Tefl in South Korea

SpatialPlanning

Anyone know about the bus that runs from Incheon Airport to Busan? What time it starts/stops and price?

roosh

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Anyone know about the bus that runs from Incheon Airport to Busan? What time it starts/stops and price?

http://www.airport.kr/eng/

http://www.airport.kr/airport/traffic/bus/busView.iia?seq=613&flag=E

Looks like the first bus is 08:20

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

After getting a degree copy notarized can I bring it straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs?

Andy!!

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

After getting a degree copy notarized can I bring it straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs?

Aye there's no waiting period (?)

Tenzing

Hi all. I recently got my TEFL qualification and wish to go to Korea early next year with it. I don't really know where to start looking. Should I apply when I am there or are there agencies I can go through from here? I don't even know what Visa to apply for, I can't see a work one on the embassy website.

Andy!!

Tenzing wrote: »

Hi all. I recently got my TEFL qualification and wish to go to Korea early next year with it. I don't really know where to start looking. Should I apply when I am there or are there agencies I can go through from here? I don't even know what Visa to apply for, I can't see a work one on the embassy website.

You'll want an E2 visa. Head to eslcafe.com and check the jobs board there; plenty of jobs to get you started.

Tenzing

Thanks, having a look now. I was over saturated with information before, didn't know where to start. When it says 1 year contract , I assume that's a school year? Is that March - December?

Andy!!

Tenzing wrote: »

Thanks, having a look now. I was over saturated with information before, didn't know where to start. When it says 1 year contract , I assume that's a school year? Is that March - December?

Not as far my experience goes; its typically a calendar year, that might differ a little for public school jobs though, I guess?

ekevosu

Andy!! wrote: »

Not as far my experience goes; its typically a calendar year, that might differ a little for public school jobs though, I guess?

It's a calendar year not a school year. Even with no school, there are camps and lesson planning etc.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Andy!! wrote: »

Aye there's no waiting period (?)

I'd heard it said it had to be brought to the Four Courts but most sources don't say this... I take it its not the case?

Andy!!

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

I'd heard it said it had to be brought to the Four Courts but most sources don't say this... I take it its not the case?

That is waaaaay outdated information You no longer need to go to the four courts. Head to waygookseoul.blogspot.com and read my how to guide there

R.D. aka MR.D

Has anyone ever posted their CV on Daves? Is it recommended/not recommended?

daesu

SpatialPlanning wrote: »

Anyone know about the bus that runs from Incheon Airport to Busan? What time it starts/stops and price?

There's a free bus for foreigners from Seoul to Busan. Think it stops at the end of the month though.

squeakyduck

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Has anyone ever posted their CV on Daves? Is it recommended/not recommended?

I sent out my cvs through the emails attached to the ads. Some got back to me some didn't.

I'm keeping my eye out for you, nothing really going up on foreigner sites that I'm on!

daesu

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Has anyone ever posted their CV on Daves? Is it recommended/not recommended?

I wouldn't go near Dave's ESL after reading their forums a few times.

Have you tried sites like worknplay ? Or facebook groups like https://www.facebook.com/groups/273127422759919/ ?

What kind of position are you looking for ?

R.D. aka MR.D

daesu wrote: »

I wouldn't go near Dave's ESL after reading their forums a few times.

Have you tried sites like worknplay ? Or facebook groups like https://www.facebook.com/groups/273127422759919/ ?

What kind of position are you looking for ?

I've been teaching elementary and middle school and i love teaching elementary but i'm willing to teach any age.

The only thing is that I want to be in Seoul, not in gyeonggi-do.

Andy!!

daesu wrote: »

I wouldn't go near Dave's ESL after reading their forums a few times.

Have you tried sites like worknplay ? Or facebook groups like https://www.facebook.com/groups/273127422759919/ ?

What kind of position are you looking for ?

I don't see the correlation between recruiters who put up jobs and the waygooks posting on the forum. Different groups in every way.

I got my job off daves, and am very glad for it. Would use the site again.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Another question- If I have a Master's degree and a Bachelor's and I had to pick one to get apostilled, which should I get?

Andy!!

Hmm; that's an interesting one. I would say, for precautions sake, get both done, but if you had to pick one, do the masters. I know the application process gets expensive but trust me once you start earning over here it'll seem like pocket change.

With a masters you should be able to get yourself a pretty good job, don't take any crap from recruiters trying to send you to the sticks for a badly paid job.

roosh

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Another question- If I have a Master's degree and a Bachelor's and I had to pick one to get apostilled, which should I get?

The bachelors.

Maybe someone else can confirm, but it might be worth getting the Masters apostilled also; with a masters you're generally more employable and you might be able to look for more money on the strength of it; with some experience you could also apply for a university position; you might even be able to do so without experience, but most of the positions I've seen say they require experience. I'm not sure if you actually need an apostilled copy of your masters for those, but you might.

roosh

Andy!! wrote: »

Hmm; that's an interesting one. I would say, for precautions sake, get both done, but if you had to pick one, do the masters. I know the application process gets expensive but trust me once you start earning over here it'll seem like pocket change.

With a masters you should be able to get yourself a pretty good job, don't take any crap from recruiters trying to send you to the sticks for a badly paid job.

Is the apostilled copy of the bachelors for the visa no?

Was there a similar question from someone else in the thread? I can't quite remember, but was there something said about needing to show that you had completed a 4yr degree and the bachelors is required for that?

I could have that wrong though

Andy!!

Yeah that's why it is probably a good idea to get both done. Bachelors for the visa, Masters to negotiate for a better job offer. They'll still need the masters authenticated. You are right though.

daesu

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

I've been teaching elementary and middle school and i love teaching elementary but i'm willing to teach any age.

The only thing is that I want to be in Seoul, not in gyeonggi-do.

I presume you mean you want to be in Seoul or in the parts of Gyeonggi-do which are close to Seoul ? A lot of foreigners here can get confused over where Seoul ends and Gyeonggi begins. Many parts of what many foreigners consider Seoul are, in fact, in Gyeonggi-do.

I wouldn't say that to a recruiter because they might get confused and think you mean you will only take work within the Seoul city area.

I mean, the difference between living in Guro (district of Seoul city) and living in Bucheon city (Gyeonggi) can be as little as 5 minutes on a bus or subway.

I sent you a pm with a recruiters email address who is looking for teachers at the moment.

daesu

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Another question- If I have a Master's degree and a Bachelor's and I had to pick one to get apostilled, which should I get?

Put the masters on your resume or even bring it with you if you want but it's not needed for the (E2) visa.

daesu

Andy!! wrote: »

I don't see the correlation between recruiters who put up jobs and the waygooks posting on the forum. Different groups in every way.

They asked about putting their resume up there, not applying for jobs through it.

Andy!!

daesu wrote: »

They asked about putting their resume up there, not applying for jobs through it.

Oh I see what you're saying. Shady types accessing private information. Yes I agree. Lots of weirdo waygookin unfortunately, best be cautious with private info.

WindSock

Getting tonnes of emails after posting a message on Dave's. I assume at least some of them are legit?

badgerbadger27

have ye already got a visa etc. before applying for jobs on Daves?

just beginning to consider teaching abroad and want to scope out the possibilities of getting work.

daesu

WindSock wrote: »

Getting tonnes of emails after posting a message on Dave's. I assume at least some of them are legit?

Sorry I didn't mean to suggest the jobs wouldn't be legit, it's not a bad place to get jobs although there are better sites for that.

What I meant by my comment re that site is that a sizeable proportion of the foreigners who post there post nasty racist stuff. Hence, I wouldn't post my resume on it.

Andy!!

Merry Christmas folks.

I didn't manage to get a turkey unfortunately no way I was spending 85,000 on one, emart are taking the piss. Would be a Christmas miracle to get one at this point.

BTW if anyone is thinking of selling a PS3 with firmware 3.55 or lower and you live in Seoul send me a P.M.

Hit my 6 months here on the 14th Looking forward to the next 6.

angryangel

Hello,

So my story is this. I'm Irish, from Northern Ireland, I was geared up for making the move to Korea last June, had job interviews etc. Then I developed a medical problem and had to have surgery which put the nix on everything until now.

Before surgery I had completed my documents, even had a full set apostilled and all. So my questions are:

- I'm wondering if these documents would still be valid, specifically the police check which was dated June 2012. Can I still use this in applying now, or do police checks have to be within a time limit from the date of application for an E-2, such as 3 or 6 months?

- With apostilles, do documents have to come with the set they were done with i.e. the degree copy I apostilled in June 2012, could I still use it separate from the police check if the latter is out of date?

Anyone with advice, all help is gratefully appreciated. Also, reading forum posts about living and working in Korea has been a big source of fun/envy/insight for me while I was laid up, so thanks to everyone who contributes.

Andy!!

The police check will need to be redone, they are good for 5-6 months only.

Regarding the disparity in the dates between the stamps of the degree and police check, I see no issue really. Best not mention it and just try.

Hope you've healed up well.

Andy!!

TEFL course, for those interested.

http://www.groupon.ie/deals/dublin/TEFL-INK/15325272

LaurenR

Hi guys,

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posts here as it's been so much help to me!Anyway finally got going on searching for jobs and myself and my boyfriend now have two interviews arranged.

I'm just wondering what sort of questions people were asked in their interviews.

These jobs seem perfect and very nervous about messing up an interview!

cloneslad

LaurenR wrote: »

Hi guys,

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posts here as it's been so much help to me!Anyway finally got going on searching for jobs and myself and my boyfriend now have two interviews arranged.

I'm just wondering what sort of questions people were asked in their interviews.

These jobs seem perfect and very nervous about messing up an interview!

Why do you want to go to Korea?
what do you know about Korea?
What experiences have you got in education?
how do you feel about kimchi curing cancer?
Have you heard of fan death?
Have you taught / coached kids before?
how long have you two been together?
Do you think you'll break up in the next 12 months?
do you want combined accommodation or single apartments?
Have you lived away from Ireland before?

They will be very forward about questioning your relationship.

They will ask what questions you have.

I'd suggest some of the following.

What is the pay?
when in the month do you get paid?
what is the accommodation like?
How many students to a class?
what are the hours of teaching / mins per class.
What are the amenities in the surrounding area
are there many other foreigners around
If a private school: How many Korean teachers in the school? Can they speak English well?

english teacher99

Hey Guys,

First off just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time to answer the questions people pose here. It's a great resource for people like myself interested in how things really are "on the ground" in Korea....

Just a quick question whether there is any update with regards to the government changing things re employing native english speakers. I know there was talk about eliminating the program. Just wondering if anything has come of this.

Regards

cloneslad

I think a lot of middle and high school had their funding cut but there are still quite a few jobs to be found in public schools.mprivate schools are still hiring with more and more opening all the time.

The down side of these schools popping up is that some only last a few months while others are putting older schools out of business. Koreans love new buildings and facilities and would think nothing of taking their kid out of a well run school with older facilities just to be seen using the new shiny building. Also quite a few students will have done the rounds of schools in their area before they are 8 or 9.

LaurenR

Thanks for your help cloneslad!
Your posts in this thread have been so useful.

Andy!!

Finally stopped being lazy and uploaded some pics from my first six months in S.K. Video coming soon.

http://waygookseoul.blogspot.kr/

stickybean

Slightly of topic from original post (*mods please feel free to remove)

My friend just got a job in Korea teaching English for a year, I would like to get her something really nice as a gift as she has worked really hard to get this job. Would any of you guys have any ideas of a nice / useful gift?

red_bairn

stickybean wrote: »

Slightly of topic from original post (*mods please feel free to remove)

My friend just got a job in Korea teaching English for a year, I would like to get her something really nice as a gift as she has worked really hard to get this job. Would any of you guys have any ideas of a nice / useful gift?

Something to protect her from the severe cold.

LaurenR

Just wondering whether people have any experience of/ opinions on Dongtan?

Do people think that it's too far from Seoul?

Thank you in advance!

Andy!!

Dong tan... wow, I got a chuckle out of that.

Mind you, I'm in Gimp-o, so not sure why I'm laughing. :P

Yes, if your aspirations are to spend a lot of time in Seoul, it's too far. I'm in Gimpo, and that's too far for me (google map to get an idea for yourself; it doesn't look that far on maps but Korea is LARGE). But Dongtan is fine for general living I would imagine, as it's quite near Suwon, which has a great little community going.

camoramo

Hey,
My director quit about a month ago and a teacher has had some trouble because their holidays were approved by old director and not the new director so he was told at last minute he couldn't go. He stood up for himself and can go now but then people were saying our old contracts may not be valid because they were signed by old director and not new one.
Does anyone know if this is true?

cloneslad

camoramo wrote: »

Hey,
My director quit about a month ago and a teacher has had some trouble because their holidays were approved by old director and not the new director so he was told at last minute he couldn't go. He stood up for himself and can go now but then people were saying our old contracts may not be valid because they were signed by old director and not new one.
Does anyone know if this is true?

Your visa is based on the contract you signed at the start. If they want you to sign a new contract tell them they'll have to apply for a new visa for you too.

or in simple terms tell them to F**K off

camoramo

Thanks a mill, our school's gone to ****, can't imagine what the new contract would be like if they made one!

Andy!!

camoramo wrote: »

Hey,
My director quit about a month ago and a teacher has had some trouble because their holidays were approved by old director and not the new director so he was told at last minute he couldn't go. He stood up for himself and can go now but then people were saying our old contracts may not be valid because they were signed by old director and not new one.
Does anyone know if this is true?

Same-ish happened to me, except for the holiday question. New director took over. And new contracts were signed, yes. I didn't have to but the native teachers did. (She didn't want to touch mine because housing is included and that was too messy, or involved, for her. Same went for a Gyopo teacher who also had housing thrown in).

If you want to ask 'can they do this?' the answer 99% of the time is 'Yes, they can do whatever they want'. With hagwons anyway. Contracts don't mean much in this business, in S.K.

camoramo

Should I ask them about it then? Did they tell you about it when it happened?
The reason this happened is because they fired a foreign teacher recently, won't replace him and are too cheap to pay us more overtime because we're already being paid overtime for winter intensives.
Since we're one teacher down it's not actually possible for all classes to be covered, we've have to merge classes and parents have complained, but they still won't hire a new teacher! oh Korea!

Andy!!

camoramo wrote: »

Should I ask them about it then?

Say nowt to complicate things, that's an international rule. Contracts have definitely not been invalidated just because there was a change of director. But you may be asked to sign a new one. You probably don't want this though, so say nothing.

LaurenR

Thanks Andy!
I've read good things about Suwon, there seems to be good nightlife etc and from what I can gather taxis in Korea are pretty cheap. There's two of us so I think it would be too much of a risk to turn it down in the hope of being offered something a little bit closer. Although could be jumping the gun a tad!! We haven't been offered it yet, going to find out tomorrow but our recruiter said she's expecting a positive answer. She spoke to him after our interviews this morning and thought it went really well.

We got offered public school positions in Ulsan and an interview for Busan BMOE. It's so hard to know what the right choice is but I'd be afraid we end up being placed ages away from each other in public schools.

The hours in the hagwon are 2 to 10 though which seems pretty unsociable. In general do a lot of teachers finish at this time? Would there be much happening after you've finished school during the week?