Korean Job Discussion Forums

[parker82]

Times have changed.

I am a young-looking, physically fit, non-Gyopo, 30-year-old Asian American male. When I first applied to jobs in Korea in spring 2012, I had 3 interviews right away, a job offer the next day, and I was in Korea a few weeks following. However, these days I am finding it hard to even get a reply from a school or recruiter.

Almost every day for the last two weeks I’ve looked for jobs, sending several emails a day for different positions. I may get one reply a day (if any) but never an interview.

I will admit that I have limited my job locations to Gyeonggi-do and Incheon (I don’t even bother applying to Seoul jobs). However, I’m open to working in almost any city (as far as say Paju), any age group, any hours, and any pay. Almost all the jobs I apply for are entry-level jobs.

Still, I get no response.

To illustrate the difficulty I have been having, I will share three job application stories below. Feel free to skip them and jump to the bottom if you want to get to the point of this posting.

[Coltronator]

You might have better luck with a big Chain like Avalon or CDI, while others rag on them for many things, racism and hiring practices that worry about skin colour isn't one of them.

[Hokie21]

[World Traveler]

The problem is Avalon has many unregulated branch franchises. Plenty of people have been cheated lately. You were not one of them. Who's to say the OP will even be hired by Avalon, too. He could try to apply but I would put my money on him not getting the job. Avalon prefers people with no prior experience working in Korea. (Pretty sad, right?) (And maybe not every single Avalon branch in all of Korea thinks this way, but most do. I've heard it from many sources.)

[Coltronator]

True, plus with Avlon central management being decapitated (They eliminted their Training, R&D, Branch Quality Control, and HR Departments) all they are, are dozens of hagwons with the same name that pay the same groups of original investors licensing fees each month/year. So each Branch will vary greatly for better or worse. Though CDI is still fully corporate so their central HR should still have the same lack of racial hiring criteria as in the past.

This said the big places still offer the best chance(not guarantee) even if not guaranteed. In fact, I think the vast majority (say 90%+) of people I have met in Korea that are stereotypically considered racially "undesirable" by the places that do have racist hiring policies, worked for one of 3 places: CDI, Avalon, SLP, a Public School or began their careers at one of the 4 options and then branched out from there.

[jlee83]

[parker82]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I've heard both good and bad things about Avalon and CDI. I actually applied to CDI and got a response for a March position. If nothing comes up, I will try to apply for that March position (but an earlier position would be better because my D-10 will expire before then).

I will try applying to Avalon and SLP. I assume this is the website for SLP:
http://www.slp.co.kr/

[Coltronator]

Young has its advantages, but once you are here the real opportunities are for those with a combination of connections, savvy, perseverance and luck.
Get your foot in the door any which way, get settled, observe, learn and apply what you have learned. 30 is by no means too old to start. It has its disadvantages but it is not insurmountable, just as his ethnicity will not completely kill his chances.

[TheMeerkatLover]

I'll post some advice that should help.

* NEVER impose limitations on yourself. If I never had considered working in the countryside, I would have never had met my wife (and that is a VERY scary thought to me). Think about positions first. If you enter any interview with a series of limitations or conditions, I would personally thank you for your time and move on to the next person straight away. Same goes with people. If you give the impression you are waiting for something better, they'll just give you a pass.

** You are 30. You better have enough credentials to back yourself up. If you're trying to enter the field at 30 with no real work experience, then Korean society may look down upon you.

*** Being a Gyopo is both a blessing and a curse. In a way, you are viewed as being able to more integrate into the work culture due to the expectation you will submit to harsher working conditions than those who are not "White". I have met many Gyopo's working here, they have had little to no problems finding jobs, so I'm suspecting YOU are the one creating these limits.

**** Desperation is not an appealing trait. If you look desperate, it is more likely that people will try to avoid you.

***** There are always jobs. Again, it depends on what you are willing to accept. Keep in mind this job is a stepping stone to possibilities that can benefit you for a lifetime.

Videos and other nonsense are not needed. The videos are used to screen out those who are perceived as non-attractive or some other superficial reason. I have never had to provide a video, nor would any professional organization that understood what they were hiring.

Hope this helps, but from what I have seen for the past decade and those around me suggests your story does not match up with my observations. In this case, I would consider my first comment.

[DaeguNL]

[DaeguNL]

[parker82]

[parker82]

[Hokie21]

[Hokie21]