Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cbris78]

Hi,

I�m looking at teaching in Korea next year and I just wondered what kind of positions I should realistically be looking at with my current qualifications.

I�m a 24 year old white English male. I have a BA (Hons) in Law and am in the process of doing an MSc in Criminology which I will finish in August 2011. I won�t have the MSc certificate by the time I apply, but I assume this won�t be a problem as I only require an undergraduate degree for the E2 visa. Whilst I know that�s all you need to teach in Korea it seems that the market has become saturated and it would be advisable to try and gain some other qualifications to aid an application. I intend to do a TEFL course to hopefully enhance my teaching skills as well as my employability anyway. I have spent a few weeks in Secondary schools, mainly in an observatory capacity when I considered applying for a PGCE and I hope to do some more volunteering as a mentor or classroom assistant before I apply.

Ideally I would like to get a position teaching adults, not fussed about being in Seoul, I�ve heard good things about Suji, Bundang Incheon Jeju and Daegu, though I would consider most places, as long as they�re not too rural. I�m flexible on teaching adults as well, I just don�t want to teach in kindies, 7 and above would be OK I guess. I�d also prefer to teach in public schools.

So with the above in mind, am I likely to be able to find a position in the area I�d like to, or will I have to compromise, If so how much? Also, is there anything I could do between now and when I apply (looking at the September 2011 intake) to increase my chances of a placement.

Lastly, and kind of unrelated, does not having much previous travel experience count against me? I just noticed it comes up on a few of the recruiter applications and phone interviews.

Thanks

[Daniel1981]

You sound super qualified so I imagine you at least qualify for all the entry level jobs.

The reason I'm writing though is to say - consider Busan! That's where I am going.. Search google images for Haeundae.

[oldtactics]

Assuming that you don't have a criminal record or anything else that Koreans will hold against you, it's safe to assume that you'll be accepted to a public school position if you're applying this far in advance. EPIK's standards are higher than they used to be, but they still hire people with less qualifications than you.

If you're set on teaching adults, I'd recommend putting together a professional package and sending it to all the universities & corporations in the area that you want to teach in. With a year of applying, you'll be able to at least find out how the job market is and who might be looking for people.

[Gwangjuboy]

With a good CV/cover letter package, 5 years teaching experience in Korea and a BA and MA I have found the market for university jobs really difficult at the moment - and I have even applied for positions in the provinces. I think it's worth trying to get a public school job and then network extensively once you are in Korea. You might be able to progress to a uni position after a year and your MA should make you more marketable, especially if you have a TEFL qualification to pad the CV with.

[cbris78]

Thanks for the replies

I wouldn't say I was that well qualified, not in terms of teaching anyway, as neither of my degrees is in education or English. That said I do have A Levels in English Language and English Literature, not sure if this is relevant or not, trouble is the grades aren't great so I may be better off not mentioning them anyway!

Can't believe I forgot to mention Busan in my post, this would be my first choice if I wasn't a little worried that it's going to be well oversubscribed like Seoul.

I did think I would probably have to compromise on teaching adults, at least to begin with, so it looks like EPIK is the way to go. Am I right in saying that applications for the September intake open in April? Out of interest does EPIK have higher standards than JET, or is it the same or the other way round?

So seeing as I don't have a criminal record is it reasonable to assume that with the qualifications I mentioned I stand a good chance of getting a place on the EPIK program in Busan or a similar area. Just don't want to waste my time applying if I don't stand a chance and should be looking at other avenues...

[wiganer]

[edwardcatflap]

[cbris78]

Teaching isn't a recent consideration, but teaching in Korea is. How far in advance do applications usually open for the September intake?

Is a suit necessary? I usually just wear a smart shirt and tie, I'm quite tall (6ft5) and I lift weights, this generally means suits don't 'suit' me (for want of a better word). They sit too high on my shoulders and tend to be baggy as I have to buy large sizes which seem to assume you must be fat. Thinking about it, with Koreans being seemingly obsessed with appearance is being tall, big built a negative? I don't look intimidating or anything and I'm far from fat so I was hoping it wouldn't be... I have a nice haircut (I think) and no piercings or visible tattoos.

I know I�m not the best qualified, hence this thread really, and looking at it from the point of the previous poster teaching at a Uni was probably more unrealistic than I first thought. I don't want to try and wing it; I'd like to be a good teacher so I think EPIK is the way forward, hopefully in middle or high schools.

As I'm not fussed about teaching in Seoul is it more sensible for me to apply to Busan and other areas in the hope I get in there whilst the competition is relatively low compared to that in Seoul, rather than applying to Seoul, potentially being unsuccessful and having to fight it out for the remaining places elsewhere. Busan seems the best compromise to be; metropolitan city by the coast. What other EPIK areas fit this description out of interest?

[djsmnc]

[cbris78]

I appreciate that it might not make much sense considering the information I provided, namely my qualifications, but there�s more than that to it. I could have written a far longer post so that it did make sense but I was unaware that I had to justify myself, not to mention that it that would have had no bearing on the questions I was asking. If a recruiter or school asks me why I want to teach in Korea after studying Law and Criminology I�ll happily explain. If you�re able to offer any advice or answers to the questions I�ve asked I�d appreciate it, but posts like the one above don�t really add much...

[djsmnc]

OK then:

[wiganer]

[cbris78]

The other reason I asked was because I noticed the EPIK application has a section for height and weight, now my BMI (calculated via height and weight) puts me as overweight/obese, however I only have a 33 inch waist (avergae male Uk waist size is 38!) so i'm far from being either of those things. Just slightly concerned the person viewing my application may think I am...

So a suit is preferable to just a shirt and tie then?

If I apply with an unrelated degree and Masters, 120 hour tefl certificate and some UK teaching experience (will be in the form of mentoring, classroom assitant and possibly summer camp) is the best I can hope for really an undeperforming school in the country? I didn't think I would get a top job in Seoul, and I've discounted teaching adults, but I thought I might be able to get a job through EPIK at a middle or high school in Busan, Incheon or somewhere similar.

How far in advance do the applications for EPIK open?

[wiganer]

[languistic]