Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pecan]

A friend of mine is a recruiter and has some ads on Daves and elsewhere for camps, universities, public schools, etc. These are relatively attractive jobs, yet he says he's had a surprisingly low number of applicants.

Thus, my questions are twofold:

1. Who are these people claiming they can't find jobs?

2. Are people merely afraid of applying for attractive positions, assuming they're are simply unattainable?

-A curious nut

[Real Reality]

pecan wrote,
"Are people merely afraid of applying for attractive positions, assuming they're are simply unattainable?"

Attractive positions? Where? In Korea?

EDITORIAL: Fatal waves of depression
Housewives are growing desperate over their short budgets for daily necessities. College students voluntarily put off graduation as they know they won't be able to find jobs, while tuition is yet another problem troubling their parents.

These are all gloomy signs that a growing number of Koreans are suffering from the long recession. Even more depressing, suicides resulting from economic difficulties have risen to new highs since the financial crisis of 1997-98.... The nation is already known for having the highest suicide rate among the 23 OECD members. It is perturbing that the suicide rate moves in parallel with our economic indicators. So does the divorce rate in Korea, which ranks the second highest in the world after the United States.
The Korea Herald (August 27, 2004)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/08/27/200408270011.asp

[EDITORIALS] Without hope, an exodus
Koreans are sending more and more of their personal funds abroad these days. In the first five months this year, personal outflows, for education, job training, tourism and emigration, totaled $8.07 billion, a 15-percent increase over the same period of last year. In an era of globalization, we cannot blame people for spending money on a foreign education or for tourism. But the recent trend of personal capital flight, and the sharpness of the upturn in those flows, is not normal.

Why does everybody want to leave Korea? On the surface, people make an excuse about their children's education. It is certain that Korea's backward education system boosts the outflow of funds. But a more fundamental reason is anxiety over the future. Murky political struggles, an unstable society, a failing economy, a social atmosphere that treats the wealthy as criminals, and anti-business sentiment and regulations make people frustrated. Therefore, people are turning their backs on their country or are preparing to do so. One survey said 74 percent of Koreans have thought about emigrating.
JoongAng Daily (July 27, 2004)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200407/27/200407272207153409900090109011.html

Immigration fair draws throngs
by Yoon Chang-hee
A new wave of immigration fever seems to be sweeping Korea. Following the extraordinary success of the immigration products sold by Hyundai Home Shopping channel last week, visitors swarmed an immigration fair in Seoul over the weekend.

The majority of visitors, the agents said, were parents in their 30s or 40s with young children. For consultations on immigration to the United States and Canada, visitors waited in line for up to 30 minutes. "I thought of emigrating because private education here is too costly," said Seo Ju-young, 35, a housewife. "I have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old son. I think it is better that we move to the United States or Canada before they grow older."A Korea Trade Fairs official said, "At the immigration fair held in March, we had about 9,500 visitors. More and more people seem to want to move to other countries because of their unhappiness with our education system or society."
by Yoon Chang-hee, JoongAng Daily (September 8, 2003)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200309/08/200309080122117709900090509051.html

The exit-Korea syndrome worsens
September 17, 2003
JoongAng Daily
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200309/17/200309172316570409900090109012.html

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
"Even though Korea has achieved some degree of globalization in going abroad, it has still a long way to go for globalization in embracing foreigners inward," said foreigners residing in Korea. An official in the International Cooperation Division of Seoul City admitted, "The same complaints regarding visas, transportation, education, and environment are raised every year without being solved, due to the lack of cooperation from government agencies involved and their passive attitudes."
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448

Ex-pats Describe Korea's Culture of Corruption
"Koreans always seem prepared to give out bribes. I was shocked by the culture and attitude of Koreans who feel no guilt despite breaking the law."
One Canadian woman working as an instructor in a private institute said her employer had threatened to report her as an illegal resident while refusing to provide her with housing (as originally contracted) and cut her salary. She said she was going to get a new work visa in order to obtain employment at another workplace, but her current boss is refusing to write a letter of release, and is demanding she continue to work. An American teaching in a provincial collage said that while he was participating in a teacher re-training program held by his school's college of education, he was forced by the college to pull up the grades of teachers who had graduated from that particular college. He said college corruption seemed very natural and commonplace.
by Kim Hong-jin, Chosun Ilbo (December 16, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200412/200412160027.html

E-1 Visa (Professors)
::: A. The Object of Visa Issuance :::
In the case of a national or a public University, a foreigner is not permitted to be a full-time professor.
http://www.moj.go.kr/immi/08_english/02_business/e_1.html
Source site:
http://www.moj.go.kr/immi/08_english/02_business/service_01.html

Foreign scholars merit equal status
Foreign professors tend to be treated as hired hands, without academic standing, and lacking the possibility of career advancement or tenure. They must submit to yearly contracts (compensated at a rate only 60 percent of their Korean peers) while walled off from the permanent Korean faculty who benefit from travel, research funding, sabbaticals, etc. Moreover, when hundreds of Korean scholars enjoy such perks at American and other foreign universities, something is obviously amiss. Rotating foreign professors will hardly solve the problem that lies at the heart of Korean culture and manifests itself in most Korean organizations, where foreigners generally remain apart from decison-making.

According to the Samsung Group's chairman, Lee Kun-hee, to succeed globally, Korea must forgo the thought that Korea and being Korean is superior, and foreign specialists must be treated with respect.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200206/14/200206142349223599900090109011.html

Articles
http://www.geocities.com/onefreekorea/skorea

Here are some pictures from South Korea
http://www.areastudies.org/documents/anti-us003.html

[chronicpride]

[Zed]

Most people are sick of dealing with recruiters. And sick of getting screwed by them. Experienced people generally don't trust recruiters. I will only use them in moments of desperation. So far that hasn't happened. If these places of employ were truly concerned about seeing that they got top of the line teachers they wouldn't be using recruiters. That says something about the employers themselves.

[fandeath]

Maybe December is a slow time because of Christmas. Nobody wants to go just before Christmas.

Things will pick up in January and certainly the peak season is graduation time April/May/June

[schwa]

University jobs get 5 times the hits that hagwon jobs do on the job board, & the odd non-classroom position gets the most views of all. Lot of folks, I'd conclude, not cutting it in the classroom, or worried they cant deal with kids. Lots here with minimal qualifications too. Otherwise, despite the benefits, maybe a fair number find the idea of large classes too daunting?

[Zed]

I'm also wondering if the OP's friend is advertising for real university jobs or university daycare-type jobs. If people looking for university jobs get the sense that someplace that is a hagwon passing itself off as a university position they are less likely to apply. "Must be good with kids" is a line in a uni ad that will make me look elsewhere. Since they're advertising themselves as universities those looking for kiddie hagwon jobs may not give them a serious look in the first place.

[oneota]

Pecan:

What does he mean by "relatively few" - 4-5, 40-50, 400-500?

I'm looking at it from the other side: I have well more than minimal (though not super) qualifiications and have yet to get a job offer (and only two turn-downs and two vague follow-ups) from the many applications and letters I have sent to schools, agents, etc.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

[schwa]

[merrilee]

[pecan]

[Daechidong Waygookin]

This year, I got a record low for quantity of jobs.

Maybe its the fact that Im too experienced (3 years+) and have an F2-1 visa that scared off any crap hagwons from offering me jobs, preferring a green newbie?

Who knows.

What was good was that the QUALITY of the offers was much better. I got an offer from an international school as well as my current position and a very nice offer from a good hagwon that I was seriously thinking about taking.

[eamo]

[Rather_Dashing]

Pecan, if you care to share the info/site of the recruiter, I'd appreciate it. Send me a private message when you can, thanks!

I certainly wouldn't want to have a crap job