Tefl in South Korea

livinginkorea · 02-02-2011 11:35am

Marsipanss wrote: »

I really want to work in a public school, but I missed the EPIK deadline but I am still hopefully I may get a public school?

I just want to get there but want to be realistic about whether or not ill be there by March

For institute jobs you can apply to as many as you want, for public schools as already mentioned it is different. However, although the time is short you never know about positions opening up. About 30% of the teachers quit in the first year so a school might become desperate if their teacher drops out expectantly. No harm in trying.

livinginkorea · 02-02-2011 11:40am

dsane1 wrote: »

Just got an interview for a private school in Hongseong.The school is called New Briton language school. Anyone know anything about the school or area?

Never heard of it. Might have a better chance asking this question on Dave's. If possible try to contact the school and talk to one of their current teachers. They can give you the low down.

Mad_Dave · 02-02-2011 11:52am

hi guys,

thanks for the replies so far, another question - do recruiting agencies share information ? the reason I ask is that I received an email from workesl.com about an opening, but they're not one of the agencies I registered with. Now call me Mr. Suspicious if you will but...any thoughts on this one ?

for those interested here's the details:

WorK EsL Positions.: below
Please contact me by e-mail: workesl@paran.com
Type: Private School
Our all Full time positions give housing and Full Benefits. Like a 10 paid vacations, medical insurance, airfare, housing, severance pay
[FONT=맑은 고딕] [/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Place:8 (Cheonan In Chungcheongnam-do)[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Working Hours: 9:30-6:30 Big franchise institute[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Teaching Hours: Kin 35min*4-5Classes Ele 40min *3-4 Classes[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Openning:6-7 (Male 4 Female 2-3)[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Salary:2.2~[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Start Date:1st of March[/FONT]

cheers

dave

livinginkorea · 02-02-2011 12:16pm

Mad_Dave wrote: »

hi guys,

thanks for the replies so far, another question - do recruiting agencies share information ? the reason I ask is that I received an email from workesl.com about an opening, but they're not one of the agencies I registered with. Now call me Mr. Suspicious if you will but...any thoughts on this one ?

for those interested here's the details:

WorK EsL Positions.: below
Please contact me by e-mail: workesl@paran.com
Type: Private School
Our all Full time positions give housing and Full Benefits. Like a 10 paid vacations, medical insurance, airfare, housing, severance pay
[FONT=맑은 고딕] [/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Place:8 (Cheonan In Chungcheongnam-do)[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Working Hours: 9:30-6:30 Big franchise institute[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Teaching Hours: Kin 35min*4-5Classes Ele 40min *3-4 Classes[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Openning:6-7 (Male 4 Female 2-3)[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Salary:2.2~[/FONT]
[FONT=맑은 고딕]Start Date:1st of March[/FONT]

cheers

dave

It is possible that the same agency that you are in contact with has various websites or 'companies' to get more prospectus teachers. Also, sharing or stealing emails is a big business in the ESL world. Usually when a recruiter decides to leave an agency or start out by themselves they will 'borrow' details about the teachers looking for jobs so that they can contact them and try to make the sale. Happened to me so many times that I don't ask where the person got my email from anymore.

Btw the job advertisement you got is for a decent size city about an hour or so from Seoul by car. You have a longer working day (9.30-6.30) but the classes are shorter than other places as the students are kindergartners and elementary students. If you are interested then you should reply back, especially inquiring about how many actual teaching hours you have to do a week, and if you can talk to one of the workers there.

Brimmy · 02-02-2011 2:04pm

livinginkorea wrote: »

Why would the FBI do a check for Irish citizens?

They wouldn't, he said he heard it could be a few months, I was explaining it was a few months if you were in the states as the FBI (and not your local state police) does it.

livinginkorea wrote: »

Can your uni give you an English one?

They can but my point is that it's an extra 100 euro I really can't afford to spend at this stage. I spoke to someone who works at EPIK orientation and they said it shouldn't be a problem.

livinginkorea · 02-02-2011 4:39pm

Brimmy wrote: »

They wouldn't, he said he heard it could be a few months, I was explaining it was a few months if you were in the states as the FBI (and not your local state police) does it.

They can but my point is that it's an extra 100 euro I really can't afford to spend at this stage. I spoke to someone who works at EPIK orientation and they said it shouldn't be a problem.

Who did you speak to at the EPIK orientation? Teacher? Recruiter? I am just curious, because I do foresee problems when a fussy immigration office is having a bad day and sees a non-English scroll.

When I got married in Korea I was able to change my visa to a spouse visa as my wife is half Korean-half American, meaning that I would have a lot more freedom in the job market. When I sent in the paper work they said one week. The next week I went back and they said one week later, this happened for over a month and I finished a contract with a public school but couldn't go anywhere as I had no visa and no company would give you a contract (I was going into business English at this stage). Then my father-in-law (who was born in Korea but has been living in the states for the last 30 years) called from America and gave out to immigration. That very same day I got a called from immigration and they came to me and gave me the visa.

My point is that you better make sure about the scroll written in Latin. Don't give immigration any excuse. For the most part they are nice and agreeable but sometimes you get the wrong worker on the wrong day and you're in trouble.

kraggy · 02-02-2011 6:27pm

livinginkorea wrote: »

For institute jobs you can apply to as many as you want, for public schools as already mentioned it is different. However, although the time is short you never know about positions opening up. About 30% of the teachers quit in the first year so a school might become desperate if their teacher drops out expectantly. No harm in trying.

I'm still confused about this.

We've been contacted by an agency and told that they're going to set up an interview with public school (GEPIK) for us. If we get an interview and do it, does that mean that the agency has officially applied to Gepik on our behalf? Or does the official application take place after the interview if the school is happy with us?

Our concern is that, if we're not successful with that school, do we have to stick with that agency thereby limiting our chances as that agency will only have a few jobs in the Gepik area? The agency said we did not but we're not sure who to believe.

Thoughts?

Brimmy · 02-02-2011 7:40pm

livinginkorea wrote: »

Who did you speak to at the EPIK orientation? Teacher? Recruiter? I am just curious, because I do foresee problems when a fussy immigration office is having a bad day and sees a non-English scroll.

I spoke to a teacher who has worked at the orientation for the last 3 years. Immigration wont see the scroll anyway wont they? The copy of the BA has already been sent to EPIK months ago and the visa is being processed, why would someone in the airport kick up a fuss over what language my degree is in?

SpatialPlanning · 02-02-2011 11:58pm

kraggy wrote: »

I'm still confused about this.

We've been contacted by an agency and told that they're going to set up an interview with public school (GEPIK) for us. If we get an interview and do it, does that mean that the agency has officially applied to Gepik on our behalf? Or does the official application take place after the interview if the school is happy with us?

Our concern is that, if we're not successful with that school, do we have to stick with that agency thereby limiting our chances as that agency will only have a few jobs in the Gepik area? The agency said we did not but we're not sure who to believe.

Thoughts?

When you get an interview for a public school position you are contacted by a person from that provincial office of education (in my case EPIK). They interview you and decide whether or not to accept you. That is one application for that particular province. You cannot apply again.

What happened with me...

I signed up with a recruitment agency.
I did an interview with the agency.
They offered me a public school position (GOE).
I applied (filled out the form) and I didn't get it (that's GOE gone!).
They offered me a second public school (EPIK this time - BMOE).
I applied (filled out the form and did an interview with BMOE), and I got it.

I had to fill out an application form for each, even though both forms were practically the same...

Basically, if you fill out one provincial form or interview with a provincial education board, then consider that one application.

For public schools, I went with a well-known recruiting firm and stuck with them for each province.

For private schools, I signed up with 25-35 recruiters and got loads of offers, all of which I turned down, for different reasons... (Mainly because livinginkorea and cloneslad told me not to be too hasty - advice I can now appreciate!)

Hope that helps...

livinginkorea · 03-02-2011 5:27am

Brimmy wrote: »

I spoke to a teacher who has worked at the orientation for the last 3 years. Immigration wont see the scroll anyway wont they? The copy of the BA has already been sent to EPIK months ago and the visa is being processed, why would someone in the airport kick up a fuss over what language my degree is in?

When I say immigration I am referring to the ones that make your visa in the main offices around the country (they will check your degree) not the ones at the airport. The ones at the airport only care about your passport.

If you have already gotten the go ahead from them and your visa is being processed then there is nothing to worry about. Great stuff on that front. I was just being cautious that's all.

kraggy · 03-02-2011 1:34pm

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

When you get an interview for a public school position you are contacted by a person from that provincial office of education (in my case EPIK). They interview you and decide whether or not to accept you. That is one application for that particular province. You cannot apply again.

What happened with me...

I signed up with a recruitment agency.
I did an interview with the agency.
They offered me a public school position (GOE).
I applied (filled out the form) and I didn't get it (that's GOE gone!).
They offered me a second public school (EPIK this time - BMOE).
I applied (filled out the form and did an interview with BMOE), and I got it.

I had to fill out an application form for each, even though both forms were practically the same...

Basically, if you fill out one provincial form or interview with a provincial education board, then consider that one application.

For public schools, I went with a well-known recruiting firm and stuck with them for each province.

For private schools, I signed up with 25-35 recruiters and got loads of offers, all of which I turned down, for different reasons... (Mainly because livinginkorea and cloneslad told me not to be too hasty - advice I can now appreciate!)

Hope that helps...

Thanks SP, but the guy in the agency (the one you recommended to me by the way) said that he was going to get us an interview with a school but that we would be able to go with other recruiters if we weren't successful.

Now, we haven't filled out the GEPIK form with this recruiter yet. Maybe that's to be done after the school interview in this case?

FishTaco · 03-02-2011 9:38pm

Brimmy, did you used to frequent the UCD History thread?

dsane1 · 04-02-2011 3:10pm

My laptop is broken. Should I buy a new one here or is it cheaper to buy in korea when I go over?

ARGINITE · 04-02-2011 3:22pm

The Korean keyboard is annoying and I didn't notice a huge difference in prices unless it's a Korean brand.
So I would buy before leaving.

cloneslad · 04-02-2011 3:38pm

buy a netbook instead of a laptop, you can get them delivered from dell.ie for less that 250euro. It's much easier to travel with than a 15inch laptop.

FishTaco · 04-02-2011 4:59pm

Been accepted by EPIk too and am leaving on the 16th. Still trying to get all my stuff sorted out, one of the main things I've been wondering is what sort of clothes would a teacher be expected to wear?

livinginkorea · 04-02-2011 5:15pm

FishTaco wrote: »

Been accepted by EPIk too and am leaving on the 16th. Still trying to get all my stuff sorted out, one of the main things I've been wondering is what sort of clothes would a teacher be expected to wear?

Semi-casual is usually how it is phrased. I am sure that your contract mentions this. Basically, you wear a nice shirt, pants and shoes if a guy and blouse and shirt/pants for the ladies (I'm guessing). You don't have to wear a tie or a suit. Perhaps the first week you could wear a tie and then forgot about it. Having mentioned that it is always handy to have a couple of ties and a jacket in the office for surprise supervisor meetings or class photos etc. Really useful across public schools and universities. You will find that practically all of the teaching staff does this.

FishTaco · 04-02-2011 6:10pm

Thanks for that, I was thinking it would be along those lines. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions soon

livinginkorea · 04-02-2011 6:28pm

FishTaco wrote: »

Thanks for that, I was thinking it would be along those lines. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions soon

No worries, ask away. A few lads here work in the public sector so will have more update information than I have.

dsane1 · 04-02-2011 6:33pm

Is an Irish driving licence recognized in Korea?

Do shops accept U.S. dollars?

What is the best way to move money from an account here to an account in Korea? and the other way round?

livinginkorea · 04-02-2011 7:17pm

dsane1 wrote: »

Is an Irish driving licence recognized in Korea?

Do shops accept U.S. dollars?

What is the best way to move money from an account here to an account in Korea? and the other way round?

Do not know about the driving one but I would assume that it can be transferred.

Some department stores and top hotels would take dollars but this is very rare and occurs less and less nowadays. Also, they would be accepting hundreds of dollars for designer clothes and other luxury items. For everyday living you will have to exchange money into Korean Won once you leave the airport.

I think the best idea is to bring money with you (Korean won or Dollars or Euros) but you do not need to bring too much with you because after your first month you will get paid and get some percentage of your airfare too.

How much money are you planning to move? I bought around 500 euro and had plenty left over when I got paid in the second month. Your boss will take you out to dinner and co-workers will show you around and with work you will not be blowing money around much at all. At least, in my case. One co-worker did ask for an advance on her salary and the school (private school) said fine and gave her a certain amount (200k won I think at the time).

dsane1 · 04-02-2011 8:01pm

Thanks for the reply. I was planning on bringing won anyway. If I have money in my bank account here can I withdraw it in won at an atm in Korea?

livinginkorea · 04-02-2011 8:11pm

dsane1 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I was planning on bringing won anyway. If I have money in my bank account here can I withdraw it in won at an atm in Korea?

In essence and theory yes, but in practice probably not as most Korean bank ATM cards have a certain chip or some technology that Ireland hasn't caught up yet. Had this problem when we went to mainland Europe and tried to use my Korean card. Also if the Irish ATM card did work in Korea then you would be paying a lot extra for service charge per transaction I am sure. A credit or debit card might be a safer option but again to be sure I would bring enough for one month.

If you have an online banking account in Ireland then you will be able to transfer the rest of your money over into your Korean account. Takes a good few days and naturally there is a service charge but it is a safe option I think.

virmilitaris · 05-02-2011 4:47am

dsane1 wrote: »

Is an Irish driving licence recognized in Korea?

Do shops accept U.S. dollars?

What is the best way to move money from an account here to an account in Korea? and the other way round?

You need to exchange your license. Not a difficult process.

Some hotels or stores in tourist areas might take dollars but I wouldn't bet on it.
Same way some irish stores would or the way some american places will take euro.

cloneslad · 05-02-2011 6:00am

dsane1 wrote: »

Is an Irish driving licence recognized in Korea?

It is recognised. I've been driving around on mine. (rented car, not a privately owned one) You will need to have an international driving licence too though. You get them from the AA in Dublin (in person) or post your application tho them. It costs about €5 for a one year international licence.

Whenever I rent a car, they look for my international licence. They almost dismiss my irish licence with a sense of 'what the f**k is he doing with a pink paper licence??'.

Apparently you can also trade in your irish licence for a korean one at the licence department place. Be cautious that when you trade it, they take your irish one off you until you give the korean one back and they will probably end up losing your irish licence.

If you are going to get a scooter or bike under 125cc then you don't even need a licence or insurance to drive it.

Do shops accept U.S. dollars?

I don't know why they would. I can't imagine too many of them around me accepting them. Just exchange your money in the airport when you land here.

What is the best way to move money from an account here to an account in Korea? and the other way round?

carry it in to korea in cash. €500-€1000 will last you for the first month you are here, depending on how you choose to spend that 1st month.

As for getting it home. Just go to the bank and transfer it. Bring the IBAN and BIC numbers for your bank back home, as well as the usual sort code, account number, bank address etc. Bank transfers will cost you about €30-€40 each time you make them. So I'd save my money up and send it home in bulks rather than monthly, unless you fancy paying almost €500 in charges for it.

Make sure you have internet banking set up at home too. This will allow you to verify the money arrives in your account.

virmilitaris · 05-02-2011 12:59pm

ARGINITE wrote: »

The Korean keyboard is annoying and I didn't notice a huge difference in prices unless it's a Korean brand.
So I would buy before leaving.

How is the Korean keyboard annoying ? Just curious because I notice very little difference.

I disagree on laptop pricing though. You can get a much better deal here than in Ireland. The prices and specs may be similar on paper but that's not figuring in the reduction for not asking for the tax back or the guaranteed discount when you haggle.

cloneslad · 05-02-2011 3:15pm

I bought my g.f a netbok here, can't say I really notice much difference over the keyboard layout, it's big english letters and small hangeul. The " and @ keys are in different positions, but that's easily rectified if you change the keyboard layout from US to UK.

The reason I would buy back home as opposed to buying here is for the simple reason of getting ll your software in English. When I bought her netbook it came with a korean version of windows (obviously) but I asked them in the store (a well known chain store, not some back alley independent operation) if they would change it to an English version of windows. They said they would but it would take 2 days. They took my work address and delivered it, free of chrage, to my school on the day we had agreed.

The problem I had with the operating software is that it's not an authentic version, microsoft did not recognise it as a legitimate copy of windows when I went to uprage her internet explorer. It's only a minor hassle, but it is a hassle you wouldn't have to deal with back home. (unless you wanted a korean version of windows in Ireland, then the store would tell you to buy it for €200 extra instead of installing it for free like they do here)

cavanmaniac · 08-02-2011 1:59pm

On the withdrawing cash thing, I was able to use my Ulster Bank Visa debit card in the machine at Incheon airport to withdraw money from my Irish account, in Won. Much handier than searching high up and low down for an Irish bank that will give you Won, 99% of them won't.

On another matter, the guy who gave me my job here has since moved on to set up another Hagwon in Gangnam in Seoul and is now looking for teachers because his school has seen a huge intake of new students since starting up last December. I told him I would mention it here. PM me if you want more details.
I know well the concerns potential teachers would have so I can put your mind at rest here and now that it's all very above board, well run and paid on time etc. I can personally vouch for the fellow setting up the school too, he's a native English speaker as well.
It's not a doss job but there's no more effort and application required from teachers than there would be in any other job you'd do in your home country. So like I said, fire me a PM if you'd like to know more.
(I hope I haven't broken any boards.ie rules with this :eek:)

Undercover Brother · 08-02-2011 4:10pm

Hey cavanmaniac, I would definately be interested in hearing more about that job. I don't think I can pm you yet, can you send me one and I can reply? I'm new to this forumming lark not too au fait with the rules and procedures, thanks

dapto1 · 08-02-2011 8:32pm

Hi guys, this thread has been really helpful. I've decided to look for a public school job in Korea, hopefully starting in the summer.

I already have plenty of copies of my transcripts, so would I be correct in thinking the following should be my next steps?:

-Police Certificate (does this need to be notarised?)

-Getting a copy of my degree apostilled. Although I read on the previous page it needs to be in English, so I need to contact NUI about that (mine is in Latin)

- Contacting recruiters

Am I missing anything obvious there?

Also, do I need to get a copy of my ACELS Certificate in English Language Teaching apostilled/notarised?

And finally, I read that there are different ways of getting something notarised... Would these be the right ones to contact? http://www.notarypublic.ie/finding_a_notary.html

Thanks in advance, sorry for all the questions!

감사합니다 (I hope that's right...)

Tefl in South Korea

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