Korean Job Discussion Forums

[winaniw]

I'm applying directly through the EPIK website.
The notion of reading my own recommendations and sending them in myself seems bizarre to me, and my favorite professor is uncomfortable with it. He would like to email it to EPIK instead of me doing it. That makes sense, of course, but the website directs applicants to submit the scanned recommendations at the same time as the application. What should I do?

[grant gerstners]

Let your professor do what he wants. But explain to him that in order to follow the application procedure, you need the signed original. Show him the website or (if the communication with him is electronic) cut and paste the printed requirements, with a link for verification.

Once you get your hard copy of his letter, scan it yourself and email it with the application.

Another possibility is that your professor includes you in the email to epik (cc: or bc:).

Then you can email it to epik from your own email address.

Yes, this is redundant, but not a problem.

While you are at it, see if your professor will provide more than one signed original for possible future use, in case you need it. When I was collecting my letters of recommendation, I requested and obtained 4 originals of each letter. Maybe that was over-kill and I don't know if I will ever use them.

[winaniw]

Thanks. But are non-confidential letters standard for ESL jobs abroad? My professor is still uncomfortable with the notion.

[710]

Just a guess, but the logistics of receiving letters separately for each applicant and keeping them organized with the rest of their documents seems unfeasible, even for a well run organization� Especially when not all the applicants will even reach the final level...

[LeePDX]

[northway]

[winaniw]

Northway is correct. Also, my professor teaches Ethics; I believe this is a matter of principle for him. I may have to ask a different professor for the recommendation...but not only is this guy my favorite, he's also my advisor, my thesis advisor, and the professor who knows me the best. Arrgh!

I would never ask a professor at my school for multiple copies of recommendation letters; they'd be offended.

710, I think you're probably right.

[southernman]

Yeah, it is standard procedure in all the ESl places i've looked up, to just get the reference letters emailed, they have to have a letterhead and you have to keep the original yourself.

Explain to your ethics lecturer that an organisation like EPIK will have well over a 1000 applicants.

If he is still unsure, just get him to open the link on Dave's for teaching positions, most of them require open letters of reference emailed to them.

The ones that don't ask for references are probably the ones offering less money and don't really care who they get qualification and experience wise

[winaniw]

I emailed EPIK and received the following reply:

If your professor would prefer to keep your letter confidential, he can email it to [email protected] separately. Just make sure he includes a subject line such as "Letter of Recommendation for Winaniw". Then, if you are invited to submit all of the required documents, he can send you the original, hard-copy of the letter in a sealed envelope. This would be preferable to sending the letter to our office directly. But it would still be acceptable for him to submit the letter separately from your other required documents.

So that's a relief. I'm gonna do that.