Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Lparsons7641]

Hello everyone! I just had a few questions, looking for some advice.

I am a 23 year old who graduated from college a year ago, I am working retail and..............I hate it. The hours are practically temp hours and are so inconsistent, but not having a car here makes a job search remarkably hard.

I have been thinking of ESL positions, and for a newbie, Korea seems to be the place to go. I've always been interested in east Asia, and Korean history in particular.

I am looking to go into teaching in the States as well. However, in order to be certified, I would need to do a 2 1/2 year graduate school program. I could start this in September, and come out with a masters and a teaching cert, but be flat broke, and in a huge debt hole.

I missed the boat on applying to EPIK for September. So maybe February? That seems an awful long wait though, I really need to get away from home for at least a while, and do something while I am still young!

Would you suggest EPIK over applying for what are "apparently year round hiring" private school jobs? Are public school better? Are the kids different? I was suggested to apply to Chungdahm, it seemed legit, but I just don't know.......

Or should I wait, go into debt big time, then go to Korea to pay it off? Or should I go before, save, then pay as much of my masters as I can with my Korean savings?

What makes the most sense? Thank you.

[AHawk843]

Come to Korea.

Work in a Hakwon or a PS that happens to be hiring within the time period that you wish to enter the country. You can easily save 1-1.5 million won a month if you are committed to it. Basics are cheap here, your apartment is paid for, health insurance -- some people gripe about the society, but the experience is what you make of it. It's a boon for somebody in your situation, trust me, I was there a year ago.

Plus, if you choose to go back to the United States to get your masters in education, having hundreds of hours in-class teaching time to lean on can't hurt. Makes writing that personal statement cake.

Debt is the devil. Avoid it if at all possible.

[Lparsons7641]

Thanks, so I could, in theory apply now? and leave........when? I need to do my documents I know ASAP. I've posted my resume, and my lord, am being bombarded with e-mails, they are all private schools and I can't make sense of whether they are good or not!

[AHawk843]

I graduated last May, and after about a month and a half of considering job opportunities in the States and other countries, decided on Korea mid-June. Got all of my documents in order (the most important is the CBC, which you should get on ASAP because it can take time to process) as I sought out recruiters and positions. I told them I had every document in hand with the exception of the background check (which would arrive any day.) Found the position that interested me, interviewed, got offered the position. Arrived here at the end of July.

Realistically, you could apply for a job and the wheels could be set in motion for your arrival in less than a week. It can happen that quickly.

I can't stress enough the importance of due diligence, however.

First of all, decide which area of the country you want to live in. Most prefer Seoul because of the western amenities and international culture, but there is a cadre that advocates for Busan. If you choose Seoul then decide which area of the city you want to live in.

You can find information about _most_ schools by searching for them on this forum / elsewhere on the Internet. If worse comes to worse, you can rely solely on the testimony of current teachers (the guy I was replacing interviewed me and I was able to get a general feel for the conditions I would facing at the school.) You can ask to e-mail/speak to them.

Use multiple recruiters (check job forum for the good/bad), don't be afraid to turn down a job if it sounds fishy. Don't be afraid to dump a recruiter if they are rude/pushy. There are tons of opportunities out there.

[Lparsons7641]

Thanks.............

Most of the documents I could get easily, it would just require waiting.

However the health check.........

I have slightly elevated blood pressure, and take a mild diuretic for it, does this disqualify me?

[AHawk843]

I wouldn't worry at all about the Health Check unless you've been using illicit drugs.

[Lparsons7641]

[Zanniati]

Hey, I'm a lot like you. I'm 22 and graduated recently. No experience or anything like that. Here's my advice. I've only been here for a few weeks but I have gone through the process recently and ended up with a great job. I'm not just saying that, I've had the people from 2 different schools tell me I have the best contract that they've seen at these schools. I'm sure you can get something comparable. Here's my advice.

Come here now. Get your criminal background check done asap. Mine took 5 weeks. When you send in for the CBC, also get a SEALED official transcript from your school, you'll need it. Then, get your stuff (CBC, copy of diploma) notarized and apostilled. You can really start applying for jobs once you have your CBC back.

Here's how to find a good job:
1. Be flexible. If a good job comes along and they want you there in 2 weeks. Take it and jump through any loops you have to to make it happen. That's how I got my job. OR, if they want you a little later then you wanted, go with it. But make sure you go through the other steps.

2. Research the school. Scour the internet for information on the school. If they're a bad school, chances are you'll find something.

3. Read the contract... at least twice. Make sure it's good and it does have a bunch of crap like "If you do anything wrong, we're taking money out of your paycheck." Anything that looks bad, probably is.

4. Talk to a foreign teacher at the school. Tell the director you would like to speak with one of the teachers there. Have them call you or talk to you on skype or something. I did it by email but I don't really recommend that.

5. This really should have been #2 or something but read Daves... a lot. I spent seriously 60+ hours on here reading about contracts and jobs and stuff before I picked a job. You should have every job related FAQ and good thread memorized.

6. http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=197658 Get in that thread and start reading contracts before you start reading ones you've been sent. It will give you a good idea of what a contract should have. When you get a contract you're interested in, post it there.

7. I can't really think of any more so my last one would be DON'T SETTLE. You'll get TONS of offers. Don't let recruiters pressure you into a job. Take the one you feel good about.

Oh, and I recommend you be near Seoul but I've also heard good things about Busan.

Hope that helped, I know it's a lot.

I just did the health check by the way. It went something like this: Blood? Check. Pee? Check. Chest X-Ray? Check. He's not blind? Check. He's not deaf? Check. He has teeth? Check. Done. I wouldn't worry about anything with the health check.

[richinlondon]

The benefits or a public school position compared to a private school are usually infinately better. When you are recruited by a private academy, you are there to make them money, forget any days off other than your standard 9 odd days.

At a public school (elementary for me), you'll have 4 classes in the morning and then be free for the rest of the day. There are dozens of random days off if your lucky, sports day, picnic day, make a paper airplane day, test day, national test day and probably some others I forgot, national holidays, 18 working days holiday plus 2 weeks if you renew.

Maybe you'll even indulge in a little volleyball in the afternoon whilst sipping on a cold one.

This is a public school where you wont be the main focus and there is no drive to cream money from parents. You do your standard 22 hours teaching a week (in elementary, a 40 minute class counts as one hour) and thats you done.

In a big city your sure to meet a few Korean teachers who will be friendly and welcoming. There is also the EPIK support network which in Gwangju is excellent. All the teachers from public schools have this network to fall back on should anything go wrong at their schools.

Check:

http://www.asknow.ca/epik.aspx

The guy who runs it is a Canadian guy called Jason, when I first arrived here at a private academy, he was always willing to answer any questions I had about Korea or the job. He recruits for EPIK now. Maybe the fall application isn't closed yet either? It's worth checking out.

[Lparsons7641]

Thanks for all the advice.

I got time, all I got is time

I think I am going to wait for the next EPIK intake. I have a few reasons for this.

A. I want to save a little more here. At the moment I would have enough for my initial airfare, documents, visa, packing etc, but I want a bit of a cushion for the unexpected (lost luggage, broken laptop or something)
B. I want to learn a little Korean.
C. This sounds weird, but I like structure, to a degree. EPIK seems structured, in that it's a government program. It would also give my parents a bit of peace of mind, such an idea as me going away for a year to asia to a private school job i found online would drive them batty........ But if I could say. Here, this is who I'm applying to, this is my employer etc.

I know I'm 23, but I'm looking out for them as well, don't need a heart attack on the way to Logan Airport. My father is also in ill health (chemotherapy) and will be done in September, I think I should stay until he is done with treatments (I often have to care for him)
D. By the time I get all the documents, it's early July probably. I don't want a time crunched rush to get out before Labor day.


I'll talk to one of my former professors/friends from college, he is Korean, he might have some insight for me (he's the one who suggested doing this in the first place)

[Zanniati]

[CtotheB]

I like Zan's advice on C and I feel the same way. At a public school you never make any real progress because 35-40 uncaring sets of eyes see you for an hour or two each week. Besides that, there's the bureaucratic mess that is the Korean public school system (if you wan structure you're in for a big surprise, that's where hagwons excel), useless/crazy/demanding coteachers, deskwarming and ending up being at the PS longer than some hagwon teachers, not getting to choose where you work, getting paid $300-400 dollars less per month, and crazy passive aggressive vice principals? No thanks. If anything a public school should worry your weird parents even more, everything there is a huge question mark, you never know if you'll crap out or hit it big. People who paint a picture of public school being a life where you show up for a few hours every day and then kick it in the afternoon are definitely not the norm. In fact most teachers I know that bitch and moan the most are the ones who work in the PS system. Then again, they are also the ones who don't speak Korean, didn't do ant research on Korea before going over, and refuse to adapt. Take it for what you will.

[yellowdove]

The public vs private debate will go on and on because people have their own opinions. You have to decide for yourself what suits your personal taste and your time line of when you want to get here. It seems that you've already thought about public school, but let me point out some pros and cons of each.

Public - Pros:
- More time off (maybe 5-10 days more than private schools)
- Training before the job (if you come to Korea on the regular EPIK intake times)
- A Korean teacher in the room with you in case students get out of hand (from what I hear, most of the time the coteachers don't do much tho)

Cons:
- Larger class sizes where you won't get to know your students well
- Less money
- You don't have an option of what school you're placed at
- You'll be the only foreign teacher there (I've only ever heard of more than one foreign teacher at a school twice. It's EXTREMELY rare.)
- You might end up having to go teach at more than one school.

Private - Pros:
- You could be working with more than one foreign teacher (I've known people to work with up to 15 teachers) which will give you a good base of friends when you get here
- You can choose where you go and can negotiate money (with public school it's on a set scale)
- You get to know your students well, because there are smaller class sizes and you see them more often

Cons:
- You run the risk of picking a small school and it shutting down unexpectedly (there are some upsides to this, however, as you will already be in Korea and there are LOTS of schools that prefer to hire people who are already in Korea), but this is where your research into the school will come in handy
- Sometimes the hours can be very long. Again, it all depends on the school you pick.
- You might not get as much training as you'd like before the job, they might have you work the first day you get there, depending on when the previous teacher left.

Basically when it comes to picking a private school, do your research. That's all I can tell you. And make sure you have a good recruiter who will go to bat for you if you need them to.

[Lparsons7641]

Okay,a few other random questions..........


I was looking over required documents, and noticed an annoying mistake on my end............

My "official" (passport) name, is spelled differently then what someone at my school put on my degree! The difference is incredibly minor (one extra letter in my middle name) But it will matter no? They have to be exactly the same, I'm not sure I'll be able to get a replacement diploma either, it won't be "original"

Also, how competitive is EPIK or SMOE? I have little related experience (a year as a history tutor) I figure the photo and the interview are crucial right?

[yellowdove]

You should be able to order a replacement diploma from your school which they will make into an original. As long as it has the school seal, and looks official, they will take that as an 'original'. I've known lots of people who have had to order replacement ones. And you might get them to not charge you, or at least lower the cost, because it was their mistake in the first place to misspell your name.

Also, for EPIK, as long as you put that you're willing to go anywhere in Korea, you should be fine. Don't limit yourself to one or two cities. (That was my mistake.)