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MHS
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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 Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:17 pm Post subject: Hagwans Not "Starving" for Teachers Anymore? |
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I am starting my job search again and I am noticing a pretty drastic change in the amount of offers I have gotten. I have been looking for around two weeks, emailing just about everywhere and I've literally only gotten a few offers from places that sounded like they were desprate and having problems.
This would be for my third contract. For my first two, I literally was able to get offers in one day, probably with only a 5 minute phone "interview."
Now, Ive got more experience than I had then and a Master's degree. I think the clearest example that something has changed is that I emailed about ten recruiters a few days ago and I think only about 3 or 4 of them responded. When I first started doing this in Korea, these people would pretty much be harrassing me to the point that I would stop answering the phone.
I don't get it. I am starting to feel like I have been put on one of these "blacklists" that people talk about sometimes, although I can't imagine that either of my schools would have done something like that. I just can't think of other reasons. Its either that, or that schools are seeing me as over qualified with a Masters, or the "weak economy" argument.
What do you guys think about the level of demand in the country? |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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I think your timing might be a bit off. Hagwons hire year-round moreso than public schools or univs., but you're kind of starting in a dead time. I think you'd find more after January.
Also, if you're not North American, it will be more difficult (not impossible). Koreans seem to have more choices due to the economy, and since this country skews toward a North American preference, it can be an issue. |
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blonde researcher
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Location: Globalizing in Korea for the time being
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| Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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You are caught in a combination of a few things
1.Many young newbies and grads without jobs coming from USA and Canada and happy to take lower salary and conditions. Have a look at the latest EPIK newsletter on the EPIK site and you will see that 85% of the new teachers in the September EPIK intake were from USA and Canada. About 65% from USA!! Brits and kiwis and Irish barely got in. Makes you wonder if the applications were equal numbers ?
2.Koreans do prefer young female and attractive if they have a choice. Offers for over 40s and with family / experience etc can get left out.
3.Salary offers have gone down dramatically especially in Busan where the standard offer for hagwons is now 2.1 and if you are expecting more than this , or even the same as the 2.4 you are on this year, you may be out of luck.
4.Economic times are cutting in for hagwons and the wrong time of year to be looking as this is coming into school vacation |
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hagwonnewbie
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Location: Asia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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I never used a recruiter in the past, but I noticed they about the only ones actively seeking out first year teachers.
I think more people stayed after their first year than they did several years ago. There are certainly more foreigners here now than then. The market is tighter now than it was 3 years ago in my opinion. |
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EmilyG27
Joined: 25 Jun 2009
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:11 am Post subject: |
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Hello,
I think it is a bit more difficult to find jobs during this time of year, but they are still out there. It is also the holiday season, so things seem to be a bit slower.
I am in the process of trying to find a replacement for my job in Seoul because of have to leave because of a sudden personal situation, and I am also having a difficult time finding someone to take my place .. I feel like a year ago it would have been much easier.
I know there are jobs out there, but I think hagwons are also looking for those who are really committed. You sound like a great candidate though, so I am surprised you are having a problem. |
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somethingawful
Joined: 26 Nov 2008
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| A month before they need teachers is when they get desperate. Remember that hagwons do everything last-minute, and arranging to have a teacher come to the school before the last minute is "counter productive". |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| bassexpander wrote: |
| I think your timing might be a bit off. Hagwons hire year-round moreso than public schools or univs., but you're kind of starting in a dead time. I think you'd find more after January. |
Indeed. I got several sweet offers in 2006 because I was looking in March and April, when the universities and especially PS jobs were sucking up the pool of applicants usually available for hagwons.
| somethingawful wrote: |
| A month before they need teachers is when they get desperate. Remember that hagwons do everything last-minute, and arranging to have a teacher come to the school before the last minute is "counter productive". |
Absolutely. I just started and finished my job search this month, December, and had several recruiters and all three director/nonrecruiters I'd contacted get back to me, interested. Why? I'd like to think it was my seven years of experience and CELTA and great references. But the brutal fact is: They were impressed that I had IN HAND everything: CRC, transcripts, original diploma, passport photos, resume and recent photo - the whole shebang, and indicated I was available immediately.
If you tell them you are just waiting for your transcripts or CRC or indicate a later start date availability, then you really are shooting yourself in the foot. Instead, wait until you have all the paperwork then emphasize the fact, tell them you have them in hand, better: scan and send as attachments proof of everything.
You don't have to jump at the first offer, but you have to seem ready and able to. (I insisted on going to the town and meeting the staff, seeing the apartment, doing a face to face interview despite quick offers, because the fact is I wanted to make sure it was a good fit.)
Good luck whatever. |
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blue.sky
Joined: 31 Aug 2009
Location: a box on the 15th floor
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
| bassexpander wrote: |
| I think your timing might be a bit off. Hagwons hire year-round moreso than public schools or univs., but you're kind of starting in a dead time. I think you'd find more after January. |
Indeed. I got several sweet offers in 2006 because I was looking in March and April, when the universities and especially PS jobs were sucking up the pool of applicants usually available for hagwons.
| somethingawful wrote: |
| A month before they need teachers is when they get desperate. Remember that hagwons do everything last-minute, and arranging to have a teacher come to the school before the last minute is "counter productive". |
Absolutely. I just started and finished my job search this month, December, and had several recruiters and all three director/nonrecruiters I'd contacted get back to me, interested. Why? I'd like to think it was my seven years of experience and CELTA and great references. But the brutal fact is: They were impressed that I had IN HAND everything: CRC, transcripts, original diploma, passport photos, resume and recent photo - the whole shebang, and indicated I was available immediately.
If you tell them you are just waiting for your transcripts or CRC or indicate a later start date availability, then you really are shooting yourself in the foot. Instead, wait until you have all the paperwork then emphasize the fact, tell them you have them in hand, better: scan and send as attachments proof of everything.
You don't have to jump at the first offer, but you have to seem ready and able to. (I insisted on going to the town and meeting the staff, seeing the apartment, doing a face to face interview despite quick offers, because the fact is I wanted to make sure it was a good fit.)
Good luck whatever. |
Are you North American? i have MA TESOL, 2 TEFL certs, 6 years in Korea and an F2 visa - so no need for most of those BS documents. I can't find a sensible gig anywhere and I've been looking since September/October.
I think my Britishness is like an ugly wart on my resume. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| blue.sky wrote: |
Are you North American? i have MA TESOL, 2 TEFL certs, 6 years in Korea and an F2 visa - so no need for most of those BS documents. I can't find a sensible gig anywhere and I've been looking since September/October.
I think my Britishness is like an ugly wart on my resume. |
Time to head to China? 
you might fare better after January when the newbies start doing midnight runs. |
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creeper1
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:08 pm Post subject: Lesson |
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| Let this be a lesson to those thinking of quitting and going on to do TESOL or further qualifications. It won't necessarily mean a good job offer. The strategy now for me is to hang on to what I have i.e. a decent public school job. Those who know what's going on will pursue this strategy. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Lesson |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
| Let this be a lesson to those thinking of quitting and going on to do TESOL or further qualifications. It won't necessarily mean a good job offer. The strategy now for me is to hang on to what I have i.e. a decent public school job. Those who know what's going on will pursue this strategy. |
hanging on for grim death may not avert you being let go the moment pictures of blonde americans start hitting the principals desk.
Recruiters are actively calling schools now with lists of available american females. Seriously. They're out to make a killing on fees. |
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creeper1
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:11 pm Post subject: Re: Lesson |
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| nautilus wrote: |
| creeper1 wrote: |
| Let this be a lesson to those thinking of quitting and going on to do TESOL or further qualifications. It won't necessarily mean a good job offer. The strategy now for me is to hang on to what I have i.e. a decent public school job. Those who know what's going on will pursue this strategy. |
hanging on for grim death may not avert you being let go the moment pictures of blonde americans start hitting the principals desk.
Recruiters are actively calling schools now with lists of available american females. Seriously. They're out to make a killing on fees. |
Well they will have to call in November 2010 because I just signed a new contract recently.
If this is correct then it's a dispicable move by them. However I do get the impression that the recruiters are getting killed at the moment by the economy .
I'd say there are alot of teachers like me hanging on and not entering the job market. In this way teacher turnover is down. Maybe even people are getting hired directly to schools with leaving teachers informing friends about openings in schools.
I won't shed a tear for any recruiter going bankrupt.  |
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MHS
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:46 pm Post subject: Re: Lesson |
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[quote="nautilus"]
| creeper1 wrote: |
Recruiters are actively calling schools now with lists of available american females. Seriously. They're out to make a killing on fees. |
There must be some truth to this. I think the "weak economy" arguments are just boring because that whole thing is more perception than reality. But I don't understand how else I could have gone from being basically harrassed by recruiters to being ignored by most of them. If anything I am much more qualified at this point. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| EmilyG27 wrote: |
| I think hagwons are also looking for those who are really committed. |
Do they even deserve such committed teachers yet?
When I got out of hogwons 3 years back they were chaotic cesspits that no sane person would have stayed at.
Do you think they've improved their image, or is it because conditions at Public schools have nosedived so much that they make hogwons actually look good? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: Lesson |
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| nautilus wrote: |
| creeper1 wrote: |
| Let this be a lesson to those thinking of quitting and going on to do TESOL or further qualifications. It won't necessarily mean a good job offer. The strategy now for me is to hang on to what I have i.e. a decent public school job. Those who know what's going on will pursue this strategy. |
hanging on for grim death may not avert you being let go the moment pictures of blonde americans start hitting the principals desk.
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I'll see your "pictures of blonde americans" and raise you a signed contract and the labor board. |
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