Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bowery4]

Hi new here. I have been looking for a job in Seoul for a little over a month now. I am 45 but honestly look mid 30s. I have 3 and a half years of teaching experience as an art teacher about 15 years ago (I am an artist/painter). I have contacted countless recruiters and a few schools but get very few replies. Here is what I am writing in my email to them and a copy of my resume. You can contact me directly at [email protected] if you have any suggestions for me. Thanks!!

Dear whomever, I saw your ad on Dave's ESL cafe and I would be very interested in the position
(or one like it) in Kawngjin-Gu, Seoul that you have
advertized there. I have
attached all the pertinent information for your
consideration. I have included college
transcripts (which I have a sealed copy of), my
undergraduate degree (which I have a
Korean consulate approved copy of), passport, cover
letter, recommendations and other photos.
My first priority would be to find a suitable position
that makes me happy and is secure. I think this would
include living by myself, having a reliable employer
and a position where, I can apply my interpersonal
skills and experience to help people learn the
fundamentals of the English language.
I have several years experience in education, from
elementary school to graduate school. In addition, I
have taken on private art students while in New York
(three of whom were not native English speakers). I am
available immediately.
Thank You, very much for your consideration.
Alan Van Every
resume
Alan Van Every 276 Henry Street 1B New York, New York 11201 917-923-6257 [email protected]

Objective
To find a position where, I can apply my interpersonal skills and experience to help people learn the fundamentals of the English language
Experience
20 plus years exhibiting professional artist
11/03 – Present Various Exhibition Institutions and Artists, New York, New York
Freelance Preparator, Art Handler
q Installing art for exhibitions and shipping.
3/01-11/03 Gorney, Bravin and Lee, New York, New York
Preparator, Art Handler
q Scheduling, preparing and installing art for exhibitions and shipping.
q Making arrangements and negotiating prices with art shipping companies and clients.
q Making inventory and overseeing archives.
q Hiring and directing freelance help for installations.
q Researched, liaised and negotiated with framers and print production houses.
4/ 99-1/01 Art Delivery Trucks, New York, New York
Art Handler, Driver
q Installing art for clients, in all type of situations: Galleries, Homes and Institutional settings.
q Training new employees in proper procedures.
q Preparing insurance forms, wrapping and insuring quality handing.
7/ 98-3/ 99 Mary Boone Gallery, New York, New York
Preparator, Art Handler
q Scheduling, preparing and installing art for exhibitions.
q Making arrangements and negotiating prices with art shipping companies and clients.
1/ 97-3/ 98 Various Artists, New York, New York
Freelance Artist Assistant
Assisted 3 artists in their studios and offices, Dennis Oppenhiem, Louisa Chase and Donna Nelson.
4/ 94 -11/ 96 Deep Space Gallery, New York, New York
Director, Curator
q Developed all aspects of gallery, including planning, curating and installing monthly exhibitions.
q Researched and facilitated sales, liaised with collectors, press and artists, oversaw day to day operations, designed invitations, wrote news releases, compiled and updated mailing list for large scale mailings.
q Prepared budget, created, maintained bookkeeping, and inventory systems, recruited, trained and directed 2 employees.
3/ 91- 11/ 93 Big Orbit Gallery, Buffalo, New York
Founder, Director, Curator
q Developed mission and all aspects of a new not for profit gallery, searched for and developed a strong board of directors. Duties included: grant writing, sales, public relations, fund raising, budgeting, curating and installing exhibitions in galleries, lobbies and store fronts.
q Initiated and coordinated corporate sponsorship, community outreach programs.
q Organized seminars; and special events including performances, and gallery openings.
q Selected and successfully trained new curators and prepared long term funding plan, insuring the continuance of the recently established not for profit.
9/ 91 - 6/ 92 State University of New York at Buffalo, New York
Graduate Teaching Assistantship
q Taught four foundation level classes, including Basic Design, Inter-media and Basic Sculpture.
q Evaluated students performance, organized exercises based on curriculum, planned and oversaw projects.
9/ 90 - 6/ 92 St. Margaret��s School, Buffalo, New York
Art Teacher K-8
q Designed and developed curriculum for all classes, gave basic instruction, evaluated students work.
q Liaised with teachers and staff to develop appropriate lessons to match the class work being done.
q Taught basic Art and Design skills and processes.
Education
1992 State University of New York at Buffalo
MFA Program, Dual Major: Painting and Sculpture, Courses completed, degree not received.
1984 State University of New York College at Buffalo
BFA Program, Painting

[Ya-ta Boy]

Your #1 problem is your age. You are near the outer limit of the desired age. I'm older than you, and I found a job, so it isn't hopeless.

Your #2 problem is your letter. Simplify! Simplify! There are words there that the average Korean probably won't understand. Leave out all the references to things that don't apply to teaching English. For example, what does organizing an art exhibit have to do with teaching kids how to speak English? Remember the type of job you are applying for. Focus on those experiences you have that apply to that. Leave anything else out.

Your #3 problem is your present location. It would be much easier to find a job if you are in Korea. Naturally, employers prefer not to pay for airline tickets unless absolutely necessary.

Good luck.

[bowery4]

One thing that I think you misunderstood, was that I posted my resume here after my letter, it is not part of the letter. If it was part of the letter, I would think I need to make it much more simple as well. I know the age thing is an issue, I have been told as much by a few recruiters. I understand they will feel the need to differ to an elder. I am curious since I have been working in and around the art world for 15 years would you just take that off the resume? How do I explain that I have had responsable jobs that were probably more challenging and frankly harder than ESL teacher. Other questions I have; are you in Seoul? and if so is your school hiring? Were you hired through a recruiter and if not, is there a list of schools somewhere (on the net)? Almost all the sites I have found were recriuters, who obviously don't want to forward resumes that are not excatly what the client is looking for. I don't blame them, I understand as a sales job you try to give the best possiable choice but i would like to have no go between to send to, if it was possiable. Thanks again, I apreicate your help!

[chronicpride]

Your age, gender, nationality, and quality of photo make up 90% of a school or recruiter's hiring focus. Spend less time on focusing on the 10% stuff like 'how should I word my resume or cover letter', and go out and spend some money on having a professional photo done up of yourself. With your background in art and living in NY, you should be able to find a modelling agency to produce an amazing headshot. I can't begin to tell you how much a good photo will trump any resume over here. These are Korean hiring standards in an image-hungry country, in an image-hungry industry of fiercely competitive schools and recruiters who literally fight over teacher's pictures, while the resume is collecting dust in the corner of the desk. Some recruiters often only email or fax photos of teachers to schools and send resumes later on, when some of the info is needed for hiring paperwork.

If you are even more serious about employment here, then do yourself a favor and buy a ticket and come here first and put the hiring advantage in your corner, so you can personally assess working and living conditions, first-hand and have the luxury to be able to walk away from an interview to the next school across the street, if the smallest thing does not meet your satisfaction..

[schwa]

Yeh, I'd simplify the cover letter. I hope you format it better when you send it out!

By the way, what does this mean: "I have several years experience in education, from elementary school to graduate school" -- you went to school?

Small pointer: use really plain english. For example: "In addition, I
have taken on private art students" would be much better worded "In addition, I taught private art students ..."

Especially if you want to apply directly to schools, imagine a non-native speaker reading your stuff. Maybe not as much as in the past, but some schools advertise directly -- theres usually a few on the job board here. True, best to avoid the middleman.

Re: age. I was 47 when I got my first gig here via internet search like youre doing. I included a brief paragraph to suggest I wasnt some old fogey. You could mention active hobbies, excellent health etc. International travel experience might suggest cultural flexibility. I won out over a young upstart on the strength of one detail -- I'd gone to university later in life, which they took to mean I wasnt a fossil. Maybe you have some similar selling point. Make sure your photo flatters your age too.

Your resume is just wrong for the position youre seeking. You need to winnow the art experience down to a few brief entries that emphasize responsibility, dealing with the public, & anything remotely educational. Brevity is your friend.

Persevere & you'll come up with something here. Best luck!

[sheba]

Yes, a photo is very important.

Also with your resume, dont take out what you have been doing for the past 15-20 years, but refer to how each position helps you be a good teacher. Mention the skills you have gained from your past experience - leadership, discipline, encouragement... have you sepent any time with children? (Your own child? A nephew or neice? Teaching? Tutoring?) Mention you have experience with children. etcetc

They dont really want to know what you have been doing for the past 20 years, they want to know if you will be a good teacher. Even if you have only been a teacher for 3 years, its still more than a lot of other people.

[eamo]

[Derrek]

As mentioned before, the big issues are age and location.

Your biggest obstacle is location, though. Age... well... obviously nothing you can do about that.

I've mentioned it before: older people need to think of their age as an ADVANTAGE to them. Why? Because it filters out all of those bad hagwons that are dumb enough to hire someone only based on their looks. If they are that stupid to begin with, it's probably a very good indicator of how the hagwon is overall. I have yet to find a successful hagwon that hired based ONLY on looks.

Live here a while, and you'll learn that Koreans are desperate to "get ahead" and improve their social standing. There is a lot of money around due to explosive gains in housing, etc. Some people get a huge loan from relatives, too. They think that having a business is the key to success, and simply open a hagwon based on dreams of future earnings. Or the wife of a successful Samsung manager feels she needs her own business to fulfill herself (I see this type of thing back home, too). They don't have any experience, or business sense. They may not even speak English. But by gosh, they're going to start a hagwon, hire a beautiful young, blonde foreign girl, and get rich quick!

We all know where that leads.

As an older person (and 40s ain't really old) you will not have to bother with most of those start-up hagwons because, thankfully, you aren't what they're looking to exploit.

You might have better luck with Public School jobs.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[captain kirk]

'My first priority would be to find a suitable postition which makes me happy and is secure'.

This doesn't put the employer first. Who wants to know you're chomping at the bit, selflessly, ready to be harnessed. You won't, ideally, be thinking of happiness or security, only devotion, especially in this Feudal land.

I'm 43 myself and would recommend you come over here and get in the driver's seat and actively sniff around, visiting schools. Because the effect aging's had on me is I know my own power and limits, especially limits to patience. There are quite a few situtations here where the overlord is high and mighty and well. You won't be able to fly in blind and tolerate such nonsense, being older and knowing better. Older, you'll probably realize life's too short. So better to be here, meet the ones in command, and see if they're ok, or not.

[Rteacher]

I don't think it's been mentioned that it's much easier for an "over-40" type to find a teaching job outside the greater Seoul area, and yet still be reasonably well-situated in relation to Seoul (via express bus, regular bus, subway or high-speed train) Ideally, you could find a spot right on the Seoul subway line - like Ansan or Sanbon in Gyeonggi province (Gyeonggi-do). I was over 50 years old when I got my first teaching gig in Korea in 2002, and I got it by responding to the director's ad in Dave's Korea job postings (it was "USA Kids School" in Siheung -a lot of work and stress but tolerable for about two years...) After I got a 120 hour TEFL certificate (from TEXT-and-TALK in Chiang Mai, Thailand) I thought I would be able to find a better position on my own, but I finally settled for what I could get through a recruiter - a pleasant but out-of-the-way spot on the northeast coast (Gangneung). After about another year the same recruiter (Easy English Consulting) got me out of there as it was going bankrupt and placed me in one of the many public high school positions in Gyeonggi-do - which are good if you have at least a year experience teaching in Korea and a TEFL certificate (my course took six weeks). I'm well outside the Seoul area, but I go into the big city nearly every weekend. The bus ride is a little over an hour and costs about $5.00.

[zappadelta]

And if you are ugly use one of your friends pics or just find a pic on the internet that you can put on your resume.

[jajdude]

Not long ago on another website with teacher's resumes and some photos, one guy's intro line was "handsome teacher".. it got a lot more views than most.

Also have heard of a guy sending out bogus resumes with photos of strangers. You know the results: yep, the cute no-experience 23 year old girl got a lot more interest than the well experienced/ well educated older not so handsome guy.