Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kriscolab]

Hello! I almost feel bad about starting a new thread because I am fairly certain most of the questions I have for the forum have already been answered in one way or another, however, there is such a wealth of information I don't even know where to begin!

For my first question: I am graduating from a well known North American University on August 4th, 2014, and I was wondering how this would factor into my timeline for applying to hagwons and Epik. Should I begin the application process in March/April as if I'm going to leave in September? I know getting the diploma to apply for the visa is a concern, but my school lets you apply early to receive your diploma several days after you walk, so I'm not too worried about that.

Also: I live in a place where the in-class component of a TEFL certificate through i-to-i is very difficult, and the CELTA center would require me to live 8 hours away for a month. My university, however, offers a TEFL course that would be 100 hours of in class curriculum, but I was worried this would not be recognized by many recruiters or schools. Does anyone have any kind of opinion whether it would be better for me to take the online course without an in-class component through a recognized provider or a fully in-class certificate through a University?

I am just trying to start getting my ducks in a row for the application process before I contact any recruiters. Annyy advice on the early stages of teaching in South Korea would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!

[takethree]

I can only speak for hagwons, but here are a few thoughts.

-Generally hagwons only know their vacancies a month or so in advance, once the current native teacher decides not to renew for another year. So for hagwons, March/April is way early.

-The most important thing to get in time is your FBI criminal background check. This takes about two months in the US, and is valid for 6 months only. So March/April is about the right time to apply for it.

-Read up on apostilles and what you need and where to get them. It is NOT just a notary.

-This site has a lot of helpful info: http://morganrecruiting.com/category/working-in-korea/

PM me if you have any big questions. You're well ahead of the game, enjoy your senior year.