The Job Hunt

[Zzyzx]

Hello, amigos.

I'm a rookie looking for my first ESL job. I'm career minded and Korea seems to be the best bet for a freshly-minted TESOL candidate to get his foot in the door, pay back some loans, and begin the rest of his life. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. 

...

I've also been watching the jobs available dwindle and dwindle. Recruiters aren't biting. Most of the individual job ads are redundancies. A headhunter forwarded a SMOE application my way, but what are the odds of that going through?

I'm a pretty upbeat guy, normally, but things are looking bleak. I reckon I'm doing something wrong. 

And so I reach out to the mighty Wayg community: When carpet-bombing the internet with your resume fails, what's the next step?

[kps1]

If you can't find an English teaching gig in Korea, you're doing something wrong. It's not a hard process, but you should have your federal background check done and have an apostille done for your degree. You don't really need a recruiter's help to get into the EPIK or SMOE programs, just apply for yourself. SMOE is cutting jobs though, so apply for the Gangwon and Busan EPIK program, but if you really want to be in Seoul just go to a Hagwon.

[Zzyzx]

I'm not particular. And I've got all of my documents on hand (except for my CELTA certificate which is in the mail). I reckon most, if not all, public school positions outside of the Seoul neighborhood are spoken for by now, which suits me fine.

I'm not out to stir the pot, mind you. I'm remarking upon the rather bewildering absence of jobs that, to me at least, is rather unprecedented since I began trawling the classifieds some time ago. Now that I'm in a position to apply for jobs.... They get scarce.

Anyway, the littering of the interwebs with my resume continues during the long weekend. No need to panic after just two weeks, no sir.

In the meantime... Time to teach myself Korean. 

Annyeonghi-gyeseyo, amigos.

[skinsk]

It is worth being a little particular, as the job you get will in large part determine how happy you are here. Some things to consider: type (in general, the order from best to worst-- University, Public School, Hagwon). Go for the best that you can get! Look at working conditions (hours, what kinds of classes you'll teach) and location (Korea is pretty small and public transport is good). What are your interests and what do you value? Are you a city or small-town person? Do you enjoy the outdoors? Once you get an offer, it's a good idea to talk to the people working there and ask them about the ups and downs. Good Luck!

[eveliens]

If you're looking for a public school job, yes, this is the end of the hiring season. That's why you saw a ton of jobs previously and can't find them now. That doesn't mean you can't get a public school job.

I thought I had it all lined up and then my recruiter dropped me without warning or reason. I simply found a new recruiter and applied to a different program. There are still public school jobs open; just keep looking if that's what you want. You have your docs and that seems to be the biggest hurdle 

However, I agree with skinsk. I wasn't very picky last year and I ended up having a very lonely time of it way in the middle of nowhere. Luckily my school was awesome, so it wasn't all bad, but it IS a year of your life. Choose wisely, LOL.

Good luck!

[Zzyzx]

Thanks for the info, comrade.

And you certainly are right. Location can be a big deal. But I'm not scared of the suburbs, either. From everything I've read, they're not the cultural wastelands universally despised in American youth culture. But I suppose that that's relative to taste.

As far as location goes: Seoul, Seoul satellite cities, Busan, Busan satellite cities, and the five other independent cities (though probably not their satellites). That's not an order of preference. Busan is where I'd like to be, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Frankly, that's probably half of the Korean population in that city break-down and 80% of the jobs, so I reckon everything will be just fine if I can get these recruiters to stop ignoring me.

Maybe I need a new, bubbly, smiley picture... Maybe some more fluff in the resume department.... I ain't getting any richer, that's for sure. 

[eveliens]

Korean are big on looks (and recruiters know this). So a nice, new passport photo with you dressed up and smiling could go a long way.

When emailing the recruiter, you may highlight the fact you have all your documents ready to go. A scan or two of said documents attached to the email wouldn't hurt. My recruiters (past and present) wanted scans of certain documents in addition to my resume. Push the TEFL. Depending on your Major, you could spin it positively. If you have time, do some volunteering with children, even if it's for two weeks, on the resume it goes. Last go around I volunteered at an inner city preschool and also as a Boys and Girls Club afterschool tutor. They went over very well.

[Zzyzx]

Those are some good suggestions. I found it pretty strange when some recruiters asked me for scans of my passport and documents.

They don't believe me? Is that something I can really lie about? At some point, if I'm not really American, the Korean Embassy in D.C. may provide comment on the subject... But I digress.

I don't have a scanner nor does anyone I know. (I live in the sticks, y'all).

BUT could I take a digital photo with my camera? I reckon if I'm handy with it they'll be none the wiser, eh? Getting directly over the document may take some ingenuity, but I've got some time on my hands.

 

[WorkingTitle3484]

Have you tried the Post Office or a UPS store?  You can usually scan docs, get them notarized, and fax from there.  I don't know where you live, but unless you live close to Korean embassy in D.C., you don't have to send your docs there. 

[Zzyzx]

I got the job hunting blues, amigos.

If there is a job out there for fewer than 10 hours per day, I can't seem to get it.

I apply for a good looking job. Recipient responds with a generic "Thanks for your resume! Do you like this job?" and thrusts upon me the crappiest job you can think of.

It's been a whole damn week of carrot and stick with these people. 

[andyfoggy]

I joined tefl.com and found lots of hagwon jobs there
then if you want public school and sitting at your desk for days with nothing to do but stare at a computer screen you could apply to epic
good luck, as previously posted if you cant find a teaching job here you are doing something very wrong
i have my old recruiters e mail if you pm me i will give it to you, he got me a few good gigs!

[Zzyzx]

I joined tefl.com and found lots of hagwon jobs there
then if you want public school and sitting at your desk for days with nothing to do but stare at a computer screen you could apply to epic
good luck, as previously posted if you cant find a teaching job here you are doing something very wrong
i have my old recruiters e mail if you pm me i will give it to you, he got me a few good gigs!

I reckon I must be doing something wrong. Granted, I've ruled out public schools (are applications going in now for Spring even being read?) and I've already turned down two private school jobs (not interested in working 10+ hours a day but only getting paid for 6...).

Maybe I am doing something wrong, eh? Anyway, thank you for the information. PM sent.

[eveliens]

That's a bummer. You should still be able to get a decent hagwon job.

Just keep in mind that competition this year has been ridiculously fierce for public jobs. GEPIK had about 1, 000 people apply for 200 jobs. SMOE was even worse. I ended up getting a job with SMOE because someone else dropped out. And I have experience and a TEFL. But I had offers from GEPIK too. They're still scrambling around madly last minute in true Korean style for spring 2012.

[marsavalanche]

- Looks, looks, and looks

Mods have deleted my Korean job applicant totem pole before, but hopefully you read it before it gets axed, I'm just trying to help you out:

Here is the order of people getting hired in Korea:

Young, blonde, blue eyed, white female (North American preferred)
Blonde blue eyed white female  (North American preferred)
White female  (North American preferred)
Young Blonde eyed white male  (North American preferred)
Young Caucasian male  (North American preferred)
Everyone else  (North American preferred)

You age and race will play a HUGE part in your getting hired.  Also most jobs prefer North American applicants so that could be a factor.

Someone younger, and better looking and possible female could easily take a job over you despite their lack of qualifications.  Sadly, that's just the way it is for hagwon gigs.

My best advice is to send a nice looking picture of you.  If you don't have blonde hair, put on a hat.

And keep in mind I'm just passing along info RECRUITERS are being told to look out for from their clients.

[anichion]

Location of application is also an issue.
You're more likely to get hired outside Seoul/Gyeonnggi than if you're in, due to smaller number of applicants, minus the usual EPIK/EPIK copycat suspects.

[Zzyzx]

Here is the order of people getting hired in Korea:

Young, blonde, blue eyed, white female (North American preferred)
Blonde blue eyed white female  (North American preferred)
White female  (North American preferred)
Young Blonde eyed white male  (North American preferred)
Young Caucasian male  (North American preferred)
Everyone else  (North American preferred)

So, being red-headed, green-eyed, and funny looking isn't helping my chances, eh? 

I reckon there's a lot of truth in what you're saying. I worked in a print shop once and the plate maker, whose workshop was shared with the lab and the print manager, was always a good looking young woman. This drove me up the walls to no end--a poorly made plate made my life miserable and cost the company thousands of dollars in waste per run. But never mind that, you should have seen the last one... 

~~~

You know how some people have quotes in the signature of their e-mails? I just got an e-mail from a recruiter who had this with her signature:

There is nothing that is a more certain sign of insanity than to do
the same thing over and over again and expect the results to be
different.--Einstein

 

[Zzyzx]

Location of application is also an issue.
You're more likely to get hired outside Seoul/Gyeonnggi than if you're in, due to smaller number of applicants, minus the usual EPIK/EPIK copycat suspects.

I'm pretty darn flexible about location, actually. I'd prefer a satellite city to Seoul than Seoul itself, for example. At least for my first year, I'd like to live in a smaller city. Unless I can nail Busan, which so far I've received far more offers for Seoul. Busan is an elusive fish. I reckon I might try to get in there if I stick around for a second year.

And the EPIK dudes... pretty soon school's going to let out and the kids won't be the only ones out of school, eh? It looks like I might have to get something before they flood the market in earnest.

[sunshinefiasco]

Those are some good suggestions. I found it pretty strange when some recruiters asked me for scans of my passport and documents.

They don't believe me? Is that something I can really lie about? At some point, if I'm not really American, the Korean Embassy in D.C. may provide comment on the subject... But I digress.

I don't have a scanner nor does anyone I know. (I live in the sticks, y'all).

BUT could I take a digital photo with my camera? I reckon if I'm handy with it they'll be none the wiser, eh? Getting directly over the document may take some ingenuity, but I've got some time on my hands.

 

You can take a digital photo, but if your local library doesn't have a scanner, I'd be stunned.
And on the documentation/proving your nationality front, if you think this is over-the-top, you are hilariously unprepared for the hijinks that await you.

Also, it sounds like you're looking and applying for jobs on your own, which is fine, but if you're having trouble, why not talk to a recruiter? Like a real one. A recruiter that only forwards you an SMOE application isn't a real recruiter-- it's someone with access to google.

I used Aclipse Recruiting, a friend used English Apple and got to Incheon, there's tons of recruiters all over the place (Footprints, someone's always posting in the job section for Tiger English, these are just pulled off the top of my head, never mind what treasures google could bring you). I got turned down from a hagwon with a recruiter (unprofessional picture, kiss of death, even for an American white lady like me), but then got a PS gig through the same people. Work with someone for a while and see what happens.

Also, if you're interested in applying for public school earlier, rather than later, is a good thing. Find out when the open date is (again, google, start a thread here, or ask a recruiter) and literally get your stuff there on the first day.

[Davox]

- Looks, looks, and looks

Mods have deleted my Korean job applicant totem pole before, but hopefully you read it before it gets axed, I'm just trying to help you out:

Here is the order of people getting hired in Korea:

Young, blonde, blue eyed, white female (North American preferred)
Blonde blue eyed white female  (North American preferred)
White female  (North American preferred)
Young Blonde eyed white male  (North American preferred)
Young Caucasian male  (North American preferred)
Everyone else  (North American preferred)

You age and race will play a HUGE part in your getting hired.  Also most jobs prefer North American applicants so that could be a factor.

Someone younger, and better looking and possible female could easily take a job over you despite their lack of qualifications.  Sadly, that's just the way it is for hagwon gigs.

My best advice is to send a nice looking picture of you.  If you don't have blonde hair, put on a hat.

And keep in mind I'm just passing along info RECRUITERS are being told to look out for from their clients.

Please note that this "totem pole" thing is:
a) Sadly pretty accurate for for hagwons (It's not even their fault; there's a certain image they need to project to parents if they want to stay in business)
b) Somewhat less accurate for public school (where they care much more about prior KOREAN experience and how well you'll "fit in with the culture" than anything else)


The other thing I'll add is that both public schools and hagwons care a LOT about fashion, makeup (if appropriate), hair and style in the photo of you for your application.  Like a HUGE amount.  Whether they admit it or not, it's at least half of what they'll be evaluating your application on, pre-interview.  They really expect you to put some effort or even money into that photo.  If you look sophisticated and/or expensive professional, that's much better than university student anything.  Unless you're a blond, blue eyed and/or a girl, of course.

Also don't use a recruiter.  Use 10 recruiters.  Or 20.  You can only apply via the official process to GEPIK/SMOE/EPIK once, but every recruiter will have different jobs.  And even if you want public schools, many schools employ recruiters so that they can pick the applicants themselves.  This means you'll actually see DIFFERENT public school openings from recruiters; and these are jobs that you can only apply for direct to the school, via that one recruiter.  If I had just gone through the official GEPIK process, I'd never have gotten my current job, because my school didn't contact GEPIK to find them a teacher, they contacted a recruiter directly.  I only filled out the GEPIK application after the school interviewed me and offered me the position.

[Zzyzx]

Sadly, I feel like I'm running out of recruiters. Of course, that isn't true, there are hundreds of the devils. I've applied to so many, that I have to check my e-mail outbox before I apply to new ones to see if I already had... It's becoming impossible to keep track of them all. And yet I've only got three offers.

Applying to individual ads proved to be a bust. Only one of the mess replied to tell me they'd already hired someone.

Keep on trucking, I reckon. No amount of makeup can fix my ugly, but I guess I can take more "casual" pictures to make the recruiters happy.

I'd be really interested in hearing from other greenhorns who are job hunting.