Korean Job Discussion Forums

[RLib]

Apologies if this has already been on the boards, I'm unable to get the search function to work for me.

So here is my situation. I began working through Teach Away in January for the August 2012 EPIK intake. Things were looking good, I had my preliminary interview with Teach Away and they said I was a strong candidate, and since then I've collected all of my necessary documents (FBI cbc with apostille, notarized & apostilled diploma, transcripts, signed letters of recs, etc). I simply needed to wait until April when EPIK would be releasing the updated Fall 2012 application, copy and past all my info onto it, and then it would be immediately forwarded onto EPIK.

Come April, Teach Away informs me that they were not chosen as one of the official recruiters for the EPIK program. Huge bust, but they said EduCon, who was chosen as an official recruiter, offered to take on all of their EPIK applicants. I said that was fine, and they sent my materials to EduCon, who were supposed to contact me within a few days. Two weeks later, no word from EduCon, no response to the emails I've sent to them, and I can't seem to find a phone number for their office.

I know I can apply directly through EPIK, and I'm considering it more seriously now. My concern, though, is that I'm currently travelling in Beirut, Lebanon until July, and I was really hoping that if I went through a recruiter it would make the whole process a little easier.

All that being said, two questions:

1) Has anyone else had any experience working with EduCon? Or, has anyone who was previously w/Teach Away & had their materials forwarded heard from EduCon yet?

2) Would it be best for me to just apply directly to EPIK at this point? If I did, and was accepted, would I simply need to have them send the contract to my address in Beirut, and then take it to the South Korea Embassy here?

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated. I'm pretty frustrated that I am three weeks behind from where I would like to be right now...

[pumpkinstuffing]

I've heard that EPIK is at this point no longer taking applicants from recruiters, so your best bet would probably be to apply directly.

[mwalls]

I would try Korean Horizons or Gone2Korea. I'm not familiar with the two you mentioned, but I do know KH and G2K both seemed quite good. I found a public school position with Korean Horizons.

[lesigh]

Ditto for applying yourself to EPIK. Gone2Korea is definitely not taking apps for EPIK anymore.

[mwalls]

[RLib]

Thank you so much for the heads up! I will definitely apply directly to EPIK now.

Any idea when EPIK's cut off date for applications will be? Although I'll be turning in my materials tomorrow or Tuesday, I'm curious as to how close I'm cutting it.

[ROKon]

If you had applied directly through Epik in the first place you would have already had your interview and found out the result.

Why do applicants feel like they have to go through recruiters for Epik anyway? Epik gives priority to direct applicants cos that way they don't have to pay recruiter fees. So you're actually reducing your chances by going through a recruiter.

[lesigh]

^ Because it's easier to have people tell you what you need to do than figuring it out yourself.

[mwalls]

I don't see a problem going through a recruiter for your first gig. I did it and I have no regrets. The recruiters I spoke to were helpful about navigating a somewhat complicated process. Especially, in my case, from across the Pacific. Perhaps you get the same help from EPIK directly, but I'm not sure. And I didn't know if I wanted to go public straight away, anyway.

While I don't plan on using a recruiter for a second job when I'm in-country, I won't rule it out either.

[Skippy]