KMK: Reader Email 2

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve done one of these so I thought I better late than never right? At least I hope so! So without further ado I’ll get my butt in gear and start answering these emails!

Who is the most trustworthy recruiter? Thanks.

Doug

Short, but to the point! Well, Doug, that’s a fairly subjective question. I guess you could go by the number of teachers a recruiter has placed, how long they’ve been in business, and how many schools they deal with. If they’ve been around a long time odds are that they are dealing fairly and honestly with prospective teachers.

However, that might not be the case. I suggest asking for the emails of teachers who have dealt with the recruiter. Try searching esl message boards and social networking sites. There’s nothing like first hand experience to give you a better look into how a recruiter does business. Though be sure to get more than few opinions to make sure you’re getting enough info for a clear picture of how the recruiter operates.

You can also just start by double checking the info a recruiter gives you. I even suggest taking the initiative and start looking for positions on you own. Plenty of schools deal directly with teachers. Good luck!

I’ve been looking for a job for months. Every recruiter I’ve tried has either not responded or have sent me schools that do not even remotely meet my criteria. What should I do?

Brandon

Like I told Doug above: take the initiative! You don’t have to wait for a recruiter to find you a job. Though, if that is the route you want to take then perhaps you might want to reevaluate your criteria? I’m not sure what those are so it’s hard to say since I don’t know your work history or qualifications. Suffice it to say if you’re a new teacher coming in with no experience and not teaching degree and you’re asking for 3.0 million won, with 5 weeks vacation, and 20 hour work weeks in Seoul, well lets just say you might get lucky and land such a position but the odds are against you.

Be flexible with your criteria. What are you willing to comprimise on? Prioritize your needs and then go from there.

Also take into account that a lot hiring for these positions is based on that little photo you send along with your resume. If you don’t meet those Barbie and Ken doll standards a lot of places will toss your application aside. That’s not to say you can’t find work without looking like Barbarella but it might take a little more patience, and more effort on your part to scope out all the opportunities out there.

And if you haven’t already take a look at my post on Finding a Job in Korea. Hope that helps!

Hi, I’ve been a long time reader. I’m in the process of dealing with recruiters. I want to be in the middle of Seoul. How do I know if the school they’re sending me to will be right in the middle of Seoul and not some far off suburb?

Lisa

Lisa, your best bet is to check the subway map. There are several downtown areas in Seoul. It’s one big freaking city. The stops on the edges of the subway map are ones where it gets to be about 30 to 40 to 60 minutes from the main areas of Seoul: Gangnam, Itaewon, Hongdae, etc.. If you are on the outer edges of a subway line then you probably will be in a satellite suburb of Seoul.

You will be able to access the city easily enough but for late nights you might have a killer cab ride home like in the twenty or upwards amount won wise. Without knowing the city it’s pretty tough to figure out exactly where you will end up. Try to talk to the teachers from the schools you’re looking at. They will be able to give you a better idea of how cosmopolitan their little niche of Seoul is.