Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Natty]

Hi guys,

I've been asked by a recruiter to write a short piece, 100-200 ish words, to introduce myself to a potential employer, it's NOT supposed to be a cover letter but it should say how a Korean school owner would benefit by hiring me. I've not worked it Asia before so I have no idea what they want to hear, or how they want to hear it - below I have written something honest and which I feel comfortable with saying, but could anyone tell me if I'm way off the mark or if employers will ignore me or something. Any comments would be much appreciated!

Cheers!!


Hello,

I have three years' experience of teaching adults and business people and I can adapt my teaching style to suit any learner. All my students enjoy my lessons and have improved their English with me. I understand all the problems an adult learner can have and I try to find ways so that all my students can learn despite their busy schedule, family, demanding boss and so on. All my students are very happy with me and have requested me as their teacher again and again. They are not happy that I am leaving the Czech Republic! I am a very reliable teacher and I feel a strong loyalty to all my students to stay with them and help them improve.

I have enjoyed all the time I have spent in the Czech Republic. My students have been valuable resources for me to gain an understanding of their culture and lifestyle. Now I am looking for new challenges, students with new learning problems to overcome, new people who can teach me about themselves and their culture as I teach them English.

I am easy to work with and get along with. I work hard for my students. I am sure that, if you are the school for me and I am the teacher for you, we will have a wonderful working relationship, with a happy employer, a happy teacher, and most importantly, happy and improved students.

[Qinella]

Looks great.

Also, if a school is requesting such a letter, it's a good sign, I think. Many employers request nothing more than a pulse and a passport from the right country. A place showing some discretion means it's less likely to be a craphole money-mill. LESS likely, I said.

[laogaiguk]

[poet13]

I would be wary of speaking in absolute terms....

"...I can adapt my teaching style to suit ANY learner."

"ALL my students enjoy my lessons and have improved their English with me."

"I understand ALL the problems an adult learner can have..."

"ALL my students are very happy with me..."

It might be true, but were I a reviewer, I would find it a little over the top.

Other then that, I also think it's a good sign that a school would ask for the sample.

Just my 2 won.

[Natty]

Thanks guys. Poet13 - I think you're right. I wanted to sell myself a bit you know, and I thought perfection was kinda expected there - so I thought it would sound good to the schools. Guess not!

But btw it is true

[oldfatfarang]

Great stuff. I'd try and make the sentences smaller though. I find non-native speakers have great difficulty reading (and speaking) long sentences.
It also pays to have only one major point in each sentence. Good luck.

[Homer]

Here is my version. I feel this might be a more effective letter of presentation as inmy opinion going too personal is not a good idea....

Feel free to disregard my suggestion!!!

Hello,

I am a dedicated teacher that can adapt to the needs of most students. In my three years of teaching I have received positive feedback from my students about my lessons and teaching methods. I am an open-minded teacher who is capable of dealing with the challenges a learner of English faces. My teaching method centers around understanding my students needs and coming up with solutions to maximise learning.

I have enjoyed my time as a teacher in the Czech Republic and feel ready for a new challenge. Teaching in Korea seems to be just the challenge I need and I look forward to being in the classroom with Korean students. I feel that my teachign experience will be a valuable tool for me in the classroom and that my students will only benefit from it.

On a more personal level, I am easy to work with. I work well in a team setting and am a hard worker who is dedicated to her students. I am confidant that I would be asset to your teachig staff and to your students.

[Grotto]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Dear Madam / Sir,

I really want to work and teach in Korea. I have friends who have done it and really recommend it. I have Korean friends in Canada who are great and the type of people I'd love to live around all the time. All I've heard about Korea sounds wonderful.

I really love working with kids and in my experience I get along with them reall well. I speak English very clearly and look really good. I'm a hard worker, I adapt easity to new environments, I like working evenings, I really want to spend at least one year working in a new country, and I think I'll make a good teacher. Once I start something I don't quit.

I have notarised copies of my BA degree and certified, sealed copies of my transcripts along with photocopies of my passport that I'm ready to send as soon as you can send me a contract to sign. I've never worked in Korea before and have all the documents I need ready to go. I can start work as soon as possible. Please contact me by telephone _______________ or email ________________ as soon as possible. Thanks for your time.

[Natty]

Thanks for all your suggestions and help!! I really appreciate it

[TheUrbanMyth]

What do employers want to hear?

1. "I will work for 10 hours a day seven days a week."

2. "Pay? Oh don't worry about that. Whenever you are able to, that's fine. Oh yes 500,000 won is just fine for a month"

3. "I don't need pension or medical insurance, I am young and healthy"

4. " School cleaning and maintenance? Oh yes I'll spend an extra two hours at the end of my ten hour shift to clean it and make it all bright and nice for the students tomorrow."

5. "I'll pay for my own airfare and visa run. You've been so nice to me already..."


I guarantee this approach will get you a ton of job offers.

[kimchikowboy]

At present I'm (avoiding) writing a paper for a conference on employer preferences when hiring foreign teachers. If you look at the chart below, the numbers under "mean" are averages on a rating scale (1=not important/5=very important). So you may want to emphasize education and teaching experience.

Sorry, it's hard to get the numbers to line up. The second set of numbers (for example: 4.45) are the averages.
One-Sample Statistics

N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Education level 31 4.45 .768 .138
Major in university 31 3.97 1.140 .205
Teaching experience 31 4.61 .715 .128
Experience in Korea 31 2.84 1.186 .213
Current location 31 2.74 1.125 .202
Korean language ability 30 1.77 .728 .133
Gender 30 2.80 1.518 .277
Age 28 3.86 1.145 .216
Appearance 27 3.74 .813 .156
Nationality 22 4.14 .990 .211
Race 19 4.37 .684 .157



Also, many said personality was key. Emphasize your ability to fit into the hagwon. Here are some comments made regarding personality.
 I don�t care about appearance, but a warm first impression with a smile is important.
 We try to find someone who can blend in with the hogwon.
 Personality is the most important trait.
 Experience and personality are important.
It's a small sample, as it is a preliminary investigation to get questions for a longer survey later, but it may give you an example of what hogwan owners look for when selecting foreign teachers.
Good luck.