Korean Job Discussion Forums

[peanut]

I'm getting my resume and cover letter ready to send out for jobs. Any tips on tailoring it more to ESL teaching? Most of my experience has been in admin type jobs but I do have some volunteer experience in schools. For the most part I've heard the resume and cover letter doesn't matter that much but I'd still like to make it the best I can.

Newbies, is there anything you wish you would have put on your resume or left off?

[sheba]

Part of my TESOL course was teaching us about jobs and how to apply for them. I was told to do the following for an ESL resume....

Cover Letter
Introduce yourself
Introduce your qualifications
Flatter the country - why you want ot go there, what you want do
Talk about how being there will incorporate your passions (eg travel, teaching, learning about culture etc)

2 page resume
List relevant Qualifications, where, when etc
Write parargraphs of relevant experience and how it applies to the ESL classroom - eg "Child supervision" (aka babysitting)
My paragraphs included homestays, tutoring, Sports Captain (its a leadership roll), Class counsellor, learning another language (ability to empathise with the students and knowing which teaching techniques are most effective).......... just any life experience where you have gained and used skills required in an ESL classroom.

If its a decent school, they'll care about your cover letter and resume.

[ddeubel]

I haven't been in Korea long enough (only a year and a half), to really know what in particular makes a good resume here. From what I've been told, they look for less detail on a resume and also the photo is very important. I'd do like I did in Europe, put one in the upper right or left corner. Wear business attire, light, friendly smile.

I have a resume posted through my website or by going to my professional (public ) folder at

http://www.esnips.com/web/ProfessionalArticlesSpeeches

Scroll, it is there somewhere and might be an example you can use. Include lots of professional organizations, extra stuff that you've been involved in. See some of my language.

Good luck.

DD

[i_teach_esl]

i forgot where i got this, but use your name as a header for your resume, and a photo in the upper left. to the left of your photo, post these stats:

Availability:
I am available for employment X of 200X.

Information:
Date of Birth: March X, 19xx
Country of Birth: United States
Country of Residence: United States
Passport: issued United States
Nationality: American
Sex: Female
Telephone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
Email: [email protected]
Address: 1234 Main Street, City, State 12345

then list these under your photo/stats:

Experience
i worked here, i volunteered there.

References
Names, emails, and numbers available upon request.

as the others suggested, post any volunteer work or paid employment that involve teaching/education.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

This has been covered before, but if you like:


Jane Mackenzie (place photo of good-looking blond here)
1234 Maple Leaf Street
Saskatoon, Sask., Canada
V2P 5M7
306-123-4567
[email protected]


Education:

BA University of Saskatchewan, 2005, sociology major (GPA 2.25)
Sir Wilfred Laurier High School, graduated 2001
Saint John's Ambulance first aid certificate, Level 2

Experience:

Tutoring EFL students at university, two years
Sunday school teacher, Wesley Community Church, six months
Server, Tim Hortons, 2003-2005
Part-time babysister, 1998-1999

References:
Professor Pedantic, Dept. of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan
Rev. Lovejoy, Head of Sunday School, Wesley Community Church
Joe Deadend, Assistant Manager, Tim Hortons

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.

[Corky]

It depends on the job you're applying for. Many hakwons probaby don't spend too much time on cover letters, but some do, and universities do.

If you're applying for a job that many other people are applying for, and the person reviewing the applications is a native speaker or a fluently bilingual Korean, then your cover letter can make it or break it.

Make sure to keep it under a page. I received a four-page cover letter inserted into the body of an email once. That candidate might have been a wonderful person and a great teacher, but no one on the hiring committee took them very seriously because they looked so sloppy.

It's worth your time and effort to make a job-specific cover letter for a job you really want.

If you're applying to a bunch of hakwons all at the same time, then your situation might not call for that added effort, but the effort does sometimes get recognized.

Also, if you get here and do a year and then decide you want to go on to a university, you're going to need a good resume and cover letter. It'd help if you had one with you that you just need to update.