Tefl in South Korea

Andy!!

Great to hear mate Glad the recruiter pulled through for you. Where is it? Bet you're bloody relieved!!

camoramo

Andy!! wrote: »

Great to hear mate Glad the recruiter pulled through for you. Where is it? Bet you're bloody relieved!!

Ulsan which is great because I wanted a coastal city and was afraid I'd end up in middle of nowhere!
Hope it's not that polluted though, people spitting all the time is a bit much!

Andy!!

Never heard a bad thing about Ulsan. It's on the east coast, so far less pollution than the muddy and polluted west coast. Jealous you landed in a coastal town in this weather!

unreg55555

daesu wrote: »

Andy I'm not starting on you man but seriously you've been here 5 minutes. That's just plain wrong.

So many people come to korea first, then get a job, and then do a visa run to Japan. It used to be the normal way to do it. Back when I first arrived almost everyone did the visa run. The only reason it changed was because 2 or 3 years ago the government changed the rules so that ypu had to have an interview in your home country first. And even that was only for first timers.

Now that rule is gone and its back to normal so many people are coming here first and then doing the visa run. Its actually the best way to do it because many jobs prefer to hire someone already in country that they can interview in person.

Again I'm not starting on you but you really shouldn't be throwing out advice when you're only just arrived here yourself.

Hey I'm in the process of trying to get a job at the moment. I'm getting slightly fed up of it all to be honest.

So I'm considering of coming to Korea first, I have plenty of friends I can stay with and will bring over all my necessary documents!

A quick question on doing this though: Should I book return flights? i.e. will emigration see my one way flight and tell me to feck off orrr as a happy compromise could I book a ferry crossing to Japan (which should be cheaper) to show evidence that I plan to leave the country.

I know answers will vary but in your experience would schools re-imburse the original cost of the flight over. It doesn't matter too much but worth asking the question.

cloneslad

unreg55555 wrote: »

Hey I'm in the process of trying to get a job at the moment. I'm getting slightly fed up of it all to be honest.

So I'm considering of coming to Korea first, I have plenty of friends I can stay with and will bring over all my necessary documents!

A quick question on doing this though: Should I book return flights? i.e. will emigration see my one way flight and tell me to feck off orrr as a happy compromise could I book a ferry crossing to Japan (which should be cheaper) to show evidence that I plan to leave the country.

I know answers will vary but in your experience would schools re-imburse the original cost of the flight over. It doesn't matter too much but worth asking the question.

you can book the Beetle to japan. It's the fast boast. These tickets can be booked about 90 days in advance, but don't need to be paid until a week or two beforehand. You could book it a few weeks before going to Korea, for a date a month or so after your arrival, then you can cancel it / swap it for a date more convenient to get your visa. This way you'd have an exit ticket to show immigration.

Just remember, it's illegal to work in Korea without a visa. I can't imagine there's anything wrong with visiting friends and 'conveniently been offered a job, while out walking around'.

You should send your documents over to your friends address a few weeks before you go, this way you'll not be carrying them with you when you arrive, should immigration look in your suitcase to see why you're coming (doubt it happens too often, but I've seen a lot of 'border control' on sky one).

Andy!!

daesu wrote: »

Andy I'm not starting on you man but seriously you've been here 5 minutes. That's just plain wrong.

So many people come to korea first, then get a job, and then do a visa run to Japan. It used to be the normal way to do it. Back when I first arrived almost everyone did the visa run. The only reason it changed was because 2 or 3 years ago the government changed the rules so that ypu had to have an interview in your home country first. And even that was only for first timers.

Now that rule is gone and its back to normal so many people are coming here first and then doing the visa run. Its actually the best way to do it because many jobs prefer to hire someone already in country that they can interview in person.

Again I'm not starting on you but you really shouldn't be throwing out advice when you're only just arrived here yourself.

Exactly. You came here years ago, things were very different then. Things have changed a lot. Someone who has been through the process recently can give a far better indication of what things are like now in the application process. I'm not pulling my information from thin air, I'm getting it from recruiters I've spoken to in the last few months. Not only over email before I came over but also recruiters I've spent time with since coming here.

The 'you are here five minutes' is just about the most ignorant argument out there, for the reasons I just stated. Congrats, you've been here ages! Your medal is in the post!! You want to show off your e-penis, state that you've been here forever and know everything, and unfortunately for the gratification you get, people get outdated info.
And you can leave out the 'I'm not having a go' nonsense, anybody with eyes and access to this thread can see you, cloneslad and cassi really enjoy a good go, especially indirectly, by just posting the complete opposite advice, even if it's wrong and could screw over the people you are 'helping'. Except mods told you to stop, but you didn't seem to get that message... End of discussion on that part. Blocked.

Newbies have as much solid advice to give as others who've been here years. Procedures change, and memories are fresher when you're fresh off the plane.

Unreg55555, immigration are going to be very very interested in your one way ticket if there is a 90 day visa glued to your passport. Being here already is going to give you very little advantage. You would think saving themselves a few hundred buckaroos would be something that recruiters and companies would find attractive, but really it's just accepted as the norm that companies shell out to bring fresh teachers over (that's obviously different with resigns and experienced people getting new jobs). If you still insist on taking this course of action, you might get away with it. Look for jobs in DavesESL would be my suggestion, and look for jobs that specifically want people that are already here maybe, that could help?

Surely all these mates of yours would have found you something already from over there if there was anything to be had? As in any field, word of mouth goes a hella long way and it sounds like you already have a decent network over there? What area are you looking at?

Also make sure you do actually have all your documents before you head over, otherwise you're screwed. Either way, my advice would be to not be quite so gung-ho about it, purely because of immigration. The prospect of travelling around beforehand is very nice though.

EDIT: I just had a look at DavesESL. Can you tell us more about you, like what if you have a TEFL etc cause there seem to be lots of jobs posted. Are you getting emails, interviews, any interest? Cause if there is a reason why you aren't getting offers, it will still be a reason when you get here. Are you maybe asking for too much money or something? Just trying to get a better picture. If you don't have at least an online 140hr TEFL, that'll be why. I was told public schools are flat out refusing people without at least one of those now. Don't be discouraged though. Just keep carpet bombing recruiters with applications, there are at least ten new job postings (containing several jobs each) every day.

unreg55555

Andy!! wrote: »

Exactly. You came here years ago, things were very different then. Things have changed a lot. Someone who has been through the process recently can give a far better indication of what things are like now in the application process. I'm not pulling my information from thin air, I'm getting it from recruiters I've spoken to in the last few months. Not only over email before I came over but also recruiters I've spent time with since coming here.

The 'you are here five minutes' is just about the most ignorant argument out there, for the reasons I just stated. Congrats, you've been here ages! Your medal is in the post!! You want to show off your e-penis, state that you've been here forever and know everything, and unfortunately for the gratification you get, people get outdated info.

Andy in fairness if he's been 'here' years then wouldn't he have had to renew his visa multiple times and would therefore be constantly abreast of the situation?

I have lots of friends in Korea at the moment, they are all looking out for jobs for me and they've told me to come over as it's easier, particularly for the area I want to go to.

I think you'd yourself a favour by just putting in phrases such as'from my experience' or 'as far as I know'. Then asking other experienced people for their opinion. Your posts seem to come across as if you speak with the ultimate authority which can be dangerous.

Your opinion is certainly valued but I will take advice off people that have been through the mill opposed to someone newly arrived.

I see you edited your post. Yes a one way ticket with an exit ticket for Japan, I have had many friends do this while travelling Asia, and that's what they were actually doing. If you are travelling multiple countries you're not going to be going over and back the whole time.

unreg55555

Andy!! wrote: »

Exactly. You came here years ago, things were very different then. Things have changed a lot. Someone who has been through the process recently can give a far better indication of what things are like now in the application process. I'm not pulling my information from thin air, I'm getting it from recruiters I've spoken to in the last few months. Not only over email before I came over but also recruiters I've spent time with since coming here.

The 'you are here five minutes' is just about the most ignorant argument out there, for the reasons I just stated. Congrats, you've been here ages! Your medal is in the post!! You want to show off your e-penis, state that you've been here forever and know everything, and unfortunately for the gratification you get, people get outdated info.
And you can leave out the 'I'm not having a go' nonsense, anybody with eyes and access to this thread can see you, cloneslad and cassi really enjoy a good go. Except mods told you to stop, but you didn't seem to get that message... End of discussion on that part. Blocked.

Newbies have as much solid advice to give as others who've been here years. Procedures change, and memories are fresher when you're fresh off the plane.

Unreg55555, immigration are going to be very very interested in your one way ticket if there is no visa glued to your passport. Being here already is going to give you very little advantage. You would think saving themselves a few hundred buckaroos would be something that recruiters and companies would find attractive, but really it's just accepted as the norm that companies shell out to bring fresh teachers over (that's obviously different with resigns and experienced people getting new jobs). If you still insist on taking this course of action, you might get away with it. Look for jobs in DavesESL would be my suggestion, and look for jobs that specifically want people that are already here maybe, that could help?

Surely all these mates of yours would have found you something already from over there if there was anything to be had? As in any field, word of mouth goes a hella long way and it sounds like you already have a decent network over there? What area are you looking at?

Also make sure you do actually have all your documents before you head over, otherwise you're screwed. Either way, my advice would be to not be quite so gung-ho about it, purely because of immigration. The prospect of travelling around beforehand is very nice though.

A prime example of someone over there getting a job before me has just happened on the Busan page. My friend throws me into the mix and someone else has a friend already over there. This is my reasoning for my course of action.

Andy!!

Can't imagine arranging for the renewal of visas is as arduous as a first time; the acquisition of documents for one. So the processes are quite different I would imagine. Someone coming off as the 'ultimate authority' on something is an unfortunate side effect when correcting someone else acting as the 'ultimate authority'. My apologies :cool:

unreg55555 wrote: »

A prime example of someone over there getting a job before me has just happened on the Busan page. My friend throws me into the mix and someone else has a friend already over there. This is my reasoning for my course of action.

What Busan page are you referring to? By all means, do what you are going to do, and let us know how you get on. Did you do a TEFL? Have you been getting anywhere with recruiters? What area are you looking at?

ekevosu

I was one of those people that came over to Korea first as I wanted to travel the country, learn some Korean and relax a bit first before getting a job after years of working in Ireland behind a desk. I then went looking for a job later on from within Korea. For the job I got in 2011 it would have been the same as if I was at home as it was a public school job and the interview was over the phone anyway(not during main recruiting period). No need for a face to face but I did get offered a few hagwon's through face to face interviews which I turned down when seeing them for myself. It was my first E visa but as it is a government job the visa was changed within the country without me leaving Korea. Hagwon's are different obviously.

Throughout the whole process I learned not to take as gospel anything your recruiters tell you. They are often (not always) just as misinformed as everyone else or have misdated info or alterior motives. Some are really good but others are just working off information they have had for years which is changing and they pass this on to new people looking for jobs who automatically believe it without double checking. The embassy (both Korean and Irish) also sometimes has trouble keeping up with the changes or simply do not know so always always triple check everything. There are government help lines within Korea setup for this purpose. Pick up the phone and ring or email and get definitive answers.

New people have current information on the way things or done but just be aware that it depends on your situation, type of job etc. People that have been in Korea a while know more about the culture, the Korean way of thinking. Just because one person in a government office says one thing does not mean that someone else will say the same thing. You learn that from experience. There are people here who have lived in Korea for years and have Korean partners etc who are more immersed in Korean society and will be able to answer a lot of questions better than most on this thread on other aspects of Korean life. Try not to alienate them.

All information and help on this thread is valid, just try and qualify it. I would never post on here and tell people that they can 100% change from a tourist visa to a working visa without leaving Korea but I would give the information as it happened to me and tell people to check out that option for themselves. Thats what this thread should be doing and often does when the bitchiness takes a rest. I haven't been reading this thread for about three or four months but it seems to have become more like daves efl cafe than I remember. It used to be a source of valuable info and banter where people could get help and info. That seems to be getting taken over by certain people trying to up their post count and boost their online ego. Cloneslad and the like have been invaluable to keeping this thread going over the last few years and I suddenly see an attack on him....absolutely ridiculous.

cloneslad

This isn't some sort of pissing contest, I only give factual information, as do most of the people here. I've been advising on this forum for about 2 years now, and I've never been infracted, nor do I intend to be.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion in certain areas, but to continuously give incorrect information, whether you've been told it by recruiters or not, is not helping anyone on the forum.

Apparently I'm on ignore, but to all the new people looking for advice, most people who've been in Korea a long time are good sources of information and well worth listening to.

cassi

Andy point out one piece of information I or cloneslad or anyone else for that matter has intentionally given out incorrectly just to have a go. I'd be very interested in seeing it!!

Its a horrid attack on our reputations on this thread ad totally uncalled for.

unreg55555

Thanks for all the information guys. I will keep you posted on how things turn out.

I am waiting for one more possibility in Changwon before I plot the course of action I mentioned above.

Andy, I have 2 sets of all my docs with the necessary ones notarised and apostilled.

Does anyone have any experience of Changwon by the way? I'm trying to aim for Busan but don't mind settling for somewhere in the region. I have friends in Busan and Ulsan to name but a few. Ideally I would like to go to Busan but the thought of somewhere new and different is exciting (by new and different I mean somewhere where I don't have friends already), while also having the comfort of knowing my friends are close by.

So far I have heard people say it's a great city, fairly modern and relatively smaller than the bigger ones. However if anybody has any personal experiences of the place I'd be happy to hear.

I would thank all the posts for advice but I need 10 posts to actually do so!

cloneslad

unreg55555 wrote: »

Thanks for all the information guys. I will keep you posted on how things turn out.

I am waiting for one more possibility in Changwon before I plot the course of action I mentioned above.

Andy, I have 2 sets of all my docs with the necessary ones notarised and apostilled.

Does anyone have any experience of Changwon by the way? I'm trying to aim for Busan but don't mind settling for somewhere in the region. I have friends in Busan and Ulsan to name but a few. Ideally I would like to go to Busan but the thought of somewhere new and different is exciting (by new and different I mean somewhere where I don't have friends already), while also having the comfort of knowing my friends are close by.

So far I have heard people say it's a great city, fairly modern and relatively smaller than the bigger ones. However if anybody has any personal experiences of the place I'd be happy to hear.

I would thank all the posts for advice but I need 10 posts to actually do so!

I've been to Changwon / Masan a few times. Changwon is Korea's first (one of the first?) developed city, it didn't just grow, it was purpose built. There are a good few large parks, a decent foreign community and lots transport to Busan.

Masan is the older part of the two areas (they've kind of been joined together) but it the less desirable of the two. One of my mates lived in Changwon for a year. He really enjoyed his time there and used to visit it regularly.

Andy!!

ekevosu wrote: »

I was one of those people that came over to Korea first as I wanted to travel the country, learn some Korean and relax a bit first before getting a job after years of working in Ireland behind a desk. I then went looking for a job later on from within Korea. For the job I got in 2011 it would have been the same as if I was at home as it was a public school job and the interview was over the phone anyway(not during main recruiting period). No need for a face to face but I did get offered a few hagwon's through face to face interviews which I turned down when seeing them for myself. It was my first E visa but as it is a government job the visa was changed within the country without me leaving Korea. Hagwon's are different obviously.

Throughout the whole process I learned not to take as gospel anything your recruiters tell you. They are often (not always) just as misinformed as everyone else or have misdated info or alterior motives. Some are really good but others are just working off information they have had for years which is changing and they pass this on to new people looking for jobs who automatically believe it without double checking. The embassy (both Korean and Irish) also sometimes has trouble keeping up with the changes or simply do not know so always always triple check everything. There are government help lines within Korea setup for this purpose. Pick up the phone and ring or email and get definitive answers.

Great post. Good to hear from experience from those that got through.
I compare this to when you have a baby trying to touch a hot oven. Sure the oven might not burn the hand off the child, they might get away with it, but the risk is there. Some will always try to touch the oven door Do it if you want, I never said it is completely impossible to do, just that you probably shouldn't and I would never recommend it, as there is too much risk involved IMO. It's always good to avoid the panic camaromaro had to go through, even if things turned out well for him in the end. Things like that are stressful enough without being in a completely foreign country. If you can't get a job from here, it's just as likely you won't get one over there. My advice would always be to wait from here, then once you have a position cast in stone, head over. There's no harm in taking a job that doesn't start for a good month, and travelling around that way! I'm sure that's an option if you speak to your recruiter/boss about it.

Still, nothing wrong with a Korean holiday! :pac: Summer is still in full swing here. Just the odd bit of rain, despite the fact it's supposed to be rainy season.

Orizio

Two quick questions:

(a) do EPIK have their own website? If not, how does one go about attempting to get work with them?

(b) is there any opinions positive or negative regarding http://www.teachandliveabroad.ie/ here? Has anyone worked with them before?

(c) has the website Tiger English noted in the opening post gone out of business? If so, is there anything comparable out there locally?

squeakyduck

Orizio wrote: »

Two quick questions:

(a) do EPIK have their own website? If not, how does one go about attempting to get work with them?

(b) is there any opinions positive or negative regarding http://www.teachandliveabroad.ie/ here? Has anyone worked with them before?

(c) has the website Tiger English noted in the opening post gone out of business? If so, is there anything comparable out there locally?

EPIK has its own site here: http://epik.go.kr/
Some rectuiters will help you apply to EPIK, some public school recruit by themselves. The website is handy as it has exactly what you need to apply and how it's supposed to be laid out.

When getting letters of recommendation and exam result scripts remember to get two as recuiters will want scans to see that you have them!

teachandliveabroad seems to have some good info about applying. Wish that was there when I was applying I had to send some frantic emails asking about the things I needed!

Tiger englishhas gone out of business I think. I signed up with them when I was starting to look over here and they were very sporadic with their replies like taking a few weeks in getting back to me about starting my search over here.

There is a recruiter teachersforsouthkorea (they have an Irish guy or two working with them)I would be wary about it (I had bad experience with them I know someone else that was put in a crappy school but one or two bad experiences shouldn't tarnish the whole place) I personally worked with ATC recruiting and I thought they were brilliant.

daesu

unreg55555 wrote: »

A quick question on doing this though: Should I book return flights? i.e. will emigration see my one way flight and tell me to feck off orrr as a happy compromise could I book a ferry crossing to Japan (which should be cheaper) to show evidence that I plan to leave the country.

I've come here twice on a tourist visa with no return flight booked and never had any problem. I know others who have done the same and I've never heard of anyone who got turned away at arrival in Korea because of it but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I know answers will vary but in your experience would schools re-imburse the original cost of the flight over.

It does depend on the job but I've never heard of a school, public and private that teach children, that don't reimburse you. I know at least one Adult school that doesn't.

daesu

Andy!! wrote: »

Exactly. You came here years ago, things were very different then.

I came here years ago and never left. Korea is my home.

I'm not pulling my information from thin air, I'm getting it from recruiters I've spoken to in the last few months.

And? Recruiters said it so ... ?

And you can leave out the 'I'm not having a go' nonsense, anybody with eyes and access to this thread can see you, cloneslad and cassi really enjoy a good go, especially indirectly, by just posting the complete opposite advice, even if it's wrong and could screw over the people you are 'helping'.

Show one single incident of this.

Except mods told you to stop, but you didn't seem to get that message...

No they didn't.

Unreg55555, immigration are going to be very very interested in your one way ticket if there is a 90 day visa glued to your passport.

No, they probably aren't. I have seen dozens of people including myself come here on one-way tickets without any problem. Three friends of mine recently came to Korea for a 2nd year after travelling Thailand and they were on one way's without jobs lined up.

Being here already is going to give you very little advantage.

Completely untrue. It gives you a huge advantage in many ways. You can go see the school and area in person without signing a contract for one simple example.

Many jobs prefer interviewing face-to-face, especially adult schools. Most, if not all, Universities only accept applications from people in the country already.

You would think saving themselves a few hundred buckaroos would be something that recruiters and companies would find attractive,

How would hiring people in country save them money ? You mean the flights ? I've never heard of a job refusing to pay for flights because the employee was already in Korea. I have done this and know many others who came here first, job hunted for a month or more, then got a job and got their flights reimbursed.

If it's in the conditions then it's in the conditions. It doesn't matter why you flew to Korea. If they state they will reimburse your flight then they should (and I've never heard of them not) reimburse your flight.

daesu

unreg55555 wrote: »

Andy in fairness if he's been 'here' years then wouldn't he have had to renew his visa multiple times and would therefore be constantly abreast of the situation?

Actually I'm a permanent resident so I never need to renew. I do however always state very clearly when I give advice regarding the E2 (Teaching) visa that I haven't undergone the process myself in years. I also give links to reputable sources to support what I'm saying.

Toto Wolfcastle

Andy!! your posting style is argumentative in parts and it is disrupting the thread. Please stop or you will be banned.

This thread is for information about teaching English in South Korea. It's a great resource for people who are about to embark on what must be a confusing adventure. The arguing is ruining it.

I don't read this thread that often so can I ask that posters report posts if they have a problem with them. Thanks to those who have done that already. If someone is continuing to argue with you just ignore them and report it.

Andy!! and daesu, I have previously asked you both not to reply to each other on this thread any more. I am reiterating this now. If one of you responds to the other again please report this rather than replying.

As always, do not respond to this post on thread.

Thanks.

camoramo

daesu wrote: »

unreg55555 wrote: »

A quick question on doing this though: Should I book return flights? i.e. will emigration see my one way flight and tell me to feck off orrr as a happy compromise could I book a ferry crossing to Japan (which should be cheaper) to show evidence that I plan to leave the country.

I've come here twice on a tourist visa with no return flight booked and never had any problem. I know others who have done the same and I've never heard of anyone who got turned away at arrival in Korea because of it but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

I know answers will vary but in your experience would schools re-imburse the original cost of the flight over.

It does depend on the job but I've never heard of a school, public and private that teach children, that don't reimburse you. I know at least one Adult school that doesn't.

If you're already in the country generally the schools won't reimburse your flights, but it will pay for round trip to Japan. The exception to this is epik who as far as I know give a fixed amount of compensation.

daesu

camoramo wrote: »

If you're already in the country generally the schools won't reimburse your flights, but it will pay for round trip to Japan. The exception to this is epik who as far as I know give a fixed amount of compensation.

Has this happened to you ? I've the opposite experience and I've never heard of anyone not getting reimbursed this way. They do want proof of the flight, such as the airline ticket showing you actually flew, but apart from that I haven't heard anyone not getting their flight reimbursed.

Maybe cloneslad or cassi can give their experiences on the issue.

cassi

Generally it depends on the school and what arrangements you've made with them. I know of people being given money amounting to what a flight would cost, some made arrangements to have flights for a holiday home paid for and then some that never addressed the issue and didn't et anything. You might find a school willing to negotiate and them you might get a school that flat out wont entertain the idea or giving you money if they can get someone else.

Make sure you specifically ask about the flight issue and see what you can do. It's really not a black or white issue iny experience!

Andy!!

camoramo wrote: »

If you're already in the country generally the schools won't reimburse your flights, but it will pay for round trip to Japan.

Yes, this makes sense. In this case, your flight happened before they had any dealings with you; so why on earth would they pay? I've got my hagwon director sitting here beside me and I asked her if she would pay for flights that happened prior to arrangement of employment and the look I got was basically the Korean version of 'will ye get out of it ye feckin' chancer!' :pac:
That's the general attitude with most privates I would imagine, as it make sense. Not sure what the situation is with publics, but considering the cuts they've had recently with letting teachers go, I very much doubt they're going to be paying for flights they didn't specifically arrange/request.

Squeaky I got this in an e-mail today;

"Due to a Korean regulation that took effect in February 2010, details below, i-Parcel is required to obtain your resident registration number so that we can clear your parcel through Customs appropriately. No additional fees are assessed with fulfilling this requirement and it is used for customs clearance purposes only. To input your resident registration number, thereby allowing us to export your shipment from the United States and affecting prompt customs clearance, please click here.

Please be advised your shipment will not be able to export from the US until we have received the information.

Thank you for your understanding."

Does this sound legit? Is it ok to my my ARC number in? I did order something from Amazon, just feel a little cautious about putting my ARC number in online. You ever had something like this?

roosh

Andy!! wrote: »

Not sure what the situation is with publics, but considering the cuts they've had recently with letting teachers go, I very much doubt they're going to be paying for flights they didn't specifically arrange/request.

Public schools, or at least EPIK, don't give money for flights per se, they provide an entrance and exit allowance, which would generally cover the cost of flights; you get this regardless of whether you were in the country prior to beginning employment with them - that is, to the best of my knowledge.

Andy!!

Oh that's interesting. Didn't know that.

Mynamehere

squeakyduck wrote: »

EPIK has its own site here: http://epik.go.kr/
Some rectuiters will help you apply to EPIK, some public school recruit by themselves. The website is handy as it has exactly what you need to apply and how it's supposed to be laid out.

When getting letters of recommendation and exam result scripts remember to get two as recuiters will want scans to see that you have them!

teachandliveabroad seems to have some good info about applying. Wish that was there when I was applying I had to send some frantic emails asking about the things I needed!

Tiger englishhas gone out of business I think. I signed up with them when I was starting to look over here and they were very sporadic with their replies like taking a few weeks in getting back to me about starting my search over here.


Yeah Tiger English don't seem to be around any more. I sent my cv to them a few months ago and their number just rang out when i called them to see if they received my cv. There website has disappeared too.

Teach and live abroad were great when i dealt with them but unfortunately i couldn't travel this year and couldn't accept the job they organised for me. I will probably give them a call in a few months as im planning on going to Dubai next year.

Epic really confused me when i tried to apply. I didn't like the fact you have no choice on where you go.

Reading this thread really makes me wish i could have travelled to Korea. But it wasn't meant to be.

squeakyduck

Andy!! wrote: »

Squeaky I got this in an e-mail today;

"Due to a Korean regulation that took effect in February 2010, details below, i-Parcel is required to obtain your resident registration number so that we can clear your parcel through Customs appropriately. No additional fees are assessed with fulfilling this requirement and it is used for customs clearance purposes only. To input your resident registration number, thereby allowing us to export your shipment from the United States and affecting prompt customs clearance, please click here.

Please be advised your shipment will not be able to export from the US until we have received the information.



Thank you for your understanding."

Does this sound legit? Is it ok to my my ARC number in? I did order something from Amazon, just feel a little cautious about putting my ARC number in online. You ever had something like this?

I've never had anything like that before, I've just had a kindle sent to me from amazon, but I didn't get an email about it or anything it was just sent straight to the school.....

I would be careful where you enter in your korean ID number. So far I am only asked for it when I'm booking tickets on interpark!

Andy!!

Hmm. It does seem dodgy to me too, particularly because it wasn't a particularly expensive product ($30) so there shouldn't be any customs, but I decided to risk it a few days ago. The website seems fairly legit, and it is from Amazon, who in my opinion are far more trustworthy than ebay. It could be to deter people importing equipment like SD cards for resale to make a profit. Did you have to pay customs on your Kindle? At what price point do customs start, and what are the prices for customs once the worth starts increasing?

I wonder if there's some kind of government service where we can check where our ARC number has shown up (considering it is used for buying stuff online in some cases). Worst case scenario I get framed for murder I suppose

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

I'm currently 21, just graduated with a Masters in Culture and Colonialism (Primarily a mixture of my two undergrad subjects English and History) with no prior teaching experience. I missed the deadline for the next CELTA course in Galway but were I to get any TEFL qualification would I stand a good chance of receiving a job in Korea?

scoopmine

Hey everybody

I have just graduated from a humanities honours degree focusing on English, Religion and Media. I have two years teaching experience from my course. What would be the best way to go about teaching English abroad. Do I need to do a TELF as I have a degree in English. My degree is only a 2 2 does that affect things?

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

m83

Duffy:

You don't need a TEFL certification for South Korea. A Bachelors degree is enough. Of course employers will look more favourably on you if you have it but it is not a necessity.

Scoopmine:

Same advice as above. The 2.2 is fine. Go back to page 1 of this thread and you'll get an idea of how to get the ball rolling. That's what I did and I'm slowly but surely getting there now.

Andy!!

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

I'm currently 21, just graduated with a Masters in Culture and Colonialism (Primarily a mixture of my two undergrad subjects English and History) with no prior teaching experience. I missed the deadline for the next CELTA course in Galway but were I to get any TEFL qualification would I stand a good chance of receiving a job in Korea?

You don't strictly need a TEFL qualification, but not having one is going to limit you severely in my opinion. I've been told that public schools are now not taking applicants without them, and they've been culling teachers left right and centre anyways, so those experienced teachers have been moving to private (hagwon) jobs, which would be your only option. Can't hurt to try though, right? Start applying, and sure if you get rejected, at least you're doing something waiting for the next course to start right?

scoopmine wrote: »

Hey everybody

I have just graduated from a humanities honours degree focusing on English, Religion and Media. I have two years teaching experience from my course. What would be the best way to go about teaching English abroad. Do I need to do a TELF as I have a degree in English. My degree is only a 2 2 does that affect things?

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

If you have a degree in English, I would say you'll find a job fine. Don't go mentioning that it's a 2.2, just say you have a Degree in English. It will most likely say you have a 'Second Class Honours' on your degree, right? They'll probably interpret that as the equivalent of a 2.1 over here.

m83 wrote: »

Go back to page 1 of this thread and you'll get an idea of how to get the ball rolling. That's what I did and I'm slowly but surely getting there now.

All that info is years out of date now, some of the companies listed don't even exist anymore, and there's even talk of interviews at embassies to get visas, which as far as I know doesn't happen anymore :pac: And going to the supreme court offices to get notarisations affirmed, I've not heard of that before either. I wrote everything down in a blog post while I was going through the process a few months ago, that's a better bet for current application info.

http://waygookseoul.blogspot.kr/2012/08/ireland-korea-how-to-for-new-english.html

(for the actual application process; no harm in having a read-through of the thread to get a general lay of the land )

scoopmine

That is really good lads thank you. I was getting lost in all the info and lads arguing with each other over the threat!

cloneslad

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

I'm currently 21, just graduated with a Masters in Culture and Colonialism (Primarily a mixture of my two undergrad subjects English and History) with no prior teaching experience. I missed the deadline for the next CELTA course in Galway but were I to get any TEFL qualification would I stand a good chance of receiving a job in Korea?

scoopmine wrote: »

Hey everybody

I have just graduated from a humanities honours degree focusing on English, Religion and Media. I have two years teaching experience from my course. What would be the best way to go about teaching English abroad. Do I need to do a TELF as I have a degree in English. My degree is only a 2 2 does that affect things?

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

Can you answer yes to the following?

Do you have a degree?

Have you a clean criminal record?

Can you speak English?

Are you white?



You'll get a job easily enough.

scoopmine

Answer is yes to all thank god...!

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Anybody have any useful links for applying?

Andy!!

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Anybody have any useful links for applying?

Useful links to applying for what? Jobs in general, EPIK (public schools) etc.

http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea/

For any jobs. If you can be a little more specific we can aid you further.

JFitzgerald

Hi,
this is totally off topic - sorry - but can anyone tell me any good job websites for teaching English in:
Hong Kong
Japan
Taiwan

Thanks

Andy!!

Well I'd say it's pretty on-topic don't worry :P

I have had good experiences with Daves ESL's jobs board section, so for Japan, http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/ . The others, I'm not sure, Brokentime will be able to assist you best on this, if he's reading, as he lives/works in Central Asia. I'm not too sure what sites are good for that particular region.

roosh

JFitzgerald wrote: »

Hi,
this is totally off topic - sorry - but can anyone tell me any good job websites for teaching English in:
Hong Kong
Japan
Taiwan

Thanks

The agency that placed me in korea cover Taiwan, as far as i know; not sure about the others tho. They're called reach to teach. I found them very helpful.

JapanZone

ELT News is another up-to-date source for English teaching jobs in Japan, but Ohayo Sensei is probably the best.

Just moved back to Ireland after nearly 23 years in Japan, the first 15 of which were spent teaching English mostly. I also used to run the ELT News website until a few years back. I'm now on the lookout for any business opportunities that can help me make use of those 23 years.

Andy!!

Wow 23 years I'd say you have some stories to tell JapanZone

JapanZone

I'm sure I have a few, some of them even PG-rated.

It's funny, I've lived more of my life in japan than in ireland, but it's good to be "home."

Stereomaniac

I often wonder about going to Japan, but I don't have a degree, sadly. Are there any opportunities out there for people with plenty of experience out there? Off-topic I know, sorry.

JapanZone

Not having a degree makes it tough to just head out there and start job hunting. But there are other ways. If you're under 25, there's always the working holiday visa program. It allows you to work part-time, but to take as an example the most commonly followed work route, that's what many English conversation teachers do anyway. As long as a school/company gives you less than a certain number of contact hours (around 22 a week) you are a part-timer and they don't have to deal with social insurance/pension etc. Technically you are restricted on how long you can stay, but many people use it as a foot in the door and then start looking for something longer term.

Another way to get in is as a student, whether it be studying Japanese or martial arts or at a university.

Even if you just head out there as a tourist, if you're resourceful enough you can probably find a way into the system.

Andy!!

Stereo, I heard that if you have more than ten years proven experience in a field that that can substitute a degree, but dont quote me on that. Might be something worth looking into.

camoramo

Has anyone done a visa run lately?
I'm off to Osaka on Thursday.
Some of my coteachers are just telling me to get out of the school while I still can. I don't think it's that bad!

daesu

camoramo wrote: »

Has anyone done a visa run lately?
I'm off to Osaka on Thursday.

Osaka Visa run information - http://wiki.galbijim.com/Osaka_visa_run

Some of my coteachers are just telling me to get out of the school while I still can. I don't think it's that bad!

Many people say such things for legitimate reasons, illegitimate ones, and some just because they are nearing the end of their contract and they have had time to see other better jobs out there and so complain about the one they're in.