Tefl in South Korea

cloneslad

livinginkorea wrote: »

I think you have to bite the bullet and come over here first. Except for my first job, I was in Korea for all other jobs. It's a good advantage.

Being in country helps your application a lot and I am sure that many schools and recruiters consider it a great advantage that they will send you to Japan for a visa run rather than paying a full ticket to Ireland and back. Also, being here helps you see what's going on, meet the manager/owner face-to-face, look around the school, get to know the area, start networking, etc. All difficult to do from Ireland.

This is good information, only if you have previously worked in Korea. If it is your first time getting an E2 visa then you will have to do an interview with the korean embassey in your home country (Ireland).

It is a stupid rule considering an interview in Japan would be just as easy especially as the interview (from what i've heard, as I've never had to do it) is basically just 'why do you want to go to korea?'

I don't know if they changed the rule with the recent application changes but I don't think they have.

So if it's a first time application you are S.O.L with coming over here then heading to japan for the visa....you will have to make your way back to Ireland for the interview.

monosharp

cloneslad wrote: »

This is good information, only if you have previously worked in Korea. If it is your first time getting an E2 visa then you will have to do an interview with the korean embassey in your home country (Ireland).

Lads, haven't had to apply for an E2 visa in years, currently in Korea on a D visa. But is this really the situation ? Sounds like madness.

livinginkorea

cassi wrote: »

I dont think you can do this anymore for your first job. You're required to have an interview with the embassy in your home country. Im not sure of any way around it.

I totally forgot about this rule. Ya true, it would be very hard to get around it.

livinginkorea

cloneslad wrote: »

This is good information, only if you have previously worked in Korea. If it is your first time getting an E2 visa then you will have to do an interview with the korean embassey in your home country (Ireland).

It is a stupid rule considering an interview in Japan would be just as easy especially as the interview (from what i've heard, as I've never had to do it) is basically just 'why do you want to go to korea?'

I don't know if they changed the rule with the recent application changes but I don't think they have.

So if it's a first time application you are S.O.L with coming over here then heading to japan for the visa....you will have to make your way back to Ireland for the interview.

It's really a stupid rule. You would think that any Korean embassy would be fine. So this rule only applies for first time teachers?

Hky

When is the testing done for marijuana for ESL teachers? Immediately or ...... 90days after you arrive in South Korea.

cloneslad

Hky wrote: »

When is the testing done for marijuana for ESL teachers? Immediately or ...... 90days after you arrive in South Korea.

I think I remember reading somewhere that you will have to get it done within 7 days of arriving.

There is a cirle of events surrounding getting it done too.

To get your alien card you will need to have the medical (which is when the test is done).

To get a bank account you will need an alien card.


Just don't do drugs within a reasonable period before you travel over here and you should be fine.

To get paid you will need a bank account.


your school will prob have you get it done quickly enough, just to get it out of the way

maybe just don't do them at all???

cloneslad

livinginkorea wrote: »

It's really a stupid rule. You would think that any Korean embassy would be fine. So this rule only applies for first time teachers?

if it's your first E2 visa, if you have had one before you are okay.

there is no need for it at all, i think it may have been to stop tourists coming in working for a while then making the trip to japan.

cloneslad

monosharp wrote: »

Lads, haven't had to apply for an E2 visa in years, currently in Korea on a D visa. But is this really the situation ? Sounds like madness.

Yup, it was brought in about 2 years ago. If you have already been on an E2 visa then you are exempt from doing it.

I got my E2 before it came in and didn't have to go for the interview when I got a new one this year.

Fretser

Thanks for that Cloneslad, some very comprehensive information. I think i will avoid the admins at all costs especially if i want to speed up my application. I'm looking to start in November, fingers crossed all will go smoothly.

Again a huge thanks to all on this thread there is a wealth of info on these pages, keep it up!

cloneslad

Fretser wrote: »

Thanks for that Cloneslad, some very comprehensive information. I think i will avoid the admins at all costs especially if i want to speed up my application. I'm looking to start in November, fingers crossed all will go smoothly.

Again a huge thanks to all on this thread there is a wealth of info on these pages, keep it up!

As myself and others have said before. If you want to get out here quickly, get all your documents together and then start applying for jobs.

With all your documents together a recruiter will know you are serious about coming out here and that they can place you quickly.

Just don't send your documents to the recruiter before you get a job, if they ask you to send them, then make copies to show them you have them or scan them and e-mail.

They don't need your actual documents to get you an interview, those are only needed to obtain your visa.

sweetthing

Echoing Fretsters here with the thanks to all of you and your help. Really hope I can secure a job soon. Looks like one of the main reasons its harder to secure employment now here now is because of the new stipulation that you have to interview here before you can't go to Korea. Probably means that recruiters are busier as a result as more people will be looking to secure employment from home.

rivalius13

I've got most of my documents together (Just need to get stuff apostilled and get medical form sorted).

Now, one more question for ye lot, going over alone, good idea or dodgy? I'm going to try get to a city where two of my friends are (Incheon), but in case that's not possible is going alone a bad idea? I know that can be a personal thing, but it would be nice to hear from someone who has gone alone or knows someone who has.

Fretser

I am looking for jobs now with a view to starting in November, i registered with i to i and tiger English. Does anyone have any other names of recruiting agencies? Or has does anyone have any experience of cutting out the middle man and going solo setting up their own job?

Fretser

rivalius13 wrote: »

I've got most of my documents together (Just need to get stuff apostilled and get medical form sorted).

Now, one more question for ye lot, going over alone, good idea or dodgy? I'm going to try get to a city where two of my friends are (Incheon), but in case that's not possible is going alone a bad idea? I know that can be a personal thing, but it would be nice to hear from someone who has gone alone or knows someone who has.

Hey Rivalius,

I have heard of quite a number of people going alone. I know what you mean though where it would be nice to know someone when you get there or have someone going with you. I am going to go it alone, for a couple of reasons; chance to meet more people and do what i want to do without upsetting a friend etc. i travelled with friends before and there were times where we could have very easily fallen out for good over different things. I think though that there is so many expats in Korea now that you would be hard pushed to end up not meeting new prople and making friends.

I nearly have all my docs now too just waiting on my Garda clearance and then get them Apostille stamped.
Do you have a job lined up yet?

rivalius13

Fretser wrote: »

Hey Rivalius,

I have heard of quite a number of people going alone. I know what you mean though where it would be nice to know someone when you get there or have someone going with you. I am going to go it alone, for a couple of reasons; chance to meet more people and do what i want to do without upsetting a friend etc. i travelled with friends before and there were times where we could have very easily fallen out for good over different things. I think though that there is so many expats in Korea now that you would be hard pushed to end up not meeting new prople and making friends.

I nearly have all my docs now too just waiting on my Garda clearance and then get them Apostille stamped.
Do you have a job lined up yet?

I'm going to get all my documents in order before signing up. Also, even after taking about 20 different photos I still can't get one I'm happy with. I don't trust anyone else to use my camera, so I've resorted to tripod+wired remote. Just can't get one that I like. Tomorrow I'll get it perfect...then send off stuff to be apostilled. Definitely. And then register at tiger and i-to-i.

cloneslad

As for going over alone. It is a matter of personal opinion etc etc but you will soon meet up with lods of other ex-pats and some koreans with a good knowledge of English so you will have fun no matter what.




As for recruiters, I don't think it matters who you use as long as:

a. you are happy with the job they get for you
b. you research the job on offer and only accept what you are happy with
c. you don't pay them............EVER!!!

livinginkorea

No problems going over alone, you make more friends that way. Bring a couple of books or a MP3 for the long flight! 14 hours or so isn't it?

LimerickJoe

I have been registered with Tiger English for nearly two months now and have still had no job offers whatsoever, even though I have had regular enough contact with them through emails. I am also doing the 100 hour online Tefl course through their website which cost 179 euro. I have heard great reports about this company from people so I'm disappointed nothing is happening as I can't wait to get going. I got an email from Tiger Emglish today saying that the job situation for male teachers isn't too good at the moment!

I thought I would be getting ready to go to Korea in the next few weeks as I have all my bags packed and documents ready!! At this stage I don't even mind if I don't get over to my friends in Seoul, I just wanna get over there and start teaching and earning money. If anyone could suggest recruiters or websites which they have had recent success with please let me know.

Thanks very much

Fretser

Hi Joe,
I have applied with Tiger English and also i to i who i am doing my TEFL course with. I have to say i have not heard much fro them either.

I did however register with a Korean based agency which was recommended to me by a friend of a friend this is their site http://www.kgcesl.com/. Register with them you never know which one at the end of the day will end up getting you a place, the more i have working to get me a job the better i think.

Best of luck with the application too i cannot wait to finish my current job (5yrs now and i am feeling burned out!) and hopefully get to Korea for November.:D

LimerickJoe

Thanks a million mate, I appreciate the response. I'll definitely check out that website now.

I'll keep ya updated with my progress, best of luck to you too.

Let me know who comes through for you with a job .

livinginkorea

Try www.eslcafe.com and go to the 'Korean Job Board.' It's updated every day with lots of jobs placed by recruiters. If you email them then you might get a job soon enough. If not at least they have your details and will do the searching for you.

Definitely female teachers are wanted more in Korea, especially for kids and business. My wife hasn't taught for over two years as we have a young one but still gets job offers from agencies. Once you make some connections with an agency and work for them then they will always keep you on file and contact you again and again.

Best of luck!

livinginkorea

Fretser wrote: »

Hi Joe,
...
I did however register with a Korean based agency which was recommended to me by a friend of a friend this is their site http://www.kgcesl.com/. Register with them you never know which one at the end of the day will end up getting you a place, the more i have working to get me a job the better i think.

There are loads of agencies in Korea but sadly most of them are offering the same jobs. However, making contact with as many agencies as possible increases your chances of getting a job.

DamienH

LimerickJoe wrote: »

I have been registered with Tiger English for nearly two months now and have still had no job offers whatsoever, even though I have had regular enough contact with them through emails. I am also doing the 100 hour online Tefl course through their website which cost 179 euro. I have heard great reports about this company from people so I'm disappointed nothing is happening as I can't wait to get going. I got an email from Tiger Emglish today saying that the job situation for male teachers isn't too good at the moment!

I thought I would be getting ready to go to Korea in the next few weeks as I have all my bags packed and documents ready!! At this stage I don't even mind if I don't get over to my friends in Seoul, I just wanna get over there and start teaching and earning money. If anyone could suggest recruiters or websites which they have had recent success with please let me know.

Thanks very much

Hey Joe (where you going to with that gun in your hand?) ... sorry.

If I was you I'd ask your friends to keep an eye out for any jobs they hear of in Seoul. I know plenty of people here who have gotten jobs by being recommended by people who are here. I think everybody wants to go to seoul or busan but there's plenty of other places in Korea to go.

I've been to Seoul now twice and it's absolutely massive. You could easily have two people living there and be 50 mins on the subway away from eachother. Where I live (Ulsan) nobody is more than 25 minutes in a taxi away.

Good luck with the search anyway, try eslcafe aswell. When I got offered my place with tigerenglish (took about 8-10 weeks) I got offered two other jobs on esl just after.

Don't give up hope!

DamienH

Only three days off for Chuseok, what a load of horse****!

livinginkorea

DamienH wrote: »

Only three days off for Chuseok, what a load of horse****!

Only three? You know that a load of students won't come on Monday. It's a sandwich day as they call it and they will start the holidays early. I'm going to cancel the Mon class. Of course when I ask the students if they want to make it up they will say no!

cloneslad

DamienH wrote: »

Only three days off for Chuseok, what a load of horse****!

You can count yourself lucky.....I'm only off for the entire week :p

cavanmaniac

Me too cloneslad, with the two weekends either side, that's a nine day break and I'm taking myself off to Japan!

On coming over alone: don't be afraid of it, it's what I did and as long as you don't take a job in the armpit of nowhere, you'll be fine for meeting other expats and making buddies. The key is to research your area, school etc. and make sure you're not the only foreign teacher in the school.

On recruiters, I got a few offers from Tiger but nothing I was happy with. I then desperately applied to every recruiter I could but big recruiters have so many prime applicants (US, females) leaving me very far down the pecking order, that I eventually started looking at the ads on craigslist where some smaller schools advertise directly. Once I did that I had a job within a week and although I am here only a short while, I think I really lucked out with the school. But then again, I researched it very thoroughly.

Best of luck to the job hunters!

(as an aside, my boss says that Immigration here told him that Irish applications to teach in Korea are through the roof...more applicants in the last three months than in the previous 12 months combined!)

rivalius13

So I talked to i-to-i and they said that I'd need a 120 hour TEFL cert to go through them...might still do it, just to pad my CV, not like I'm doing much else around here. Yay economy \o/

monosharp

Seriously I can't understand why people aren't getting offers, there's mountains worth of jobs here.

I don't know what recruiters your using but either A) They're doing a particularly bad job or They simply don't cover a lot of jobs.

Go here, click on jobs that look suitable and apply.

http://www.worknplay.co.kr/

Heres a good one looking for a teacher from England. (They usually don't differentiate between Ireland and England accent-wise): http://www.worknplay.co.kr/view_JOB.php?sect=2&id=testjob&sele=&p=1&keyfield=&keyword=&no=191899&cateCode=&slist=1&keyword_top=&gally=3&job_sel=&type_sel=&loca1_sel=&loca2_sel=&loca3_sel=

LimerickJoe

I just got offered a job by Tiger English in a place called Inje, Gangwondo.
Anyone ever hear of it? or know anyone who's taught there.

Salary: 2.2-2.5 Million Won
Starting date: As soon as visa is processed
Type of students: kindergarten / elementary / middle school students
Maximum teaching hours per week: 22
Class hours: 8:30am - 5:30 pm
Working days: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Overtime payment: 20,000 won
Holidays: 14 days of paid vacation in addition to public holidays
Housing: Single studio apartment
Number of current foreign teachers: 5
Benefits: Medical Insurance, Prepaid air ticket (1.3 M won entrance allowance upon arrival, and exit allowance at the end of contract), Contract Completion bonus, pension

It sounds like a good contract but I'm guessing the location is crap. Well my first job offer anyway, gonna start applying to all the websites talked about in the above posts now, thanks guys!