Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Snowkr]

For those of you with serious investments in TESOL... where would you suggest looking for work in Korea to make it worth the effort?

Hogwans, I'm sure are out of the question and I wouldn't send a sworn enemy to a Korean public school to teach but I feel like universities there can often be a bit of a joke as well. I'm sure it depends on the school...

any suggestions for a returning teacher and friends with MA's in the field on where to apply? I feel pretty certain that most jobs advertised on the Korean job site here are not appropriate either but one never knows...

any input from others with experience...?

[spyro25]

i'll have graduated from my MA TESOL next august so i'm watching this thread too.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Hagwons, public schools, or unis, it all depends on the institution itself.

[Unposter]

Generally, I think teaching experience in Korea should be a prerequisite for a university job but my suggestion would be to...

Go to the elite universities and introduce yourself. Korean faculty are the most important but I would also introduce myself to the Western faculty as well. Buy all or some of the Western faculty their beverage of choice and let them get to know you and see what they say.

Generally, in Korea it is all about the contacts. Sometimes who you know and how much they like you is more important than what you know or what piece of paper you have.

I don't know much about ESL in other countries but if you are enterprising there is a lot, and I do mean a lot of money to be made in Korea. It may very well be the largest ESL market in the world. But I wouldn't be able to back that up with any statistics.

Roll up your sleaves. Hard work is its own reward in Korea.

Good luck to you!

[PRagic]

Only university departmental programs, not university hakwons (affectionately refered to as 'unigwons' here, I believe). Shoot for the highest pay you can find, reasonable contact hours (12-15), a good location, proper vacations without mandatory camps or classes over the breaks, housing (if you need it) and flexible overtime at a fair wage (at least 25-30 an hour).

Realistically, there aren't too many schools out there that are worth working for. Forget Korea University and SNU; big names but the employment conditions have deteriorated considerably. As one poster suggested, hit the employment boards listed on individual university websites.

Get your picture and all your paperwork scanned so that you can shoot it to them when you make an introduction. Get your 'employment packets' (copies of degrees, passport, pictures, transcripts, letters of recommendation) ready to mail out on short notice as positions do pop up unexpectedly.

Good luck.