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Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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nellehehe
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
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 Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 2:04 pm Post subject: Why am I having such a hard time finding a job? |
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Hello everyone.
My name is Ellen, Korean by ethnic, and I am pretty fluent.
I'm a US-born citizen, 21 years old, fresh out of undergrad (University of California, San Diego), Visual Art Studio major. I will be TEFL certified by the end of September, and I'm still waiting on my diploma to be sent from school so I can probably start working this November. I really want to go to Korea ASAP and start teaching. I love kids so I have some experience teaching at hakwons before and I also taught for youth group in my LA church and also my SD church.. but I had no OFFICIAL full-time working experience.
I put my resume up on this website, and I got like 20 e-mails. After sending my resume and photo, not a single one responded back. I also went on the Korean Job board but no luck.
Is it because I'm Korean? I know they prefer the whole blond hair/blue eyes-type-of-foreigner. How did you guys find your hakwon jobs? I did apply with Korvia but I kind of don't want to wait until NEXT YEAR to start working. I'd like to go ASAP, so a hakwon is preferable for me for now.
Ideal working conditions would be anywhere in Seoul, Incheon, or Ilsan. 9-5 job would be nice, or something like that. I would also need airfare and housing. Is this asking for too much? Sorry, so many questions! |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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1) If you don't have documents in hand, a lot of recruiters aren't going to want to deal with you. With the job market the way it is in the States, they get tons of people expressing interest who don't have the necessary documents and thus back out quickly.
2) If you can get an F-4 visa a lot of doors will open for you. |
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nellehehe
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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Ohh thanks northway. I guess I should start looking after I have them all at hand?
Also, I cannot get the F4 so that is not an option for me. |
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Gorf
Joined: 25 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Being Korean doesn't help when finding a job either. Sorry, but them's the breaks. |
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ElephantJumper
Joined: 26 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm having the same problem as a caucasian with documents in hand. Less jobs because of the cut in GEPIK funding seems to be the problem. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| ElephantJumper wrote: |
| I'm having the same problem as a caucasian with documents in hand. |
Same here.
A recruiter is trying to get me to sign up for this:
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Working Time: AM 6:50:00 ~ PM 9:25:00
Housing + paid vacation for 5 days |
She sent me this:
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I recommend you to secure a job quickly because of do to cutting down budget at GEPIK public schools, all the teachers are falling out and they are sooo ready to transfer to private schools.
This means tons of teachers, less jobs. Less jobs? Then the school�s boss will start to cut down salary.
The salary�s market price will even go down to 2.1 even with experience. They can be picky as they want and they will think why hire a teacher outside of Korea when they can get plenty of transferring teachers here in Korea and save flight money.
Keep this is mind.
This will be your best chance of securing a job |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| rooster_2006 wrote: |
Wow. We are truly the new Indonesian/Filipino migrant laborers.
Pretty soon, at this rate, Americans, Brits, Kiwis, etc. will be flooding into the most undesirable EFL markets in the world, pleading:
"I'm going to hike up my suspenders, work 12 hours a day for $300 a month, and use my first paycheck to buy my employer a gold-plated baton so he can beat me when I don't work hard enough!" |
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nellehehe
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| ElephantJumper wrote: |
| I'm having the same problem as a caucasian with documents in hand. |
Same here.
A recruiter is trying to get me to sign up for this:
| Quote: |
Working Time: AM 6:50:00 ~ PM 9:25:00
Housing + paid vacation for 5 days |
She sent me this:
| Quote: |
I recommend you to secure a job quickly because of do to cutting down budget at GEPIK public schools, all the teachers are falling out and they are sooo ready to transfer to private schools.
This means tons of teachers, less jobs. Less jobs? Then the school�s boss will start to cut down salary.
The salary�s market price will even go down to 2.1 even with experience. They can be picky as they want and they will think why hire a teacher outside of Korea when they can get plenty of transferring teachers here in Korea and save flight money.
Keep this is mind.
This will be your best chance of securing a job |
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PUAHHAHAHAA!! ARE YOU SERIOUS??????? Those hours are RIDICULOUS. Is that even legal?
Thanks guys for informing me about the GEPIK thing. had no idea. sucks for us =[ |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| The GEPIK thing may be true, but that spiel from the recruiter sounds like pure spin to me. The "less teachers" part applies but recruiters have a lot of control over who schools see. So they show the bright and pretty noobs to the okay schools since they'll work cheap and try to throw everyone else into some ridiculous conditions. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Zyzyfer wrote: |
| The GEPIK thing may be true, but that spiel from the recruiter sounds like pure spin to me. The "less teachers" part applies but recruiters have a lot of control over who schools see. So they show the bright and pretty noobs to the okay schools since they'll work cheap and try to throw everyone else into some ridiculous conditions. |
Yeah, that's total horseshit scaremongering. |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| anywhere in Seoul, Incheon, or Ilsan. |
This is going to choke you more than someone in your position should wish.
Remember that these rich, capital areas have their pick of recruits because EVERYONE thinks that they just have to be in Seoul or life here will be pure torment. Many of the most irritating things about Korea do, in fact, occur just as often in the supposed global metropolis of Seoul as in any provincial city. It just isn't that great compared to other cities considering its size. By restricting yourself to hagwons in the most 'desirable' locations, added to the Korean ethnicity thing [and northway's excellent point about docs], you're just bricking up a high wall in front of yourself. Get the degree apostilled, get the CBC, look at decent-sized cities out from Seoul with nice rail connections. You'll be able to get there easily enough when you want/need to. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Modernist wrote: |
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| anywhere in Seoul, Incheon, or Ilsan. |
This is going to choke you more than someone in your position should wish.
Remember that these rich, capital areas have their pick of recruits because EVERYONE thinks that they just have to be in Seoul or life here will be pure torment. Many of the most irritating things about Korea do, in fact, occur just as often in the supposed global metropolis of Seoul as in any provincial city. It just isn't that great compared to other cities considering its size. By restricting yourself to hagwons in the most 'desirable' locations, added to the Korean ethnicity thing [and northway's excellent point about docs], you're just bricking up a high wall in front of yourself. Get the degree apostilled, get the CBC, look at decent-sized cities out from Seoul with nice rail connections. You'll be able to get there easily enough when you want/need to. |
Yeah, I meant to come back to that and forgot to. Being Korean doesn't really help you without an F-4, but I don't think it really hurts you too much either (whereas being another Asian ethnicity might). That said, I get the feeling that recruiters run screaming for the hills anytime someone makes specific demands about semi-desirable locations. If you say, "I'd like to be near Seoul/Busan", that's one thing, but if you have specific city demands (including which suburbs you're willing to move to), you're way more likely to get dropped to the bottom of the pile. If the recruiter doesn't currently have anything available for which you're particularly qualified (which is entirely possible, given zero experience and the wrong ethnicity) they have little reason to respond to you. If you open yourself up to some of the other half-way decent suburbs besides Ilsan (Bundang, Anyang, Gwacheon, etc., in no particular order), you'll likely find recruiters much quicker to respond to you. |
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sallymonster
Joined: 06 Feb 2010
Location: Seattle area
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:07 am Post subject: |
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I agree with what others have said about getting your documents. It can take months just to get your FBI check, so recruiters won't think you're serious about applying until you have it.
Also, why Incheon? Not much going on out there despite the fact that it's a big city. And it's farther from Seoul than you realize.
There are suburbs you haven't even considered that are much closer to Seoul than Incheon or Ilsan. I live in Anyang and I can get to Gangnam (one of Seoul's trendiest areas) in 30 minutes. I'm closer to central Seoul, than, well, some parts of Seoul proper! Other Seoul suburbs you might find suitable include Bucheon, Gwangmyeong, Gwacheon, Guri, Bundang, Gunpo, Suji, and Dongtan.
I wouldn't eliminate Busan, either. As Korea's second-biggest city, it has most of the amenities Seoul has, but with a more laid-back vibe. Also, Busan has beaches, which is a plus over Seoul. Not the greatest beaches ever, but still.
I've heard good things about Daegu as well, but I've never been there.
To echo what others have said, if you get your documents and expand your location preferences a little bit, you just might have more luck in your job search. |
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Tigerstyleone
Joined: 01 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:19 am Post subject: |
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There are loads and loads of jobs available right now.
But who wants them? The won has lost 20% of its value and the paperwork required to get a Visa is ridiculous.
Life is easy here and living one block from the beach makes up for it.
Marsavalance is dummy. |
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lalartu
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:28 am Post subject: |
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thing about GEPIK is that only SOME schools cut their teachers and it's a gradual process, so it's not like suddenly we'll have 10000 of unemployed foreigners.
their plan is to reduce the number of foreign teachers to 0 in a 3 year period, so some will not be resigned this year, others the next years and finally the last batch will be gone by 2014.
Also, GEPIK is only in Gyeongi province and gyeongi province is the main province for math in Korea, English has always been the minor subject as even their English entrance exams are made much easier than in other provinces. So what happens in Gyeongi in terms of English will not affect other provinces or Korea in general.
so, yeah sure we'll have less foreign teachers working in public schools in prime locations like Bundang, Bucheon and Ilsan, but there are plenty of hagwons in the area that need teachers too. |
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