Korvia Timeline 2013
Here is a brief timeline of my process with KorVia. They give you an estimate but I know personally I was researching exact dates to reassure myself along the way.
- June 22: I emailed a recruiter Ashley Ahn asking if a TESOL/TEFL certificate was needed.
- June 23: I received a reply, stating I need it.
- August 10(ish): I applied through the online application. Super simple.
- August 12: I received an e-mail from Jay Shin, my assigned recruiter and a date for a Skype interview.
- August 15: Interviewed with Jay Shin. Basically got the okay that KorVia was happy to work with me.
- August 16: Official e-mail with information on how the process will progress with a basic timeline. Including EPIK application forms, needing two recommendation letters, a personal essay, a lesson plan, the SMOE application form, and other documents I would need to prepare after the EPIK interview. She did recommend I start the VISA documentation because some of them take a long time.
- September 3: Received an email asking how my applications were coming along.
- September 4-11: Exchanges of my personal essay and edited copies along with my EPIK application form.
- September 13: Jay sent me a review of my application giving me suggestions on what to edit. This included my preferred location and my personal essay (I had not completed my lesson plan). I had Incheon down since I felt it was close to Seoul and probably less competitive but she informed me there were about 10 positions in Incheon so I revised my preferred location. She asked me to edit my essay so that the 3 sections were more equal in length and detail. It was reassuring to have her look everything over in case I missed anything.
- September 24: Jay e-mailed me telling me that the application form has changed for 2013! No problem, basically the same thing so it took little time to transfer everything.
- September 27: EPIK changed their application start date from Oct 1st to the 7th which gave me more time to prep. I found out later that applying directly, you get an earlier start date.
- September 30-October 3: I gave her my lesson plan and revised essay to look over. She gave me tips like: some of the vocabulary was too difficult so they were substituted for other words, my PowerPoint Presentation should be made into a video and uploaded to Youtube so I wouldn't have to attach it (may take a long time to download or may get lost), we also added the worksheet onto the application instead of having a attachment.
- October 3: told me everything looked good but I did not attach the SMOE form. Easily remedied.
- October 6: I sent Jay all my forms and stuff so she could send it in.
- October 8: Confirmation that all my forms as well as a good recommendation for KorVia was sent in.
- October 8 and 14: Invitation to Web Seminars regarding EPIK.
- October 23: Received my interview date. Jay would speak to me just before the interview to prep me.
- October 25: Interview day. Jay prepped me by asking me to tie back my hair and checked that everything looked good on screen (Skype interview). We went through a mock interview and she said I rocked it! Actual interview comes around and it did not go well. Lots of curve balls but I will have a different page on that.
- November 4: Notified that I did not pass the EPIK interview and was given the option to go through the GEPIK program. I said yes but I did not put all of my eggs in one basket this time around.