Korean Job Discussion Forums

DeiseBoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2013

Hi all,

Does anyone have any advice for a TEFL newcomer about finding a teaching position within Seoul? So far I've spent a lot of time with various recruiters only for them to offer me positions in cities an hour or two away from Seoul.

I know that they can only offer me the positions that they've got but there must be private English schools in Seoul looking for teachers as well.

Some recruiters have advised me just to fly to Seoul and I'll find a job easily enough but i'm not really comfortable doing that, especially with it being my first time in Korea.

Do the schools in Seoul not look for teachers using recruiters or something and if so how do they advertise positions? Korean job websites?

In case anyone is wondering why I don't just take a position elsewhere, I specifically request positions within Seoul because I have friends living in the Hongdae area. I'd like to be able to meet up with them in my free time without having to travel a couple of hours there and a couple of hours back. The subway in Seoul would allow me to meet them easily enough from most parts of the city.

Anyway, any advice on what to do or where to look would be greatly appreciated.

IPayInCash · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:52 am Post subject:

If youre having trouble finding a job in Seoul, chances are your looks are holding you back.

Dont take this the wrong way but this is a place that DOES give jobs based on looks. If youre black, asian, old, fat, unshaven, or ugly you WILL have a harder time finding a job in Seoul. Also not having a North American accent hurts against you.

My advice would to take a job outside of Seoul, like Bundang where you can actually get to your friends faster than you would in other places within Seoul. Just because someone lives in Seoul does not automatically mean theyre going to be closer. Thats a common mistake newbies make.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

Agreed, but remember, living and hour out of Seoul, doesn't necessarily mean an hour of drive time. The suburbian areas of Seoul stretch far outside of the City core. So if the recruiters are offering you placement in places like Pyeongtaek, Gimpo, Guri or a little more remote, it doesn't mean that public transportation cannot take you where you want to go in Seoul anytime you want to go there. Just an opinion, but you need to keep things in a distance perspective with regard to how long it takes to get from place to place. Hope that helps a bit.

DeiseBoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2013

I know what you're saying but i'm not even getting to the point where the schools see me on skype interviews or in photos so i'm not sure that's the case. I'm a fairly average looking white guy in his twenties anyway.

Every recruiter I've approached has said nearly straight away that they don't have positions in Seoul and would I consider other locations which makes me think that the schools aren't using them for whatever reason.

A couple of them have told me that there are plenty of jobs close to their offices, which are based in Seoul, and I should just fly over and approach the schools myself.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

DeiseBoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2013

Well I was too late for EPIK this year so it would be hagwon/private school jobs I'm looking for. I know there's another public school uptake in February 2014 but I'd like to start working asap.

It just seems odd that the recruiters wouldn't have hagwon positions for schools in the same place as many of their offices are based.

I've approached pretty much any recruiter I can find on both the i-to-i TEFL jobs board and the Korean jobs board here.

IPayInCash · Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 7:58 am Post subject:

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

HongDae just got connected buy two new train lines too.
One is the airport railroad, 공항철도, to Incheon
The other is the Gyeonggi line, 경의선

The lines are not on every map, but you can see them here:
http://www.smrt.co.kr/program/cyberStation/main2.jsp?lang=e

Note that the Gyeonggi province, (Gyeonggi Do 경기도) actually surrounds Seoul, but if you wanted to be on the Gyeonggi line, you need to be up Paju way.

The airport railroad goes out to Incheon, of course. I have a friend in Incheon though who comes to Hongdae by express bus, so there are many option.

I haven't used the Gyeonggi line yet myself, it is just opened, but I have passengers coming out of the terminal so I know it is open.

Im sure the other places people mention (Bandung, Pyeongtaek) are also well connected, but I don't have experience there.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Also, there are LOTS of places in Gyeonggi (Suwon, Bundang, etc) that are actually closer to the Seoul nightlife (in terms of commute time) than places that are actually IN Seoul.

You'd be far better off focusing on getting the best job you can and worry about your commute time after you get here.

If you really want to work in the slums of Seoul, (sorry, the bright lights of the big city) rather than the satellite cities then it is easy enough to do in your 2nd year.

.

edwardcatflap · Joined: 22 Mar 2009

The other thing to consider, if you're planning your location around hanging out in Hongdae, is that nowadays taxi drivers rarely agree to take people to places in central Seoul from popular night spots late at night. You'll have a much better chance to get a ride if you tell them you're heading back to Suwon or Bundang. This, as well, as well as the fact that I'm over 30, is the major reason why I don't drink there any more.