Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Royce]

My situation is I want to go to Korea and search for a job, but I never had an E-2 visa and if I land a job I would have to go back to the US because first time E-2 appliers have to do an interview back in my home country. Do you think they would pay for a visa run back to the US? In all of the forums I read never seen anybody ever talk about their experience when actually searching for a job in Korea, so if I go to Korea how would I go about searching for a job? Do I just check on the web or do I just go to random schools and fill out an application? Or is it another way to find a teaching position in Korea?

[JustinC]

If you look at the top of this page you will see some access to a jobs page

[viciousdinosaur]

Heed my advice. Ignore the hordes who come after me and try to give you some lame advice. They don't even live here anymore.

Don't even think about coming here and job searching if you have to fly back to the states. They whole reason people in country get preference is because the school doesn't have to pay for your flight in most cases. Right now there are just so many people looking for a job that someone like you, who is going to be hassle, won't get the time of day.

The market is not good in Korea right now. Once the public schools stop cutting jobs we might see some bounce back. But nothing in the next year is going to help this market.

My advice. Go to China. Get your feet wet. Visit Korea while you're there. If you think it's better, then just make your move after year.

[Royce]

Thanks for the advice viciousdinosaur, you give me a little bit more insight of what is going on in the job market. I will do my research and give the idea of teaching in China a chance, but I will not stop try to get a position in Korea because of all of the time and effort put into it. Plus, I also have a small gut feeling that all of the advice that I've been giving is slowly starting to work.

[byrddogs]

VD gave you some good advice about coming to China. If you do decide to give it a chance here, you will need to get a Z visa (working visa) just to come into the country to work legally. This needs to be secured prior to entry into China. That visa will need to be turned into a residence/work permit within 30 days of entry. Who knows, you might just like it here enough that Korea becomes an afterthought.

[Royce]

Thank JustinC for the reply, even though your answer was a little sarcastic..lol. It still doesn't really answer my question. I seen a while back a few people actually used the method of going to Korea and looking for a job, but now the times has change. The job market is full of recruiters, and if you have not been issued a e-2 visa before you have to return to your home country for a visa run. If this was 10 years ago when more school posted teaching jobs directly instead using a 3rd party then asking on how to find a job while being in Korea would not be a question, but nowadays I think I probably see one school post a position directly out of 30, maybe less than that. It post the question even if I'm financially able to go there and search for a month or two is it worth the risk or is it a bad investment. Additionally to that, throughout the forum I see people discoursing people who never had an E-2 visa not to search in Korea because they would have do a visa run back in their home country and do interview with the Korean embassy, but my thought is what is the difference between me doing my visa back in my country versus them doing it in a foreign country.

[iggyb]

[iggyb]

[Royce]

Thanks Iggyb and I see what you were talking about VD. Yeah, I have personally went to the embassy site myself and the site statement that first time E-2 appliers have to do an interview to the closest embassy in their home country, but if that person lives far from that embassy then that person would have to do an interview on the phone or do a live video chat.

[iggyb]

Then don't go to Korea on your own unless you are willing to pay for a round-trip ticket home and back.

If you have enough money stored up to fly to Korea and spend some months hunting for a job, you should have enough to fund a longer wait back home as you work with multiple recruiters to find a job.

Your marketability is going to be low even in country if you have to get the E-2 in the US.

[ttompatz]

Going to Korea has pros and cons.

Pros = you can sus out the job, talk to staff and check out the housing before you sign on the dotted line.

Cons = they won't pay for a flight to Korea AND a visa run.
If you are American and do need a consular interview then Guam is an affordable option so a run back to the continental US isn't necessary (they wouldn't pay for it anyway).

Truth: patience is on your side.
Korea will still be here next week and they will still be posting jobs next week, next month and next year.
Other options include China (again, get hired from abroad), Thailand (get hired "in country"), Taiwan (in-country), Japan (tough to get started), Vietnam.

In all cases Don't base your decision on salary alone. You can find positions all over Asia with comparable SAVINGS.

A job paying 45k THB in Thailand will allow you to save about $1000/month.
A job paying 2.2 million KRW in Korea will allow you to save about $1000/month.
A job paying 9-10k RMB in China will allow you to save about $1000/month.
A job paying 50k TWD in Taiwan will allow you to save about $1000/month.
Jobs in Vietnam pay about $2000 and allow you to save about $1000.

Cast a wide net unless there is some particular reason you specifically want Korea.

.

[viciousdinosaur]

God, you're such a troll Iggy. See what I mean? Public schools are safe? Pff. Tell that to the thousands of people who just lost their job this year, including two of my friends. Oh yeah they thought they had it made at their public school. They got axed with no warning and were sent packing back home. It took some of them months to get back.

And then he goes on to agree with everything I said.

[schwa]

Unless you already have connections here & really know your way around, I'd strongly advise against just showing up. The market is tight & chances are you'd be watching your funds disappear quickly to the point where you'd have to settle for any crap job.

For a newb to Korea nowadays, far better to sort things out beforehand from the relative comforts of home.

[Kepler]

[Kepler]

Some 2012 posts from the waygook forum about people who were able to get their first e-2 visa in Japan-