Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ejjones3]

Hello,

I just sent my documents to ATOP recruiting for a teaching position with the public schools in Jeonbuk or Gyeongnam areas. I don't know much about ATOP, however, and I wanted to see if any teachers out there could offer any advice or share good/bad experiences either about ATOP or teaching at public schools in these areas.

Thanks!

[Blanca]

If you're applying to work in public schools, you've got nothing to worry about.

[maximmm]

I would say thread carefully.

I applied with that company a year ago and filled out various public school applications. The problem is that they did not proofread my application - and there were several big mistakes that they did not spot (making a mistake in the public school application form is a big no-no). In addition, their website at that time http://www.atopesl.com/ did not work (nor does it work now - have they changed it?). In the end, I ended up going with Korea Connections and they were by far more professional (spotted errors and found me a decent job).

By the way, Korea Connections has a major advantage in that it works directly with various boards of education. You get an interview set up very quickly, while with Atop - when they did send my error-riddled application, I haven't heard from them for days. When I asked them to withdraw my application - they did not respond. So, yeah - there was something seriously off about that agency.

[wonkavite62]

You are right to be wary. Some of the recruiters that advertise here are quite good, but others can be a nuisance. Double check and proof read EVERYTHING you send to ATOP before you send it. Independently check what paperwork you will need for the job as ATOP might not know everything.

In 2008, I LOST a public school job in Seoul, because Worknplay made mistakes. They told me I only needed one letter of reference for SMOE! I sent one letter and was rejected without explanation. This surely made a big difference because if accepted, it would have been a great experience for me. I was teaching in Korea this year in a different province, but Seoul can be fun.
Another problem you might have is this: If you send an application with unexplained gaps in it, and you get as far as having an interview with the BoE, it will be very difficult to explain why. Hence the need for proof-reading.
But with the current E-2 application as complex as it is, we should all be experts in form-filling. I know I am-I was accepted.

[ejjones3]

Thank you for your responses! Maximmm, I am going to check out Korea Connections.

[PRagic]

1) You should be using a TON of recruiters, any and all, to find the best job for you.

2) Remember that the recruiters don't work for you, they work for a potential employer. They want to get you into any job vacancy they have so that they can get paid.

3) You are under no obligation to tell any given recruiter how many services you are utilizing.

4) Get all your paperwork in order (see the stickies) so that you can move on an offer if it's what you're looking for.

5) While you're at it, put your resume up on the link. Someone might just find YOU.

Good luck with the job hunt....