Recovery Position
With my ego bruised and panic mode over, I started to formulate a plan. It was now November and I didn't have a backup plan. This rejection from EPIK really made me want it more. I did not spend all the money on documents, ask my supervisors for recommendation letters, and write incredibly boring essays about myself just to give up at this point.
I looked at my two options: GEPIK or Hagwon.
I looked at my two options: GEPIK or Hagwon.
GEPIK
GEPIK is a publicly funded program and similar to EPIK. They specifically do placements in Gyeonggi, the province that surrounds Seoul. They have normal day hours and you can get stuck in a rural area. Like the EPIK program, it is likely you will not have any other English speaking teachers in your school and all the lesson planning is done by you.
Hagwon
Hagwons are privately owned tutoring businesses for students after school to improve their English or other subjects. There are many horror stories all over the internet, especially Dave's ESL Cafe, a forum with plenty of information, job postings and horror stories. There is lots of stories of hagwons closing down leaving English teachers stranded in Korea without a job. There are also stories of teachers not being paid on time, bad management and crappy apartments.
GEPIK is one program; I learned my lesson. I decided to do a mass send out of resumes, cover letters and applications to as many reputable recruiters and companies as I could. There are lots on Dave's ESL cafe and youtube recommendations, I would start there. I read many posts on all the terrible places people have worked at and tried to weed out where I should not apply. This was frustrating since there were few "I love my job working at this hagwon". I think this comes with the nature of things; people enjoying their work and life aren't going to take to the internet, it is the complainers and unhappy people that will. I read everything with that in mind and just applied like crazy.
The Response:
Of the many (my estimates are around 10-15), not many people replied. I am not sure exactly why this is but it was my experience. It can be that there were not any openings yet (it seems schools look for people weeks before they need a teacher) or because my resume/picture were not what they were looking for. I am guessing it is easier for a Caucasian person to get a job teaching English because it is the look parents want for an English teacher. I am not sure how true this is but in the end I would not want to work for a company that based their teachers on their looks/race.
I got responses from 4 different places:
I got responses from 4 different places:
- Longbridge Pacific: I got an email thanking me for my application (Resume, Cover Letter and Picture) and stated they would contact me as soon as a school asked for an interview. Haven't heard from them since.
- People Recruit: I got an email asking me what documents I have gotten ready and a second one thanking me and stating they would be in contact with me once they found a suitable position for me. Haven't heard from them since.
- Morgan Recruiting: One email asking for my documents and thanking me. Two jobs that they offered, neither one had a good review so I didn't interview for them. Haven't heard from them since.
- Aclipse: I got an email from them November 15th, asking to interview me. I have worked with them and got a placement, contract and my documents shipped out to them by December 12th. Less than a month! They were the only ones that interviewed me and really offered me any positions and in depth information. This could be that they work with the biggest Hagwon chain in Korea so they are more organised and central in their management but I could not be happier with the support and efficiency. Extremely professional group and my recruiter, Colette Neville, answered all my questions and was great throughout the process.