Korean Job Discussion Forums

[marklee88]

Hello. Complete newbie here. So sorry if this has been asked a million times. Not yet authorised to post on the 'general' section, so will post here for now.

First and foremost, I’m a 25 year old, British-born Chinese guy, that has never been to Asia (apart from UAE). I have a degree in a non-teaching subject (Criminology) and no teaching experience. I currently work for a law firm in Manchester, but am itching to go and see the world (for a couple of years, at least).

Anyway, I have been seriously considering teaching English abroad. And was hoping to get some advice from you guys and girls.

Firstly, would it be possible to get a good job, with a non-teaching BA degree, and a 20 hour TEFL certificate? I have found a weekend course on offer for £159. Which at the moment, is all I can afford.

Secondly, which country is the best to teach in? I realise this is different for everyone, but I would appreciate your opinions. I understand that with my limited/no experience and lack of teaching qualifications, it will be hard to find work in the UAE, etc. Also, my sister is a ‘proper’ teacher in Dubai, and doesn’t really recommend living there.

After googling, a lot of ‘top 10’ lists recommend South Korea for a first timer, for its good pay, stable economy, accommodation, etc. So my mind was pretty set on it until I read other people’s experiences on http://www.eslbase.com/advice/south-korea

The majority of people there seem to hate working there, and the general consensus is ‘Do NOT come to South Korea’. Now I’m not sure if these are the exception, as other sites/youtube/blogs all show it to be really enjoyable. So I was wondering if anybody here has had any experience teaching and living in South Korea, and would you recommend it?

Also, If I worked in a public school (the reviews suggest I should avoid private ‘Hagwons’), would I be working with other English-speaking teachers? And if not, how easy is it to meet other English speakers?

And what other countries do you think are best for a first timer? I would need accommodation and flights included, and I would like to be able to live comfortably, but I wouldn’t need a lot of money (I realise its not the type of job to make mega-bucks).

Sorry for the long post. And sorry if its in the wrong section (will post it in the general forum when i have access). But any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

[edwardcatflap]

It depends on a lot of things. Being British you could get a job in Europe but not without a proper TEFL qualification, so if you've decided to spend the minimal amount of money on this, Korea might be a good bet. However public schools in certain areas are now demanding a TEFL cert with in class hours so your 20 hour TEFL cert might stop you getting a job at a lot of places.

Private language schools in Korea take people with no experience or qualifications but they may prefer someone who looks the part more. Other people on here will tell you they mainly want North American females. Korea is not a great place to live and work compared to a lot of other countries, that's why they offer good packages to people without experience or qualifications.

So if you want a working abroad experience and are not too fussy about
environment or working conditions, I wouldn't even bother getting the 159
quid cert, just read a few books or articles online and apply for hagwans (private language schools). If you want to go into the class room feeling confident and prepared and have a much wider choice of countries to work in, borrow the money to get a CELTA. Just curious but if you're working at the moment, how come you would 'need flights included' ? You can't get enough money together to have a choice of destinations?

[Cacille]

Hi.
1. Your looks may stop you from getting jobs, sadly. Or maybe not. Depends on how open the hirer and area is.
2. I hope you mean a 120 hour certificate, or a 20-hour practicum plus 100 hour certificate. A 20-hour only certificate thing will be a complete waste, it won't be accepted here at all.
3. South Korea is a bit overloaded, but given that there are still jobs on the job board here, I'm willing to bet it's "overloaded compared to 10 years ago", not "There are no jobs at all" which is what people here want you to think, when obviously there is proof to the latter.
4. S.Korea is otherwise, a good place to live. Depends on the city though. I recommend rural if you can get it - they are nicer.
5. People who say they hate it and don't come - should either transfer jobs or get the hell out. Look for the reasons they hate it. Most of the time, they are people on this board, because unfortunately this board is a bit of a cess-pit of jaded posters who only want to be trolls. Seriously, look on every thread that has more than 4 pages. You'll find personal attacks, put downs, etc on every single one. Waygook and other websites are better, because there are actual consequences for behavior there (moderators who care). This site has none, so I recommend you do NOT post here frequently and instead join other website forums. You'll get clearer info.

6. This isn't the job to make mega-bucks? Not sure where you're from, but to me, this is a seriously good mega-bucks job. I was working 3 jobs and barely made rent and bills. Now I can actually pay back my students loans and pay them down! You should take no job lower than 2.1M in pay per month. It translates, roughly and time-dependently (and no taxes taken yet), to $1900-2000 a month. It's actually the best paying country IMO. Anyone who says it's a pittance must have lived in a New York penthouse at one time.

[edwardcatflap]

[andrewchon]

IMO Op ought to narrow down his wish list. What is the first priority?

If it is to see the world, then get a job somewhere, anywhere. It'll be different to Manchester, that's for sure.

If it is to get the best bang for the buck i.e. have the most intense life-experience for couple of years via ESL then come to Korea, go work in Seoul.

[marklee88]

Thanks for the replies.

I am considering doing this as more of a life-experience thing, rather than just getting out of Manchester. But the money would be nice, just so i can experience the country in full.

Financially, i'll be on about the same i guess, but here i have to pay mortgage, bills, etc, so don't end up saving much at all. Assuming accommodation is paid for, i think i would be saving more cash over there.

@Cacille - do you really think my looks will stop me from getting jobs? I'm Chinese, so could probably pass as Korean in appearance. Surely that would be an advantage? or not?

So do you guy not recommend me doing the 20 hour TEFL course at all? I was going to do it, just to get some experience in front of a class, as well as the actual certificate. But if it means nothing to employers, i might as well save my money. Or do an even cheaper online course, to get the same certificate.

@Edwardcatflap - How come you don't think Korea is not a great place to live? And which other countries would you recommend, for someone with out experience or a 'proper' TEFL qualification?

Thanks again

[edwardcatflap]

[Hokie21]

[mayorhaggar]

Korea's not for everyone but I think it offers a good deal in general. It's not as exciting or as calm or Westernized as Japan, but you'll save money in SK because rent is free or subsidized and prices are way lower here. I haven't been to China yet but I imagine it's more civilized in general than there, and it's definitely more civilized than most of SE Asia. But that might mean you find SK boring because it doesn't have any "adventure" compared to those places, nor the charm of Japan.

The weather is rather crappy here (2 seasons of hot and cold with a few weeks of nice weather) but I'd prefer it to boiling in Thailand or Malaysia or whatever. Compared to Europe it probably pays better than a lot of jobs, but in SK you'll probably face way more discomfort issues due to food and cultural stuff. Compared to the Middle East it pays less but it's pretty laissez-faire and it's not as hot, and you can get a beer easily, though the local beer here really really sucks.

Also generally foreigners here tend to make the same amount of money no matter what...seems like in Europe or China some people are making a lot of money and others aren't. At least in Korea we're all suffering together. Usually.

In general I'd describe South Korea as being easy to get a job in, easy to work in (YMMV), easy to save money, generally crappy weather, not really great for tourist stuff, and relatively comfortable but often uncomfortable.

What I mean by comfort is that while SK has made massive strides since being a bombed-out wreck in 1953, it's still behind the West in a lot of things. Cities tend to smell like sewers because of the crappy drainage system. Garbage tends to be everywhere, though at least it's usually bagged up. Bathrooms can be godawful. Koreans aren't as into indoor heating and air conditioning as Westerners, so bring good summer and winter clothes. You'll get used to this stuff eventually but it's tough at first.

As a people, Koreans can be really warm and friendly one minute and frustrating and cold the next. A lot depends on your co-workers and how they take to you--it's a huge gamble and it's different for everyone. The apartment you get and the school or hagwon you end up in are all a huge gamble too.

As for your chances of getting in, I'd say if you can get a compliant TEFL cert and get your documents in order and can show the interviewer that you are a bright young fellow eager to teach kids, then you'll have a good chance of getting in. I'd recommend applying to EPIK, you can either do it through a recruiter or on your own. A good recruiter will help you avoid mistakes in your application and interview, but it will also make EPIK process your application longer for some reason. I got into EPIK and I was pretty impressed at the range of people they hired, people from every ethnicity including several Chinese people. However, getting into EPIK will probably mean going to a rural area, which you may or may like. I prefer living in cities in the US but I was placed in rural Korea. Fortunately my town is pretty walkable and it's 3 hours to Seoul or Busan...it's a long trip but at least it's consistent to go to either city. EPIK does hire for Seoul and Busan but it's more competitive. GEPIK hires for the suburbs of Seoul and is a separate program. Hagwons can be hit or miss and I rarely hear good things about them, plus you have to work harder for less money and less vacation time. No thanks.

Anyway if you do end up here don't expect rainbows and ponies and clear blue skies. You will have good Korea days and bad Korea days, and it's up to you to figure out how to deal with the bad days. Anyway, good luck. I had zero teaching experience before coming here, and I was getting burned out in a crappy dead-end law firm job. I don't feel in a rut anymore here.