2010
Location: Bundang

PostPosted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just got a job through Pegasus and they were really wonderful. I was working with three recruiters, including Pegasus, and the other two were really discouraging about the prospect of finding me a position in Bundang at this time of the year. On the other hand, Vanessa and SK at Pegasus were both very enthusiastic and attentive, and other friends that I know who have used them have all been placed in reputable schools that are good work environments. Smile
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bentobento



Joined: 21 Jan 2011
Location: US of A (for now)

PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KSacchetti wrote:
Hi Everyone

I am currently working with Reach to Teach and am a little nervous that no one has mentioned them in this thread. They have been very responsive- answering emails within the hour in fact. Has anyone else had an experience with them?

Thanks in advance! Very Happy


I used them last time I applied. They were great and informative. You should have no worries.
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Beyondbelief



Joined: 21 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just make sure to shop around and not just use one recruiter. You might find something better.
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Logos



Joined: 23 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just wanted to go ahead and throw my recommendation in for Teach ESL Korea as well. Dan is very responsive and communicative, and Thomas was absolutely amazing at taking care of various issues. I tried some of the other recommended recruiters in the thread and found them extremely lacking (not naming any names, this is the recommendation thread and not the bashing thread) but Teach ESL Korea came through with flying colors.
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krazijaanu



Joined: 11 Jan 2012

PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,
I want to know if anyone has experienced medical discrimination in South Korea. I was recently denied my visa because I am a diabetic and it is HEARTBREAKING to say the least! I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice? my email address is [email protected] Thanks!
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