Tefl in South Korea

cloneslad

Undercover Brother wrote: »

Hey guys
I will be sending my docs to Korea on Monday and waiting for them to give me my visa number which I will then go to the embassy in Dublin with. I'm presuming it could be close to 2 weeks before I get the visa number, by the time the docs arrive in Korea and go thru immigration over there. My director wants me out around the 16th, and of course I would like to book a flight asap but I don't want to book it without having everything sorted first. I heard the Korean embassy in Dublin when they do the interview they take your passport and return it to you within a week. Is this the case? It would be so much easier for me if I could get the passport back on the same day. Any of the guys who went to Korea in the last couple of months can you let me know how long it took for the embassy to process your visa and passport? Thanks

send it on monday, arrive on tuesday (wednesday at the latest...use fedex)

sent to immigration on wednesday, should get the number the following tues/weds/thurs.

They e-mail or call you with the number.

you call the embassy, tell them your name and number. They arrange an interview for you, you you haven't had a korean visa before. (think they are on tues / thurs).

Do the interview, give them €40 or so, and your passport and some passport photos. collect them 3-4 working days later.

Don't book your flight until you have had your interview. The embassy are reliable with getting the passport done when they say it will be done, so just ask them when it will be ready.

I'd also advise you to fly out on a thursday if it's possible. That way you'll arrive on a friday and you can spend the weekend sleeping off the jetlag a bit before starting work on the monday (I'm presuming they'll make you work asap if they want you on the 16th).

Undercover Brother

cloneslad wrote: »

send it on monday, arrive on tuesday (wednesday at the latest...use fedex)

sent to immigration on wednesday, should get the number the following tues/weds/thurs.

They e-mail or call you with the number.

you call the embassy, tell them your name and number. They arrange an interview for you, you you haven't had a korean visa before. (think they are on tues / thurs).

Do the interview, give them €40 or so, and your passport and some passport photos. collect them 3-4 working days later.

Don't book your flight until you have had your interview. The embassy are reliable with getting the passport done when they say it will be done, so just ask them when it will be ready.

I'd also advise you to fly out on a thursday if it's possible. That way you'll arrive on a friday and you can spend the weekend sleeping off the jetlag a bit before starting work on the monday (I'm presuming they'll make you work asap if they want you on the 16th).

I've already arranged for DHL to deliver it. They're picking it up Monday and said it would be there on Thursday. I thought this was quick, sounds like Fedex are better. Ah well if I don't get out for the 16th its not the end of the world, the school director knows whats happening, the school doesn't actually start classes until the 21st but they wanted me over a few days early to show me round, do some training etc. Of course I would like to get out maybe a week before class starts just to get used to things but its really out of my hands now, just have to get through the red tape. Thanks

Choccie Lover

Thanks all for the tips on where to study Korean. Have actually found a place to try out (for free), so will go with that first. If it’s not great, I’ll try your suggestions.

Choccie Lover

Undercover Brother wrote: »

Hey guys
I will be sending my docs to Korea on Monday and waiting for them to give me my visa number which I will then go to the embassy in Dublin with. I'm presuming it could be close to 2 weeks before I get the visa number, by the time the docs arrive in Korea and go thru immigration over there. My director wants me out around the 16th, and of course I would like to book a flight asap but I don't want to book it without having everything sorted first. I heard the Korean embassy in Dublin when they do the interview they take your passport and return it to you within a week. Is this the case? It would be so much easier for me if I could get the passport back on the same day. Any of the guys who went to Korea in the last couple of months can you let me know how long it took for the embassy to process your visa and passport? Thanks

Ok, as you know, I’ve just arrived here, so this information is pretty up to date, although I sent my documents at the end of December, as my job was advertised months in advance. Naïve little me thought I’d be well organised in time.

I sent my documents via DHL, as well. Sent it on a Wednesday and it arrived the following Monday, I think. The snowy weather at the time may have affected the speed of the delivery, or at least, the girl at DHL warned me that that may be an issue.

As it turned out, my school didn’t process the documents at immigration until nearly a month later! They did this the Friday before the Solnal (Chinese New Year) break, and it was Friday two weeks before I got my visa issuance number. I make that eight working days (taking into account the days my documents were sitting on immigration’s desk during the break). I’ve read that it generally can take between five and twelve working days to process the documents.

So, as I said, I got this number on a Friday and travelled to the embassy the following Monday (I didn’t need an interview as I have worked in Korea before). I was due to fly the Monday after that, so I stressed to the embassy that if they could process it quickly, it would be much appreciated. She just kept re-iterating that it could take anything between five and seven days, given the busy time of year. She was really firm about that and not willing to make any promises. Anyway, I obviously needed to get the visa by that Friday at the absolute latest. She told me to ring her on the Friday morning and that “perhaps” it could be ready just in time, but again she kept saying “No guarantee”. Anyway, when I rang on Friday, it was ready and luckily I had someone in Dublin to collect it for me. When I got the visa into my hand, I saw that it was actually processed the day after I visited the embassy! So, it appears that they can process the visa really quickly, but they won’t tell you that.


So, as you can see, I ended up getting my visa at the eleventh hour, but I was pretty unlucky with weather, holidays etc.


If I were you, I wouldn’t book a flight at this stage. The only reason I was stupid enough to do so was because I was actually hired months in advance and assumed I’d have my visa at least a month in before travelling. Don’t stress too much, because when I was looking into changing my flight (I was sure I’d have to), it turned out that the flights were just as cheap as when I purchased my ticket nearly two months earlier. Around a tenner in the difference.

Anyways, the best of luck with it!

Marsipanss

Hi all,

I just got offered an interview for this job below.
I am concerned because i have seen it on a few blacklists online.
Has anyone here heard of this school??

Finding a job in Busan is proving hardier than i thought!

1. Location: Dadae, Saha, Busan

2. School Name: Kids Club http://huston.kr

3. Salary: 2.1-2.2

4. Teaching Target: Kinder-Elementary

5. Workign Hour: 9am-6pm

6. Numbe of Native Teachers: 4

cloneslad

Marsipanss wrote: »

Hi all,

I just got offered an interview for this job below.
I am concerned because i have seen it on a few blacklists online.
Has anyone here heard of this school??

Finding a job in Busan is proving hardier than i thought!

1. Location: Dadae, Saha, Busan

2. School Name: Kids Club http://huston.kr

3. Salary: 2.1-2.2

4. Teaching Target: Kinder-Elementary

5. Workign Hour: 9am-6pm

6. Numbe of Native Teachers: 4

I know of the franchise but not the school.

Only way to find out about the school is to get in touch with the teachers there, both the ones staying and the ones leaving. Ask them about the school, why they are not extending, paid on time, what's the boss like, is the apartment good etc etc

then make up your own mind.

livinginkorea

It depends when the comments were made about the school on that blacklist. Some schools do change owners/managers often so the comments made might not reflect the current environment at the school. Also, sometimes over very small things like cultural differences or misunderstandings people write on blacklists. You are right to be concerned but don't believe everything you read.

Definitely get in touch with one of the teachers there. It worth it to give that person a call and ask them some questions about the school. You will have a much better idea then.

SpatialPlanning

Marsipanss wrote: »

Hi all,

I just got offered an interview for this job below.
I am concerned because i have seen it on a few blacklists online.
Has anyone here heard of this school??

Finding a job in Busan is proving hardier than i thought!

1. Location: Dadae, Saha, Busan

2. School Name: Kids Club http://huston.kr

3. Salary: 2.1-2.2

4. Teaching Target: Kinder-Elementary

5. Workign Hour: 9am-6pm

6. Numbe of Native Teachers: 4

Hey. I live in Saha gu, 2 stops from Saha itself. I'll ask around about the school and get back to you in a day or two. The area itself is pretty far out from the city centre which means that you will be doing a lot of travelling during the year but it's a decent spot. Plenty of foreigners living out here. There's another guy on this board that lives in Saha too. If you need to know anything specific about the area feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

conbob

Marsipanss wrote: »

Hi all,

I just got offered an interview for this job below.
I am concerned because i have seen it on a few blacklists online.
Has anyone here heard of this school??

Finding a job in Busan is proving hardier than i thought!

1. Location: Dadae, Saha, Busan

2. School Name: Kids Club http://huston.kr

3. Salary: 2.1-2.2

4. Teaching Target: Kinder-Elementary

5. Workign Hour: 9am-6pm

6. Numbe of Native Teachers: 4

Is it 9am-6pm 5 days a week?

lordwilmore

cant believe the thread i started is still going strong. nice.


anywho. i did a year in korea and have just completed a CELT course.

My question is with the experience and the CELT, what kinda money should i be looking at?

starting off, i was on 2.2 million. is a pay rise unreasonable considering the years experience and celt? ive been offered a few place and they're only offering 2.2.

advice/ opinions welcome

virmilitaris

lordwilmore wrote: »

My question is with the experience and the CELT, what kinda money should i be looking at?

starting off, i was on 2.2 million. is a pay rise unreasonable considering the years experience and celt? ive been offered a few place and they're only offering 2.2.

advice/ opinions welcome

Where is it?

I'm in korea but not working in esl anymore. With a years experience you should be looking at trying to get at least 2.4 for a 'fulltime' job. Why not consider applying for a uni position? Ignore the masters phd requirement. The vast majority of them will take a bsc with a years experience.

Id also suggest working ij an adult hagwon instead of one for kids. Pagoda and ybm are both ok and the pay is reasonable. Wall st are more picky but better pay.

RighteousDude

Hey everyone. I just arrived this week in Korea. Teaching in a highschool in Pyeongtaek. Im just over an hour south of Seoul on the motorway. If anyones got any info for me about the place i'd love to hear from ya.

virmilitaris

RighteousDude wrote: »

Hey everyone. I just arrived this week in Korea. Teaching in a highschool in Pyeongtaek. Im just over an hour south of Seoul on the motorway. If anyones got any info for me about the place i'd love to hear from ya.

There's a lot of yankees there ...

Sorry man, what info are you looking for ? My brother in law lives there so I know a little about it.

RighteousDude

yep, i know. camps either side of the city.thank god for my distinguishing curly locks.

i was quite vague there in my last post, excuse me. i suppose i'm wondering where all the westerners are cos i havent laid eyes on one yet. Where in pyeongtaek would they venture to on the weekend to socialise? Thanks in advance virmili.

virmilitaris

RighteousDude wrote: »

yep, i know. camps either side of the city.thank god for my distinguishing curly locks.

i was quite vague there in my last post, excuse me. i suppose i'm wondering where all the westerners are cos i havent laid eyes on one yet. Where in pyeongtaek would they venture to on the weekend to socialise? Thanks in advance virmili.

I know theres a bar called Indian camp or something like that near New Core Outlet if you know it but I've never been there. There's no other foreigners at your school ?

Try near the train station or near the American bases.

livinginkorea

lordwilmore wrote: »

cant believe the thread i started is still going strong. nice.


anywho. i did a year in korea and have just completed a CELT course.

My question is with the experience and the CELT, what kinda money should i be looking at?

starting off, i was on 2.2 million. is a pay rise unreasonable considering the years experience and celt? ive been offered a few place and they're only offering 2.2.

advice/ opinions welcome

Location is definitely important. In and around Seoul would be 2.4 as virmilitaris but depends on the school. I was making 2.8 a few years ago but taught everything (companies in the morning, kids in the afternoon, adults at night). If you are willing to work in some of the bigger hagwons that can offer extra hours then you can always make some more money.

To be honest, getting a univ job is getting harder and harder especially in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The ones that had one year experience teaching that got uni gigs had MAs or lawyers (isn't it JD for them?). It is very hard but not impossible. It might be better to go out into the sticks for some low-level college and do a year or two there. Then work your way up and up. Takes years but worked for me.

livinginkorea

RighteousDude wrote: »

yep, i know. camps either side of the city.thank god for my distinguishing curly locks.

i was quite vague there in my last post, excuse me. i suppose i'm wondering where all the westerners are cos i havent laid eyes on one yet. Where in pyeongtaek would they venture to on the weekend to socialise? Thanks in advance virmili.

Ask your co-teachers. I am sure there is a foreigner district that everyone hangs out that Korean know about, especially at the weekend.

Maybe check up on eslcafe. I am sure others are in the same boat as you with the school year just starting.

livinginkorea

conbob wrote: »

Is it 9am-6pm 5 days a week?

Probably be there in the school for that amount of time but teach a couple of hours less than that (factoring in lunch time, breaks and prep time).

virmilitaris

Sorry lads but I am the bringer of bad news. No free booze for this years Paddys day.

Cool Running

virmilitaris wrote: »

Sorry lads but I am the bringer of bad news. No free booze for this years Paddys day.

NNNNNOOOOO

Where did ya hear this virmilitaris? Cant wait for the day, ya heading into the parade in Seoul for it?

kraggy

Hi guys,

My girlfriend has an interview in the morning with a public school. I will be having one in a couple of days hopefully. It's in Masangu, which I presume means Masan-gu? It's near Changwon.

Can you tell us some typical questions? Anything at all?

We only found out today. Delighted to see some progress.

Any help would be brilliant!

And how long do they usually last?

Thanks,

K.

Ps What's the difference between, say, Masan and Masan-gu? What do gu, si, ri etc mean after a placename?

Cool Running

kraggy wrote: »

Hi guys,

My girlfriend has an interview in the morning with a public school. I will be having one in a couple of days hopefully. It's in Masangu, which I presume means Masan-gu? It's near Changwon.

Can you tell us some typical questions? Anything at all?

We only found out today. Delighted to see some progress.

Any help would be brilliant!

And how long do they usually last?

Thanks,

K.

Ps What's the difference between, say, Masan and Masan-gu? What do gu, si, ri etc mean after a placename?

Well I did around 5 or 6 phone and skype interviews before I got my position

The main things I seemed to be asked was

Am I a flexible person? This is very important as the schedule in schools can change frequently and everything can change so quickly so have a few examples of being flexible

Do you work well with kids? Ya this is pretty obvious it would be asked so just talk about how you have worked with children before or how you would be good at it. They might ask how you would deal with problem children, I usually said I would stay calm and try resolve the problem

What makes a good teacher? For this I usually said good communicator, good with people etc and also mention being energetic. In my job I have to play a lot of games with the children so in the interview they asked if I was an energetic person

They will probably tell you that as its a public school you will work with a Korean teacher most of the time, so have examples of how you have worked with other nationalities etc

Oh one major thing I would say is to speak clearly. This is very important, some of my recruiters even told me to try sound American as it's what the majority of schools seem to want.

That's about it so, if it's a Skype webcam interview it's no harm to wear a shirt and tie to look professional. Make sure to research the public school system, Korean culture, examples of being flexible and speak clearly

Sorry cant answer your other question, not really to familiar with Korean place names yet

Best of luck with it

livinginkorea

kraggy wrote: »

Hi guys,

My girlfriend has an interview in the morning with a public school. I will be having one in a couple of days hopefully. It's in Masangu, which I presume means Masan-gu? It's near Changwon.

Can you tell us some typical questions? Anything at all?

We only found out today. Delighted to see some progress.

Any help would be brilliant!

And how long do they usually last?

Thanks,

K.

Ps What's the difference between, say, Masan and Masan-gu? What do gu, si, ri etc mean after a placename?

It's means the number of people in a certain area. There are two systems; one for the country and one for the city. You can see them on every address.

1) City - si 'city' which has a few gu each of which comprises of a few dong,

2) Countryside - gun, eup, myung, and then the smallest is ri

Basically the lower down the scale you go then the smaller it is. If the address is given as ri and not dong then you know is a less populated area.

Definitely speak clearly in the interview. Don't be afraid to ask a couple of questions back. Build up a rapport, these are the people you could be working with in the future. Have them coming away from the interview saying 'he/she seems nice.' Works wonders.

kraggy

Cool Running wrote: »

Well I did around 5 or 6 phone and skype interviews before I got my position

The main things I seemed to be asked was

Am I a flexible person? This is very important as the schedule in schools can change frequently and everything can change so quickly so have a few examples of being flexible

Do you work well with kids? Ya this is pretty obvious it would be asked so just talk about how you have worked with children before or how you would be good at it. They might ask how you would deal with problem children, I usually said I would stay calm and try resolve the problem

What makes a good teacher? For this I usually said good communicator, good with people etc and also mention being energetic. In my job I have to play a lot of games with the children so in the interview they asked if I was an energetic person

They will probably tell you that as its a public school you will work with a Korean teacher most of the time, so have examples of how you have worked with other nationalities etc

Oh one major thing I would say is to speak clearly. This is very important, some of my recruiters even told me to try sound American as it's what the majority of schools seem to want.

That's about it so, if it's a Skype webcam interview it's no harm to wear a shirt and tie to look professional. Make sure to research the public school system, Korean culture, examples of being flexible and speak clearly

Sorry cant answer your other question, not really to familiar with Korean place names yet

Best of luck with it

Great stuff Cool Running, thanks for that.

Just wondering what you mean by "research the public school system, Korean culture"? We've been looking up stuff regarding food, and we know a little about the development of the country since the Korean War but not much else besides that.

What aspects of the school system?
What main areas of Korean Culture do you mean?

Thanks again, great info.

K.

Marsipanss

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Hey. I live in Saha gu, 2 stops from Saha itself. I'll ask around about the school and get back to you in a day or two. The area itself is pretty far out from the city centre which means that you will be doing a lot of travelling during the year but it's a decent spot. Plenty of foreigners living out here. There's another guy on this board that lives in Saha too. If you need to know anything specific about the area feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to answer your questions.

Thank you so much, that would be great. I still cant decide what to do but just want to get to Korea as soon as possible.

Are there many places to eat, bars etc nearby?

Aramicon

Ooh, I'm aiming for Busan too and have seen a good few jobs in Saha, but I'm trying to stay further east as I have connections there. It is tough going, I did one interview for an SLP school but then found some awful reviews and the sample contract looked a bit much. This looks interesting http://koreabridge.net/jobs/busan-global-village-looking-fun-teachers-miju-lee-1 but again, it does not seem to have a good reputation! Any Busan-based-body on this here super thread know anything about the place? How much weight should be put on 'blacklistings' anyhow- there seems to be a lot of them, and scant positive alternatives.

Choccie Lover

Cool Running wrote: »

NNNNNOOOOO

Where did ya hear this virmilitaris? Cant wait for the day, ya heading into the parade in Seoul for it?

So where/when is the parade, then?

virmilitaris

Cool Running wrote: »

NNNNNOOOOO

Where did ya hear this virmilitaris? Cant wait for the day, ya heading into the parade in Seoul for it?

Well I was when I thought there was gonna be free Guinness. Not too sure now.

virmilitaris

Choccie Lover wrote: »

So where/when is the parade, then?

http://www.meetup.com/Seoulite/events/16599145/

Sat 19th in Insadong.

I've gotten no emails this year but I'm assuming that the usual Paddys day party in gangnam will be happening. 50,000 won for as much guinness / cass / hite as you can drink including free finger food (not bad). That's in the Dublin Terrace in Gangnam.

I also know of another bar having an Irish band with Irish music both on Paddys day itself and possibly on the weekend in Bucheon if anyone lives out here or in Incheon.

Here's the website of the Irish association of Korea http://www.iak.co.kr/ But no updates for this year as of yet. I've also heard nothing from the embassy which is quite strange.

Anyone need directions or wanna join give me a pm and I'll give ya my number. I'll more than likely be heading to the parade and the party in Gangnam afterwards with the wife and another paddy or two.

Undercover Brother

Hey everyone, as I've mentioned before I've sent all my docs over to Korea to be processed by immigration and am now waiting for the visa no so I can arrange a meeting at the embassy here. I've just realised I didn't make photocopies of the docs I sent, I actually do have copies of most of the stuff but not of the up to date police check. Is this going to cause problems at the embassy meeting? I thought I just had to produce my passport and passport photos but some people on Daves ESL seem to think you need to take photocopies of everything to the embassy here. I would have thought that by Korean immi issuing a visa number meant that everything was in order and the embassy just had to stamp the passport.

Choccie Lover

Undercover Brother wrote: »

Hey everyone, as I've mentioned before I've sent all my docs over to Korea to be processed by immigration and am now waiting for the visa no so I can arrange a meeting at the embassy here. I've just realised I didn't make photocopies of the docs I sent, I actually do have copies of most of the stuff but not of the up to date police check. Is this going to cause problems at the embassy meeting? I thought I just had to produce my passport and passport photos but some people on Daves ESL seem to think you need to take photocopies of everything to the embassy here. I would have thought that by Korean immi issuing a visa number meant that everything was in order and the embassy just had to stamp the passport.

No, don't worry about it. All you need is your passport, one passport photo and forty euros. You just fill out a form when you are there. Just remember to have your visa issuance number on you. Also ,know the address and tel. number of your school (I hadn't this on me and had to call my brother to go rummaging through my e-mail to find it). All the other details are just standard name, address etc etc....

Choccie Lover

virmilitaris wrote: »

http://www.meetup.com/Seoulite/events/16599145/

Sat 19th in Insadong.

I've gotten no emails this year but I'm assuming that the usual Paddys day party in gangnam will be happening. 50,000 won for as much guinness / cass / hite as you can drink including free finger food (not bad). That's in the Dublin Terrace in Gangnam.

I also know of another bar having an Irish band with Irish music both on Paddys day itself and possibly on the weekend in Bucheon if anyone lives out here or in Incheon.

Here's the website of the Irish association of Korea http://www.iak.co.kr/ But no updates for this year as of yet. I've also heard nothing from the embassy which is quite strange.

Anyone need directions or wanna join give me a pm and I'll give ya my number. I'll more than likely be heading to the parade and the party in Gangnam afterwards with the wife and another paddy or two.

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated:D

kraggy

Hi again guys,

My girlfriend passed her interview this morning with a school in Masan near Changwon, which itself is near Busan.

So, what's the best way to consider whether or not to take the job. Don't think talking with a foreign teacher in the school is possible as there is just one, which means it would be my gf when she starts.

So what questions should she ask?

Anyone know anything about Masan? We know it's not great but it's near Changwon which is supposed to be decent enough and both are within an hour of Busan so that's a positive.

I'm having an interview in a few days and they are trying to delay the start of my gf's job so that we can enter Korea together.

It's very tempting to take the jobs because we're desperate to get out of Ireland but because it's our first offer we're somewhat hesitant too as we feel we might be rushing into it.

So, what way could we decide whether or not to take the jobs? What could we ask to help us sway one way or the other?

Many thanks,

K.

Undercover Brother

Choccie Lover wrote: »

No, don't worry about it. All you need is your passport, one passport photo and forty euros. You just fill out a form when you are there. Just remember to have your visa issuance number on you. Also ,know the address and tel. number of your school (I hadn't this on me and had to call my brother to go rummaging through my e-mail to find it). All the other details are just standard name, address etc etc....

Thanks Choccie Lover, I thought that was all I needed but just thought I'd make sure

Cool Running

virmilitaris wrote: »

http://www.meetup.com/Seoulite/events/16599145/

Sat 19th in Insadong.

I've gotten no emails this year but I'm assuming that the usual Paddys day party in gangnam will be happening. 50,000 won for as much guinness / cass / hite as you can drink including free finger food (not bad). That's in the Dublin Terrace in Gangnam.

I also know of another bar having an Irish band with Irish music both on Paddys day itself and possibly on the weekend in Bucheon if anyone lives out here or in Incheon.

Here's the website of the Irish association of Korea http://www.iak.co.kr/ But no updates for this year as of yet. I've also heard nothing from the embassy which is quite strange.

Anyone need directions or wanna join give me a pm and I'll give ya my number. I'll more than likely be heading to the parade and the party in Gangnam afterwards with the wife and another paddy or two.

Sounds good, there is a facebook on it here but ya have to be logged in I think
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182845968423553

Ya strange there is nothing on the IAK website, they had a serious Christmas party in Itaweon. Anyways Im sure ill see ya and a few other paddys floating about on the day:)

Undercover Brother

Hey everyone, I have my interview at the embassy tomorrow, I was just wondering, should I wear a shirt and tie, or is it a casual kind of thing? What kind of questions will they ask?

ARGINITE

I think I wore a shirt a tie would be over kill.
You will be asked a few questions regarding why you want to teach in Korea. Nothing to worry about.

RighteousDude

i didnt get asked any questions myself. so between my experience and arginite's i think its safe to say its pretty informal and straightforward.

squeakyduck

Hi,
I was just looking at EPIK applications for Fall 2011. For the application it says you need 2 letters of recommendation from a professor/supervisor/director. Could I use an area manager from my last job for this? I plan on using my thesis supervisor as well.

Has anyone applied through EPIK recently? I'd love to chat with someone about it, as it just seems vague to me at the moment!

conbob

squeakyduck wrote: »

Hi,
I was just looking at EPIK applications for Fall 2011. For the application it says you need 2 letters of recommendation from a professor/supervisor/director. Could I use an area manager from my last job for this? I plan on using my thesis supervisor as well.

Has anyone applied through EPIK recently? I'd love to chat with someone about it, as it just seems vague to me at the moment!

Hi. I'll be applying myself for the fall aswell, might be able to help a little. They say you can get 2 academic references or 1 academic and 1 work related reference so I couldn't see a problem with it. The recruiter I use is friendly enough so it would be best to send your one an email just to clarify.

conbob

Hi. I'm a little lost. What is the document we need from the Gardai? I'm pretty sure it's not Garda vetting, as this takes months, and it doesn't have to be sent down to Templemore. I've also heard of a certificate of character. Saw on here it is called a clearance certificate?

SpatialPlanning

conbob wrote: »

Hi. I'm a little lost. What is the document we need from the Gardai? I'm pretty sure it's not Garda vetting, as this takes months, and it doesn't have to be sent down to Templemore. I've also heard of a certificate of character. Saw on here it is called a clearance certificate?

On the top of mine it says Police Clearance Certificate.

Just go to the local Garda station and tell them you need a background check done for a job in South Korea. Make sure to tell them that you don't need the one that says you're OK to work with children (ironically enough). This one is from Thurles, takes months, and costs money.

Tell them you need the free one that takes about a week to get.

SpatialPlanning

squeakyduck wrote: »

Hi,
I was just looking at EPIK applications for Fall 2011. For the application it says you need 2 letters of recommendation from a professor/supervisor/director. Could I use an area manager from my last job for this? I plan on using my thesis supervisor as well.

Has anyone applied through EPIK recently? I'd love to chat with someone about it, as it just seems vague to me at the moment!

Hey, I came out here with EPIK about 4/5 months ago (working in Busan now). PM me with any questions you have about it.

SpatialPlanning

Aramicon wrote: »

Ooh, I'm aiming for Busan too and have seen a good few jobs in Saha, but I'm trying to stay further east as I have connections there. It is tough going, I did one interview for an SLP school but then found some awful reviews and the sample contract looked a bit much. This looks interesting http://koreabridge.net/jobs/busan-global-village-looking-fun-teachers-miju-lee-1 but again, it does not seem to have a good reputation! Any Busan-based-body on this here super thread know anything about the place? How much weight should be put on 'blacklistings' anyhow- there seems to be a lot of them, and scant positive alternatives.

I haven't heard of the school before. Busanjin is pretty central. It's only about 10mins away from Seomyeon, which is basically downtown Busan.

I can't tell you anything about the school or contract, but from what it says in that job posting it looks like a public school schedule. 9-5, airfare reimbursed, 15holidays (public is usually 18-21, hagwons are usually 10), medical and pension both included... I can't really comment any more without seeing a contract... With blacklists it's hard to know because they could be old, or written by bitter/deluded people... The only way you will know is by applying for the job and speaking to a current teacher there!

Undercover Brother

I had my interview at the embassy yesterday, well it wasn't an interview, just 4 or 5 of us in a room filling in forms, so I should have my passport back by early next week, and will hopefully be flying out on Wednesday or Thursday. I was just wondering, whats the best way to get money changed to won? Should I try and do it here or is it easier to do it at the airport in Korea? Thanks

virmilitaris

Undercover Brother wrote: »

I had my interview at the embassy yesterday, well it wasn't an interview, just 4 or 5 of us in a room filling in forms, so I should have my passport back by early next week, and will hopefully be flying out on Wednesday or Thursday. I was just wondering, whats the best way to get money changed to won? Should I try and do it here or is it easier to do it at the airport in Korea? Thanks

Airport here is what I did. Its probably easier for carrying purposes. When you change that over you're going to have a big wad of won.

kraggy

Me again,

Got offered contracts and confused about the bit in bold below...


Article 14 (Paid Leave) ① The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of eighteen (18) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If the Employees works in a school, the Employee shall have vacation for eight (8) working days during the summer recess and ten (10) working days during the winter recess respectively; If the Employee works in a training center, the Employee shall have their vacation outside the normal training session times. If the requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s).

② The Employee shall apply for and obtain the Employer's consent to take any paid leave a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the requested date of leave.③

The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval for Paid Vacation or Unpaid Leave during the school vacation period.

④ During the school semester, the Employer may allow the Employee to not come to work on the day(s) when the school is closed for in-semester school holiday(s), school anniversary day(s), etc., and these days will not be considered part of the Paid Leave set forth in the forgoing clause.



Can anyone figure this out? Is it something to do with desk-warming? As in, applying to have some of those days off away from the school or something?

cloneslad

kraggy wrote: »

Me again,

Got offered contracts and confused about the bit in bold below...


Article 14 (Paid Leave) ① The Employee shall be entitled to a vacation period of a total of eighteen (18) working days during the Term of the Employment set forth under Article 5 hereof. If the Employees works in a school, the Employee shall have vacation for eight (8) working days during the summer recess and ten (10) working days during the winter recess respectively; If the Employee works in a training center, the Employee shall have their vacation outside the normal training session times. If the requested vacation period interferes with the smooth operation of the programming of the school or institute, the Employer and the Employee shall negotiate an alternate vacation date(s).

② The Employee shall apply for and obtain the Employer's consent to take any paid leave a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days in advance of the requested date of leave.③

The Employee shall note the difference between school vacation and Paid Vacation days; the Employee is expected to fulfill normal working duties during the school vacation period unless the Employee has received prior approval for Paid Vacation or Unpaid Leave during the school vacation period.

④ During the school semester, the Employer may allow the Employee to not come to work on the day(s) when the school is closed for in-semester school holiday(s), school anniversary day(s), etc., and these days will not be considered part of the Paid Leave set forth in the forgoing clause.



Can anyone figure this out? Is it something to do with desk-warming? As in, applying to have some of those days off away from the school or something?

you must get permission to take your holidays.

If you wanted to take holidays on march 20th, you would need to seek permission to do so 15 days before that date (march 5th).

I would be giving them more than 15 days notice if I was you though. Flights out of korea are expensive and it's best to book at least 2-3 months in advance so ask permission for these dates before making any reservations. You might also need to get the permission in writing in case your boss decides to have a change of heart (or conveniently forgets that he gave permission).

You willl usually not be given holidays when school is in session as it means there will be no one to teach the kids. Your holidays will have to be taken during the summer or winter vacation time when the kids have no school.

The parts about your principal not requiring you to come in on certain public holidays etc just means that he might not ask you to deck warm certain days and that public holidays (seolnal / chuseok / buddha's birthday etc) don't count towards your annual holidays i.e these are extra holidays you recieve on top of your paid leave.

P.S Sorry for not replying to your pms sooner, it's not easy when travelling around.

cavanmaniac

Undercover Brother wrote: »

I had my interview at the embassy yesterday, well it wasn't an interview, just 4 or 5 of us in a room filling in forms, so I should have my passport back by early next week, and will hopefully be flying out on Wednesday or Thursday. I was just wondering, whats the best way to get money changed to won? Should I try and do it here or is it easier to do it at the airport in Korea? Thanks

My bank card was a visa debit card so when I flew into Incheon I just took out a chunk of Won, you'll have hassle finding won in Ireland and when you don't really need it until you're on Korean soil, it makes more sense to just wait and get it at the airport I think. Provided your bank card works internationally of course...

Undercover Brother

cavanmaniac wrote: »

My bank card was a visa debit card so when I flew into Incheon I just took out a chunk of Won, you'll have hassle finding won in Ireland and when you don't really need it until you're on Korean soil, it makes more sense to just wait and get it at the airport I think. Provided your bank card works internationally of course...

My bank card is visa debit as well, so it will work ok in Korea? I'd heard that it was hard to find bank machines that would accept them. I think I'll take over bout 400 (sterling) in cash, get that changed at the airport and if I need any more before I get paid hopefully I'll be able to find a friendly bank machine near me