Korean Job Discussion Forums

hack · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

I have been teaching at a Korean University (not 1 of the upper tiers but still a big well known one) for 4 years. I also have 2 years of experience in a community college in Canada, A CELTA l and a Bsc and an MSc.
A couple of months ago I applied for a senior position with a large private school in Vancouver. I met with them when I was there in August and things seemed good for the job when the incumbent retires at the end of this year. I was up front with my Dept chair here and he gave me a great recommendation letter.
Yesterday I got an email from the school saying they chose someone else for the position. I was really surprised because just last week I was told to expect an offer.
I called them and after a lot of the normal "it was a tough decision, you are both so well qualified, you are a great candidate etc etc" something came out about my time in Korea. I thought 4 years at a uni would be a huge plus but it turns out that someone on their selection board brought up all the negative press that has been in the Canadian media about teachers in Korea. When I said that was more centred around illegal degrees, hagwons, recent graduates unable to cope with a foreign culture etc etc, it didn't seem to matter-I got painted with the same brush.
Ive waited 24 hours to post this but I'm stilled pissed at the school. But I'm also trying to see their point-telling new Korean students oh, we have a new Director of Studies with several years experience in Korea and the Koreans say " Really? maybe I'll go somewhere else -we know what kind of teachers work in Korea.
SO now I have to re-think everything. I sure as hell don't want to spend the rest of my career here but I may be screwed now trying to use my Korean experience back home. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but damm. I feel like my world has been turned upside down in the last 24 hours. I've got more applications out there but have only heard back from one and am now wondering if this is somehow going to affect other Canadians applying for jobs when they decide to go home.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Giving out BS excuses to cover petty hiring preferences is nothing new to pretty much every industry, but especially teaching, acting or anything that where the employee's image=money.

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

there have been articles in canada about canadian teachers in korea?? is that a big news story in canada?

hack · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

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Chillin' Villain · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Goo Row

Wow, that really sucks.

This may sound like a dumb question, but is it a private "school" school, or an ESL school? I'm probably gonna be looking around Vancouver and area for public schools in a couple years or so, but I don't think I'll be hunting up the private ones- ESL or otherwise. I gotta admit, even though I've got a year experience teaching public school in Edmonton, I'm a bit worried that they're gonna have some weird impression of me for having been here for four years... I guess I could see where they may be a bit apprehensive, but still... it seems a little presumptuous of 'em.

Sooke · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Location: korea

F@ck them. They can take their presumptions and shove them up their @sses. I don't think that Teachers in Korea have a bad rep back home. I think they are a bunch of pVssies who don't know whether to sh!t themsellves or go blind. I have heard of people back home running ESL schools with absolutely no foreign experience-they just know someone who can get them the job. (Kind like Korean hogwans that way, eh?)

If they don't realize that you have experience controlling a class full of 20 non-native speaking children (as well as teaching ALL other levels), living and coping in a foreign enviornment, and paying off our student loans in 5 years while people back home are in the 15-20 year plan, they can go f@ck themselves. Apparently mommy and daddy paid for their schooling so they didn't need to go overseas to pay that shizznit off.

Rant over.

tomwaits · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Location: PC Bong

Aside from that Globe story yesterday I have never seen teaching in Korea in mainstream press here. It's just not on people's minds. Nobody cares.

It might be due to the school having Koreans...and they are not impressed by Korea experience. Good luck.

hack · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

The Globe and Mail is as relevant to most Canadians as the Korea Herald is to most Koreans.

In my opinion, the Globe and Mail has lost a considerable amount of journalistic integrity about 15 years ago by bowing to pressure from Chinese interest groups to fire its crime reporter,Yves Lavigne, because he had written an article were he discussed the increasing problem of Asian organized crime groups in Toronto. Turns out Mr. Lavigne's warnings that the problem would grow out of proportion if it remains ignored by the government were prophetic. Such gangs have since staked their claim on a large portion of the Canadian underground economy.