Reader Comment/Questions...Chances

These ones from Christine in the form of a comment on a previous post: Getting a Uni Job.

"I see that many people are asking about their chances of getting a uni job without a masters or being outside of Korea... I have my Masters of Ed in Language Education and four years of teaching experience in public schools in the US and a public language center in Korea. My problem is that I don't have uni experience... I have been offered an interview at a uni, but the pay is significantly lower than my current pay and the vacation is only two weeks more. For this interview, I would have to fly there and take some time off work, so I'm not sure it's worth it. In your opinion, will this be my only chance? I guess I am asking... how are MY chances? I know I read your uni received 100 applicants at one point; how many qualified people usually apply to the average university?"

This is a very difficult question to answer, since I've never been on a hiring committee at a Korean Uni.  But, I do know that there literally are hundreds of applicants for the top Uni Jobs in Korea.  The ones out in the countyside with poor job conditions, not so much!

In my own recent experience of job hunting, I sent out 17 applications, got 3 interviews (one of which I couldn't attend) and 2 job offers.  I expect to get at least 2-3 more interview offers throughout the summer (which I will turn down).  I have 5 years uni experience, a Masters in the Humanities, a Celta and am a young, North-American female (which Koreans seems to like for some reason), which goes to show how competitive things are.  I think the jobs where I didn't get interviews ended up going to people with MA's in Education, TESOL, or English. 

So...your chances?  It's hard to say.  Some unis interview 5 people and hire 3.  Some interview 20 and hire 3.  This would be an excellent question to ask the hiring committee before taking time off work and flying over.  And of course, it all depends on how good you are at interviews.  I've had 4 Korean uni job interviews, which resulted in 4 job offers, but some people I know had like 7 or 8 interviews before they got a single offer.