teaching appointments - how to find one?

Greetings,

I'm aiming to teach English in Korea. If you've any beta on placement agencies or other means of finding a teaching appointment, then letting me know would be super appreciated!

[shanja]

Hi,
Getting a teaching gig here is not hard, but beware and best be prepared if you want a decent job. Basically teaching (English) jobs fall into the following cartegories:
Private Academies (Hakwons): 2 weeks hols per year, 35-40hours/ week teaching. Usually kids, but some also offer adult classes, or even exclusively adult classes. If the latter, they can be either very early (start 7am) or go until late (start 7pm-11pm). It's a lot of work, stress and unless you get a good Hakwon & boss it can be Hell. That said, it's the most common job BY FAR, and can also be really good. Kindergarten is way way better than you imagine, seriously! Also usually has highest pay rates/ month (2.4-2.8million won/ month would be normal, depending on details), and they offer severance pay, and 1 return airfare each year of contract.
Middle-High Schools: These usually recruit English teachers through govt sponsored organizations such as EPIK (English Program IN Korea), and whilst they have slightly better holidays, and usually are better organized, it does vary widely depending on the school principal, the city or village (they place people in the sticks too!). They also have a peer support group (if you came through EPIK etc) and you should have someone semi-official to ask for help in solving any issues at the school. Usually offer 1 return air-fare and bonus or severance pay. Hours are (I'm guessing) usually from 8.30am-4pm daily. Camps are often required in the summer and winter breaks and recently some schools have insisted on teachers being at school for part of the student vacation - even when there are no students/ classes, but stating "it's not officially your holiday so you should be here (Korean teachers also do this, so it's equalitarian idiocy).
Colleges and Universities: Often have the best amount of holiday time (some up to 3-4 months on full pay!), but some also insist you work camps in part of that time, and generally they have the lowest pay-rates, are the hardest jobs to get and (never) offer return air-fares or severance pay. You do usually get a bonus pay each year, or from the 2 year onwards. The hours are lower than other jobs usually....teaching hours are commonly 14-20 hours per week....but you may have considerable office work as well. Most unis need you to have at least 2 years teaching experience and a Bachelors degree or a Masters level education AND a TESOL/ TEFOL certificate.
All of teh above are required to provide you with accommodation (you pay utilities and pads are only semi-furnished), with national health insurance and to pay your taxes etc. No matter what they tell you either, you must have an E-2 (or E-1) visa before you start work. You can't do a days work on a tourist visa, and you'll need leave the country to change from a tourist to an E-2/1 visa. So make sure they get that for you in advance. Likewise tehsedays they insist on police background checks, medical checks (AIDS) and drug tests too (I think). For better info, try www.korea4expats.com or other peoples suggestions too. The job you get, is crucial to your quality of life, rather than how close it is to a crag...in case you were wondering.

[skinsk]

Dave's ESL Cafe has extensive listings for Korea with side by side comparisons. You'll find institutes, recruiters, schools etc all there in one place (many recruiters now place in EPIK). Public schools (as well as private middle and high schools) and universities start in March/September and usually start hiring a few months beforehand. EPIK and GEPIK (the sister program in Gyeonggi Province) are probably accepting applications now for fall. They've been filling up early, but also hiring a lot more. Generally vacations are good and the climbers in these programs seem happier-- but as Jake mentioned, there are exceptions (do your homework and if you give a few places where you would prefer, you'll likely get one). Of course, if you have the qualifications, Universities are the way to go. The long summer and winter breaks rock, and the workload makes me a better teacher, I think, as I can spend more time on prepping and doing things I love.

Once you find some jobs, feel free to post a link or send me details. I (and probably others) can check for red flags and go over ups and downs. Check former "where to live" threads or click on the map for an idea of what's available where.

Thank you both for the information. In general, everyone I talk to seems to speak of quite good experiences teaching. However, a common theme I am noticing is that enjoyment of one's job does depend on the nature of one's boss. Being all the way over in North America, how can one get a sense for a potential boss prior to accepting a position?

Sonia, I will write you if I come by any positions and have questions or concerns regarding a position and listing.

[skinsk]

With public school it's hit-or-miss, but your attitiude also goes a LONG way! The boss/coteacher's command of English, experiences in a foreign country or with foreigners and attitude during interviews can be clues. Also, you should be able to look at turnover and ask to talk/e-mail/chat with a current or recent teacher-- privately! If something doesn't sound right, check with folks here-- it might be something innocent, but if it causes concern, ask.