Thank you notes after a Korean University Interview

Thank you note-Korean University Interview

A reader question from Kristina:

"I read your helpful book about getting a uni job in South Korea, and I’ve had two interviews over the last two days.

In the US, it’s expected that interviewees will send thank you notes to the people who interviewed them, but I’m getting the impression on various online job sites that this is a peculiar American custom. My British friends who teach in Seoul said they did not do that, and one friend even suggested that it could be misconstrued as overly aggressive in the Korean context.

I didn’t see anything in your book about following up after an interview and am wondering if you have any advice about whether I should email the people who interviewed me to thank them."

My answer: 

I didn't include anything in the book because it's really up to you. I don't think it's going to help you and most administrators at universities in Korea will probably look at it, think it's kind of strange, throw it in the trash and then not think twice about it.

However, unlike your friend I don't think it's going to hurt you either.

Basically, I just think it's a total waste of time and money! Perhaps an email a couple weeks after your interview if you haven't heard anything saying something like, "I'm wondering if you've made any decisions regarding this position yet" is better.

Do you Need to Speak Korean to work at a University in South Korea?

A common question I get from readers is whether or not you need to speak Korean in order to work at a Korean university. Watch this short video to find out the answer.

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Teaching Content Classes instead of Conversation at Korean Universities

Teaching Journalism at a Korean University

A reader question:

"I have several graduate degrees (Master's degrees in Journalism, Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Health Education and Promotion.) My first passion is teaching journalism. Do you think it's possible I could teach any of these courses at the university level or do you think my only option is ESL?"

My answer:

You are certainly well-qualified to teach something besides ESL at a Korean Uni and I'm sure you would do a fabulous job of it. However, the big problem will be finding this job because they are extremely rare and the people that have jobs teaching something besides ESL generally hold onto them for year, after year, after year. And once they do decide to let it go, it's often filled from the "inside," that is someone already working at that uni or a friend of a friend of some kind. These kind of jobs are almost never advertised, from my perusing of places like ESL Cafe.

(Join the Facebook group: Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities)

In addition, you are in Canada now and most of the places that are offering these kinds of jobs will probably want an in-person interview, although you might luck out and get a Skype interview. That said, check out The Chronicle of Higher Education and see what you can find. You might just find yourself at the right place at the right time. Another strategy would be to come to Korea and take any university job that you can get, network with all the right people during that year and make a move up in the world a year or two later.

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