Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yeramian]

I'm here in Sadang Seoul, I have a Masters degree and a Tesol certificate. I was teaching employee's of Hynix Corporation in Eugene. I taught for a really rigurous English camp at the end of July, my first job here. People say I should be able to get a University Institute position with a Masters, but I don't see many positions listed. I wouldn't want a really large classroom.

I don't speak Korean so contacting colleges directly is difficult to impossible. Have any of you found a good recruitor for University positions?

[SuperHero]

The next hiring block for universities will be for March semester. Early hiring begins in early november and ends around the end of January. You won't find any university jobs right now as the semester starts on Monday and all the hiring is finished.

I suggest you read this thread and pay careful attention to what the_beaver has to say.

Good luck

[iamdugmoore]

I've heard that I can get a job with my BA, TEFL certificate, experience teaching kids one year in Seoul, combined with 3 + years of teaching adults in the US.

I'm in Korea and was wondering when I should start looking. I'm in a contract until May 2005. Does anyone have any info on when to look for Summer / Fall college work? Do colleges hire for July, or are they closed for summer?

Also, I don't mind living in a remote area or a city.

[the_beaver]

[ajstew]

It can't hurt to have recruiters look for university positions for you, but I wouldn't limit myself to that.
Wait for the postings from universities to start and have your resume packages ready for when they do... then send off a dozen and maybe you'll get some replies. The minimum requirement most university postings have is MA required plus 2 years university teaching experience or BA required plus 4 years teaching experience in Korea.
You seem to lack both, so you'll probably get responses mostly from:

Institutes that work with Universities and want you to work as an English teacher... this means you won't be a visiting professor and you'll have to teach a few kid's classes probably. These positions also will ask you to teach during most of the vacation period that professors get off... but you'll still probably get a one month vacation.

or

Universities that are away from larger cities, where you'll have a real job as a visiting professor.

Whether or not you'll get any hits from the universities that want visiting professors will depend on your resume and your interview... and how urgently the university needs to fill the position.

I'll just say don't be disappointed if you don't hear back from many places you apply to, and be prepared to work away from Seoul or other large cities to get the experience you need, so that one day you'll get back to those cities if that is what you want to do.

[hellofaniceguy]

I'll tell you the BEST, THE BEST way to get a university position is this.
Go in PERSON to as many of the universities as you can. Meet with the office staff and the director. Just pop in, hob knob a bit, make some small talk, etc...
leave your resume with the PERSON who places the ads looking for teachers. That is the same person who will be getting the faxed resumes, e-mail resumes and goes through them and then gives them to the director.
You can bet your bottom dollar that if you pay a visit in person to a dozen universities, one WILL hire you when the time comes. You stand a better chance in person. One chance at a first impression...so make it work for you.

[sid]

And if you can't present yourself in person make sure you write a decent cover letter when applying for a job. According to the co-ordinator at my Uni the standard of letters last time we recruited was pretty abysmal.

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

I got my uni gig with no teaching experience, no certificate, and no master's degree. All I have is a BA in history.

I'm making decent money, teach less than 10 hours a week, get a decent pad, and have tons of vacation time.

[hellofaniceguy]

I should point out this...if you only have a Bachelors Degree...you can work at a University....at the foreign language department of a university. It's a glorified hakwon. NOT a university position. University positions are E1 Visas. And only someone with a Masters can get a E1 at a real university position.
Many teachers teacher at universities with only a Bachelors...on a E1..hokwon visa.
University contracts are different from university hakwon contracts.
"Real university" teachers get around 5 months paid vacation and teach credit classes...hence the need for a Masters degree. University hakwon teachers with a E2 visa don't.
You'll see many ads for positions at universities but the then you'll find out that it's a hakwon attached to the university. I know of many teachers who pass themselves off as a "professor" simply because they teach at a university...and then I ask to see their Visa and it's a E1 or they won't show it which proves they......
My point....real university positions are available and you need to go in person to each department; law department, medical department, science department, etc. as each does their own hiring. And ask if it's a hakwon position or not. Why?
Better contract for one thing. Seoul and Suwon are known for offering university positions at universities which in reality are hakwons located at the university.

[the_beaver]

[Confused Canadian]

[J.B. Clamence]

[ajstew]

I'm not sure about that stuff on E1 visas meaning you are a real professor. I have an E2 and my title is "visiting professor"... I consider that to mean I am an authentic professor, although when asked, I just say I'm an English teacher. But I teach university credit classes and have the entire vacation plan.... upwards of 5 and a half months.

[Demophobe]

[Arthur Fonzerelli]