Reader Question: Demand for English Teachers in South Korea

This one from Dave:

"I'm probably going to be applying to a public school for a job starting in september.  Can you tell me if the demand is still high over there considering the new protection measures (blood tests, etc) enacted a few years ago?"

Any time unemployment is high (now!) in North America, there is a flood of people that seem to come to Korea, as well as don't go home if they're already here.  Who wants to try to find a job back in the States these days?  Korea seems like a pretty good option: a job, housing, money saving potential when compared to living in your parent's basement, applying for 10 jobs/day and not getting any phone calls back.  I've heard stories from old friends.

Anyway, that means that it's not that easy to get a job in Korea these days, especially at public schools or unis.  I have no idea what your qualifications are, but with a BA/no teaching experience/no overseas experience you might find it a bit challenging to get a public school job.  Experience and a Celta or something of the sort will definitely put you in a better position. 

You do however have time in your favor.  By applying early for the public schools jobs, your chances improve considerably.  I've seen many recruiters says in their public school ads, "First come, first served" and they don't even seem to process the late appliers. 

If you're looking at a Hagwon job, the basic requirement still seems to be a BA/clean criminal background check and a pulse.