Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Peter258]

It seems like if you want to teach at a public school, you need 2 letters of reference, no way around it.

How much weight is put in these letters? Are they a huge factor in whether you get an offer, or are they just a formality?

I ask because I am struggling to think of who to ask for one.

I graduated a long time ago, and none of my professors remember me. All of my classes were too large for me to get to know my professors.

I've had only one job since I graduated, and my supervisor there did not like me. At all. I wasn't fired, but we just were not on good terms.

I don't go to church, so I couldn't ask a pastor(I've seen many suggest this).

[i]

If my options were limited to that, then maybe some friends you've had over time, especially if they have decent positions with company letterhead. They can write what kind of person you are. Or former co-workers who can vouch for your work ethic.
I wouldn't use a religious figure for Korea anyway. Seen that keep people out of positions here, but also landed some positions. Best to keep religion out of it IMHO.

[nautilus]

how about using your report card from your college? I mean e.g. when I studied EFL I got a final results sheet with a reference from the course co-ordinator below.

[Peter258]

I can't really think of any close friends who work for a company big enough that they would be able to use letterhead.

And I'm not comfortable asking mere acquaintances for such a favori..

ugghh...

This is the same thing that made it difficult for me to apply to grad school.

[Snowkr]

These letters seem to carry A LOT of weight in Korea. If your former employer didn't like you, it could be tough to find a decent new job, public school or otherwise. You'd need some good connections.

Friends in similar teaching positions (Korean friends) could be a good source maybe.

A close friend of mine had been working here more than four years and had two good letters of reference but her third employer would not give her one and basically told anyone who called them that she should not be hired to work anywhere in Korea. She couldn't get a public school OR a hogwan position after that and she's not able to come back into the country now.

What's really unfortunate is that she is an awesome teacher. If she'd had a few more connections- aka- Korean friends who could really vouch for her, things may have turned out differently. Even her pastor's reference wasn't enough...