Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bnrockin]

So you put in your good 1-3 years working in Korea, maybe even blew $300+ on a TESOL certificate. Suddenly, you find yourself at the glass ceiling. Perhaps you have done both public and private schools and that doesn't interest you anymore. University might sound good, but these days it is near impossible without a masters, especially if you want to live/work in Seoul. Teaching for a business sounds quite interesting, but those positions are often part-time, mostly available for F visas, and too few to find. You might have even tried finding a non-teaching job at a company, but you came to Korea right after you graduated so you don't really have any business experience, or your Korean ability really isn't too great. Finally, you admit defeat and go back to your country...now what?

To many, returning to your country to find a full-time job seems like a daunting prospect and it is. Besides dealing with things like reverse culture shock, finding a place to stay and a means for transportation, it is no secret that the job market is terrible. Coupled with that is that fact that unless you have a desire to be an educator back home, many are going to view your working experience overseas with a shake of the hand and keep you at entry-level with the rest of the recently graduated university students. The good news is that there IS a silver lining-you CAN use your working experience in Korea to help bring you to the associate level instead of entry.

Before delving into possible career options, it important to make a note about the international experience you gained. When you return home, many people might build you an illusion that there are tons of things that you can do with your international experience and that companies really need people to help with that kind of thing. Unfortunately, these people have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Living and working in Korea from 1-3 years and traveling around Asia does not make you an expert by any means. Economic and political researchers who may or may not have ever stepped foot in the country are. With that being said, there are some jobs asking for experience living abroad, but those are usually under the preferred qualities as opposed to an actual requirement.

Additionally, if you were very proactive and actually gained some usable Korean language skills other than successfully navigating while using a taxi, there is SOME potential for jobs based on the Korean Language. Forever 21 is one company that is actively hiring Korean and English speakers. Of course you might even consider going the government route

So what areas are your teaching skills useful?

Employee Training
Depending on who you speak with, teaching and training are really quite interchangeable terms, or at least that is what you can advertise when applying for these types of jobs. Usually these positions are looking for someone with 2-3 years of experience and might request special knowledge in particular areas, but not always. An added bonus is that should you wish, you may look beyond your immediate geographical location for positions because you will have the 2-3 years of experience already. Granted, they might not pay for relocation expenses but it could still be worth it.
*Technical Training*
For those with exceptional technical skills in some areas, this is a viable option for you. No, being good in Microsoft Office or Photoshop does not count. Of course, different positions will have different technical trainer needs, such as SAP, SABRE, Peoplesoft, Epic, etc. That being said, there are some technical trainer positions where you can learn the knowledge yourself from the company and then teach others. Either way, technical trainers can earn a decent salary.

Writing, Editing, Communications, Social Media
Ever thought that your obsession with Facebook, Twitter, and your wildly unpopular blog would actually help you get a job? Well, that in itself will not, but if you are blessed with great writing skills, you might have a shot at some of these professions. When they say excellent writing skills, they don't mean that you can write without any grammatical errors. Also being an editor is more than checking grammar mistakes in your manager's motivational company memo. If you really and truly think that your writing is good, you might be able to leverage your experience as a writing teacher for a communications position. Having mentioned the popular social media outlets in the beginning, this is actually a blooming field that big companies and government offices are trying to develop in a professional manner. You can find actual positions with titles like "Social Media Coordinator."

Instructional Design
The great thing about this field is that it is relatively new, quickly developing, and there is no set background experience for it. Instructional designers come from a very diverse background, including education, psychology, instructional design, etc. This is actually one field where your background in teaching can be really quite attractive. Now here is the thing, simply being a teacher or trainer is not enough. What they are really looking for is experience in designing lessons, especially those involving technology. If you want to buffer your experience even more, try familiarizing yourself with Captivate and you will significantly increase your chances. With this type of work, you will be able to find both contract and full-time, depending on what meets your fancy
*The author of this recently acquired a job with a Fortune 500 company as an instructional designer with a starting salary in the 50k range plus benefits.

Now these are not the only professions that you can move to after teaching English overseas. Of course depending on your particular major, you might have a whole new set of options. Either way, do not feel discouraged about your teaching experience. Try to realize that most of the employers in your country have no idea what skills can be gained from an English instructor. They just think of it like a teacher back in your country.

The most important aspect is marketing yourself appropriately using important keywords. Utilize key words related to training, designing, presenting, etc. Refer to students as "clients" or to yourself as a "trainer" instead of a teacher. Also, try to focus on your accomplishments as an instructor. For example, you might mention something on your resume, "Designed 20 new classes," or "Helped maintain a client retention rate of 96%."

Returning to work back home does not have to be a terrible experience, and you do not have to resort to serving fries, bagging groceries, or selling insurance so long as you utilize your strengths. The same career advice given to all job seekers such as fine-tuning your resume, networking, and utilizing websites such as Monster and Linkedin still apply, however you can leverage your experience and salary if you utilize the tips above.

[silkhighway]

All sounds great in theory, but it's just that, "in theory". I ended up in a position that actually fits all three of these categories but my ESL experience did not directly help me get into that position. I do think some of my experience indirectly helped me though and it pointed me in the right direction. However, knowing what I know now, if I was hiring someone to fill my position, I wouldn't be particularly impressed that someone taught before either, although it definitely doesn't hurt.

The reality is teaching skills are not particularly valued as an isolated skill-set in any organization including universities and schools, but especially the corporate world. Subject matter expertise,timing, connections, and related experience counts for just about everything.

The key for people returning from Korea looking for non-ESL teaching work is to be persistent and open-minded. I do agree marketing yourself helps but you don't have to be ridiculous about it. Whatever skills you personally feel you have gained from teaching ESL and living in Korea, mark them but give examples. "Helped me develop great organizational skills" doesn't cut it. Nobody's going to put they're completely disorganized on a resume. Give specific examples how you developed or used your organization skills. Don't refer to your students as clients. People see through bullcrap. Also quantitative is great, but put yourself in the eyes of the person reading your resume. Retention rates are not going to be particularly interesting to them because they won't have a frame of reference. For example 96% retention rate can be re-framed as 4% drop-out rate. How do they know if that's good or bad?

[Modernist]

So will this startingly worthless and counterproductive posting be 'framed' and 'marketed' using appropriate 'keywords' so as to 'position' and 'leverage' the poster as someone who has

"successfully provided extensive directed goal-oriented guidance to fellow professionals in a broad-based technical sector looking to reposition their qualification skillsets in pursuit of cross-relational career development opportunities?"

OP, if I read a resume from you I think after I stopped laughing, I would set it aside to show others as an example of the kind of patently ridiculous BS, posing, and goosing that the modern professional job market has degenerated into.

[silkhighway]

Thanks for the laugh Modernist.

But don't be too cynical! After my first meeting with my HR person I remembered being baffled, wondering if they were coached to talk the way they talk or just lacked all sense of irony and actually believed it.

[Chris.Quigley]

The key is whether you have a marketable skill/skills that is/are valued by companies.

For example, I am finishing up a degree in accounting right now. I am relatively certain that I will be able to get a job in accounting when I graduate. My teaching experience in Korea will add to this. It tells them I am flexible, open-minded, even that I have a willingness to take risks. At the very least it is a talking point in an interview. I do not know a single other accountant/accounting student who taught English in another country. It separates me from the 100 other students who will graduate in the same class as me - most of whom have no work experience what-so-ever.

But, if I had a degree in history and 3 years of experience teaching English an accounting firm would never consider me. Indeed, few companies would consider me. Knowledge of history doesn't minimize costs or prepare a bond amortization schedule using the effective interest rate method. It doesn't help you decide whether to capitalize a lease or expense it as an operating lease. It doesn't even give you a hint of where to begin. You don't have the quantitative or qualitative skills.

I should add that those things are very simple accounting problems to solve - the fact that you don't know what they are means you will never get a job working for an accounting firm. Now, take that same line of reasoning and apply it to every other job. Either you go back to school and get a degree that teaches you how to do a real job or accept unemployment or English teaching.

The reason that you guys cannot get jobs is because you decided to do a useless degree. You probably laughed at your friends who were studying accounting - while you were at the bar having fun, they were studying hard for their tax finals. You might as well accept it. Starbucks is still hiring. I'll have cafe mocha please.

[definitely maybe]

[definitely maybe]

[Modernist]

Who's ready to have a drink with this guy?

Notwithstanding your striking bitterness about the experiences of others [how dare people 'have fun' while I'm studying!], I don't think you have enough experience to know what you're talking about.

I will only advise you to be a little less cocky in making assumptions about 'useless degrees.' For example, my degree is in a recognized profession which for the last several years has suffered a massive imbalance between the supply of jobs and graduates. It's in the same vein as library science, where the graduates are supposed to working for library systems which derive their revenue from property tax levies that have been devastated by the housing crash and thus have no money to hire new staff. Does this mean that people who chose LS instead of accounting should be mocked for getting a 'useless degree?' Or does it mean that life is a crapshoot and the things that happen to us are very often out of our control?

And, BTW, I do in fact know a fair bit about bond amortization and capitalized vs. operating leases. Those things relate, distantly, to my once and hopefully future field. Don't be so arrogant. It's not an appealing trait for a young accountant.

Being 'relatively certain' you'll get a job isn't the same as having a job.

[DejaVu]

[Leon]

Depending on what field, time in Korea can be useful. My goal is to get a job with the government, or in a think tank, that focuses on Asia and international relations. While I'm here I'm learning to speak and write Korean. The experince of living here and learning an Asian language will be a major benefit for my career path.

[Whitey Otez]

I'm too lazy and uncreative to do something else until the job market here really dries up. What I really need is a reverse recruiter - someone who tries to sell me to businesses back home for my established track record in the hagwon industry and at the same time lures me out of the hagwon industry. I never understood why more recruitment doesn't happen like it does here. Sure, it's unnecessary for the most part, but it makes life easier for both the company and the recruit.

[cert43]

What's up with quotations man? Geez even the person that invented them is getting sick of it..

You know you're a real problem.

[some waygug-in]

Moving back to Canada was not as painful as I had feared, however living in Canada...... that is another matter.

I got a job rather quickly thank you Lord Jesus because of connections at my church.

Lots of jobs if you are willing to adapt.

best wishes

[SoylaMBPolymath]