Korean University Interview Tip: Speak Clearly

A tip for those preparing for an interview at a Korean university. For lots more advice about interviews in Korea, check out this book on Amazon: How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams

University Jobs in Korea with only a BA Degree

A common question I get from people looking for uni jobs in Korea is whether or not they can get one with only a Bachelor's degree and not a Master's. I answer the question in this short video, and also give a lot more detail in my book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams.

Grading: A Pro Tip

Grading: a Pro Tip

If you keep track of your grades in a spreadsheet of some kind, this does not apply to you.

However, if you are like me and keep track of your grades on those paper attendance sheets your university gives you, then heed this advice. As an aside, I don't do the spreadsheet thing because my uni, quite ridiculously wants everything done on paper and I refuse to do the work twice.

But, onward to the grading pro tip. Every single time you enter a grade of some sort, photocopy the paper and stash it away in some drawer, or file folder, either at home or at work. Then, if you lose your main folder that you carry around to class every day through some unforeseen disaster, your disaster will actually be a whole lot less terrible.

I've never actually lost my folder, but you never know.

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Quitting Mid-Semester at a University in Korea

Quitting Mid-Contract in Korea

I ran across this thread over on ESL Cafe. Even though I usually avoid that cesspool of misinformation that is Dave's Korean forums, I had a bit of free time between classes.

Quitting Uni Mid Semester

"A friend of mine who works at a mainland uni has been told that next semester his work hours will be increased, his pay frozen and housing assistance cut off. He is not very happy about this kind of treatment and is thinking about quitting mid-semester. He asked me about the ramifications of this. He has an F visa. Any thoughts?"

My response: quitting mid-semester is never a good strategy. Unless you work at a university, you probably have no idea how badly this screws over your university. Like quite literally, there will be classes without a teacher and especially if it's a small place, there might actually be nobody else who can take your classes. Your coworkers will hate you and you'll be the new hated guy in town once word gets around.

Plus, consider the grading situation. How could those students possibly get a fair grade at the end of the semester?

So, considering how badly this guy is screwing them over, I can almost guarantee that the university is going to go to any length to screw him over in return. Like any length. Phone calls to immigration? Terrible references (this one is a given). Phoning every other uni in town to tell them to avoid this guy?  Like there really is no limit to the badness that can come from this.

Even though this guy's place is going from good to bad, as long as they don't try to take these benefits from him now, mid-semester, he should stick with it until the end. And it doesn't sound like the bad things are happening now, only at some point in the future.

And, the ethics of it. You signed a contract for a certain pay for a certain number of hours for a certain period of time. You should honor that contract as long as the uni is honoring their end. Just because your uni is reducing the terms of your next contract, doesn't mean that you should break this one. It's just kind of ridiculous, actually and I don't have a lot of sympathy for the guy, at all.

The Best Teaching Jobs in South Korea

Best ESL Jobs in Korea

Quite a few people are finding their way to this site searching on Google for "best teaching jobs in Korea."

Here's the deal:

University Jobs in Korea

Uni jobs in Korea are some of the best jobs you can get in the ESL teaching world in terms of amount of hours worked, vacation time and benefits (often free housing, a decent pension plan, etc).  But they are not that easy to get, especially without a Masters degree.  Check out this book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreamsfor some solid advice (from me!)



You should also check TEFL Tips-Best Jobs in Korea, and Profs Abroad, where you can get access to those hard to find uni jobs in Korea that are not listed in the regular places.  Also join this Facebook group: Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities, which occasionally has some prime jobs listed on it.

Public School Jobs

Back in the good ole days in Korea, public school jobs were plentiful. These days, almost every foreigner working at a middle school or high school has been cut and even elementary positions are in decline. So, if you're a newbie (or even oldie) to Korea, I wouldn't necessarily count on this as a good long-term option. It's simply too dependent on the whims of the Korean government. That said, if you can get one of these jobs they are often ideal due to a decent amount of vacation time and many of your hours at "work" will consist of just hanging out and not really doing that much. Plus, you have a co-teacher, so little in the way of "actual" teaching in terms of discipline or being solely responsible for what goes down in a classroom is required.

Hagwon Jobs

Korea has a bit of a bad reputation in the ESL teaching world and it's because of sketchy hagwons. It's a case of buyer beware and while there are some good ones out there who honor contracts and don't rip off teachers, you'll have to do your research to find them. The best sources for up to date information about a school you're checking out are:

Facebook: Hagwon Blacklist

Koreabridge: List of Korea related Facebook Groups.

Go to this site and find some of the groups in the city you are thinking about going to. Ask anyone if they're heard of hagwon XYZ and you can almost always get some information that way.

Talking to the current teacher is recommended, but it can a bit of a crap-shoot because maybe the director is standing right there next to them as they're talking to you. Or, they're worried about getting their bonus money or plane ticket and don't want to hard their chances at getting these things by giving an honest review. It's sometimes better to ask for a teacher's email address who has already finished a contract there.

Reader Question: is the Delta Worth it?

Is the Delta Worth it?

"I came across your article on doing the Delta on Profs Abroad when doing a Google search for TESOL jobs in Europe with a DELTA. I've been thinking of what to do post Korea, and the DELTA seems to be the best move. Was your DELTA experience successful in improving your teaching skill and providing more job opportunities?"

My answer:

Take my advice for what it is because I've only taught ESL in Korea and can't really answer the question as to whether or not the DELTA will help you get a job in Europe. But, I can say that the CELTA and DELTA are far more recognizable just about anywhere in the world than they are in East Asia (Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan), so the DELTA could potentially open up a few doors for you. It has not helped me get a job in Korea so far, but I have not "shopped it around" yet (and likely never will since I'm moving back to Canada in about a year).

As for the teaching skill thing: yes, the DELTA did help me improve my teaching skills significantly, especially Module 1. It was the first time in my entire teaching and learning career where I actually had to put the time in to get an extremely firm grasp on English grammar since there was a quite difficult test I had to write. The CELTA did cover a bit of grammar but there was never a test so I didn't have a lot of motivation to really truly know it.

I find when teaching that I'm a lot more confident in explaining difficult concepts to my students and am able to answer questions much more effectively. Like even though my students are third and fourth year English majors, I can answer pretty much any grammar question they have, usually off the top of my head. Before the DELTA, this wasn't so much the case and I'd often have to say, "I'll tell you next class!" I'm also able to do things like give more effective feedback to students when evaluating their writing because I have a big-picture framework in my head.

University Job in Korea with only a BA

University Jobs Korea with a Masters Degree

A reader question from Jennifer:

"I am currently looking for uni jobs that do not require a masters.  Do you know of any groups on Facebook I could get notifications? Thank you so much!"

My answer:

If you haven't already read my book, check out How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreamsfor advice on what to do if you don't have a masters degree but want to work at a uni. It's going to be tough, but not impossible especially if you're working on a masters or are willing to work at a "unigwon."

But, to answer your question. I don't think there are any Facebook groups, or any other kind of site for that matter which is dedicated solely to uni jobs in Korea for those without masters degrees. You could join my Facebook group, Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities where jobs occasionally get posted. I'm sure you look there already, but check out Dave's ESL Cafe Korean job board. You'll have to wade through lots of junk but there are a few nuggets of gold. Finally, I recommend Profs Abroad. It is a paid site, but you'll be able to get access to all the uni jobs in Korea, even the hard to find ones on school websites very easily in one place.

How Old is too Old to Teach at a Korean University?

A reader question:

"I am 54 going on 55 in June. Is it still possible to teach at the University level in South Korea given my age? Based on what you've written the answer is: No."

She has read my book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreamsand that is what she is referring to.  While I do talk about the ideal age to teach English at a Korean university in my book (between 30 and 50), I'll expand a bit upon it here.

In Korea, ageism is alive and well. It is not that uncommon to hear of people being forced out of their jobs as early as 50 and certainly by 60, which is generally considered the mandatory retirement age. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that after the Korean war, life expectancies were very low and it was uncommon for people to live into their 70's or 80's. These days, Koreans are living longer and longer but the retirement age has not risen along with it, unlike in most Western countries.

For foreigners teaching at Korean universities, it is a similar situation and it would be quite difficult for someone to hang on past the age of 60. You might not officially be let go but at some point you'll contract just won't be renewed. That is if you could even get a job.  If you had started somewhere in your late 40's or early 50's, shown yourself to be a well-liked and reliable teacher, and established a solid relationship, you'd probably be fine. But, I'm not sure a lot of places would be willing to give someone your age a chance who is not in Korea and has no experience teaching here. The job market is extremely competitive these days and that is a big strike against you.

Question: How to get a university job and how to have fun in Korea

University Job in South Korea

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This is a question from a member of my Facebook group, Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities, which you should join if you teach at a Korean uni, or want to at some point in the future.

"Will someone please advise me on the best ways to get a job teaching at a university in Korea and the best ways to have fun with expats once there? Besides teaching I love writing, movies, books, board games, biking, hiking and camping."

As for the first part about how to get a job teaching at a university in Korea, you should check out How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams. Almost all of the feedback on it has been extremely positive and I think you'll pick up at least a few useful tips (and probably a lot more!).  The book's website, universityjobkorea.com has some excerpts from the book as well as some of my guest posts on other sites if you want to try before you buy.

As for the second question about having fun in Korea: you'll find it far easier to meet people and make friends than you would back home. People are always coming and going so people are pretty open to newbies.  If you live in a big city like Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu or Daejeon, there will be a multitude of expat groups on Facebook for just about any hobby or interest that you could possibly imagine. I would caution against living in the countryside if you are coming to Korea alone and like to have an active social life since it can be extremely isolating and lonely to be the only foreigner in the vicinity.  

Uni Jobs in Korea: It's a game of chicken

Uni Jobs in Korea: it's a game of Chicken

A few days ago, I wrote about possible reasons why you might not be able to get a university job in South Korea in response to a negative review over on Amazon for the book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams, asking the reviewer to respond with specific details about his situation so I could possibly help him. His reason had nothing to do with anything that I talked about! Ha!

He did respond with a long email, which I won't post here but the gist of it is that he had already signed a housing deposit, was supporting a wife and needed to take a job offer quickly, so he ended up working in a public school.

My response: think of getting a uni job in Korea as a game of chicken. As I mention in the book, almost everything in Korea happens last minute- the "bali-bali" syndrome. This means that schools will be interviewing and making hiring decisions alarmingly close to the start of the semester. If you're the type who likes to have things locked down early (or in your case-you signed a housing deposit so were tied to a certain physical location), then you'll probably hate it and end up taking an inferior job such as at a public school or hagwon. It's the "safe" option but doesn't really help you get that sweet uni job.

In both my rounds applying for uni jobs, I got interviews and job offers astoundingly late, more than I would have ever thought possible and even for some of the top jobs in the country. As I mention in the book, the top candidates turn down job offers and then it's on to the next tier of candidates and on and on it goes.

Where, if you play the game of chicken well, and wait, and wait, and wait until the last possible minute for some good job offers, you'll likely get something if you meet the basic qualifications (a masters + a couple years teaching experience in Korea). However, you might end up with nothing and totally regret not taking those inferior job offers that you had. It's kind of a crap-shoot, however you can improve your chances at winning by following some of my advice:

1. Try to avoid something like signing a housing deposit until you have a job locked down. This means you are free to move easily if you get a great offer in another city.

2. Emergency fund. Get one. If you lose at the game of chicken, then you'll have a bit of a buffer.

3. Always have a back-up plan. It's great to have plenty of options so apply for any and all jobs in case your first few choices fall through.

4. It's all about being in the right place at the right time and who you know. So, make networking with uni teachers a huge priority in your life and you'll hear about those last-minute job opportunities (there is basically one at my own uni every single semester!).

5. Join this Facebook group: Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities. Just this semester, there were a couple posts with last-minute offers.

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Reader Question: PhD to Get a University Job in Korea?

PhD to Work at a Korean University?

"I've just finished my masters in TESOL and want to make a smooth transition into a university job in Korea. Any advice on how to get into the game without any current uni teaching experience because it seems like every position requires it.  Is it worth it to get a PhD?"

Thanks for the question- it's a position that many people in many industries around the world find themselves in. They have the education, but lack the experience to get them the job in the field. The catch 22. 

Anyway, because your masters degree is in TESOL it will be possible for you to get a university job in Korea, eventually so don't give up. I talk about this very question in my book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams and give some suggestions such as working at a unigwon for a year or two or at a lower level uni out in the countryside. I give an abundance of detail in the book, so check that out if you haven't already.

As for the PhD thing, I've been around Korean universities for the past 8 years and can count the number of foreigners with PhD's working there on 2 hands, and possibly 1. The people that I have met were those who studied something else besides TESOL such as English Literature, Social Welfare or Engineering and were working in those departments teaching content classes, as opposed to general English classes.

Since you have a masters in TESOL, I'm assuming that is what you'd do your PhD in. In this case, it is a total waste of time and money if your end goal is to get a job at a Korean university; it just doesn't matter to Korean universities when they hire an English conversation instructor. If your goal is to make teaching ESL your career and move on to other countries or back home, then yes, possibly it is a good idea but it really depends on your individual circumstances.

Where to Teach ESL: South Korea

Teach ESL in South Korea

For my thoughts on other ESL teaching destinations besides Korea, check out:

Malaysia as an ESL Teaching Destination and Teaching ESL in Vietnam

Today, it's all about Korea and of course I've talked about job conditions and the like on this blog for years, but here's a quick summary for newbies considering Korea as a place to teach English. It's an excerpt from my book, The Wealthy English Teacher: Teach, Travel, and Secure Your Financial Future.

Ten years ago, South Korea was one of the best places in the world to teach English due to the high salary, extremely favourable exchange rate with the USA and Canada, free housing and airfare along with minimal qualifications and low expectations for teachers. These days, cost of living has risen significantly while salaries have stagnated and qualifications and expectations for teachers have risen so that it is not the prime location it once was. 

However, there is definitely money to be made and saved, especially if you are willing to live frugally. Most teachers can put away around $1,000 per month with little effort and live quite well. For others, with some effort and frugal living, they can save up to $1,500 per month (and more if they are doing overtime or have permission from their visa sponsor to teach at other companies or schools). 

Another way to live well in Korea is by working your way up the job ladder into a university (for tips, check out: How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams, which has a very low number of working hours and lots of vacation. If you do some overtime work during those down times, you can increase your savings potential significantly, up to $4,000-5,000 per month.

Possible Reasons why you can't get a University Job in Korea

University Jobs South Korea

A negative review over on Amazon about someone who my book,  How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreamsdidn't help. It's really hard to give specific advice in a general kind of "how-to" book.

Anyway, I'd like to respond with some possible reasons why people wouldn't be able to get a uni job in a year, although I have no idea what is going wrong with this specific person without more information from him (I welcome him to comment).  Here's his review:

"Ok, but need more detail. I want to know what I'm doing wrong when trying to get a university job. I have been trying for about a year with no luck. This book does nothing to help solve my problem."

Top 10 Reasons Why you can't Get the Korean University Job you want.

1. Education It's really hard to get a university job in South Korea without a Masters degree these days. A few years ago, you could slip by with a BA degree, but times are changing and requirements are far higher these days.

2. Experience It's not easy to get a university job with only a year or two of teaching experience, even if you have a Masters degree. Places may also be reluctant to hire you if you have never taught adults.

3. Age If you are either younger (less than 30) or older (more than 50) than the ideal, it can be really tough for you to even get interviews, no matter how well-qualified you are.

4. Gender and Country of Origin North America females are generally preferred and if you don't fit into either of those categories, you might be overlooked in favor of someone who is both of those things.

5. Appearance As I mention in the book numerous times, appearance truly is everything in Korea. If you are anything but well-dressed and groomed and reasonably attractive, it can be quite difficult for you to get a job.  You have to put a picture on the resume and hope that the university likes what they see. Obvious physical defects and not being white are often huge strikes against you. Or, maybe you don't present that well at an interview due to things like B.O., facial hair, weight or ill-fitting clothes.

6. Lack of Knowledge about Teaching If you make it to the interview stage, but keep failing it may be because it is obvious that you have no idea about teaching. Almost all interviewers will ask at least one question about teaching methodology to sort out the amateurs from the professionals in the classroom. Consider this carefully and buff up on your English language teaching knowledge if necessary by taking a class such as the Celta.

7. Lack of Networking If you are not getting interviews, it is perhaps because you don't know someone on the inside. Many of the top jobs are never advertised publicly and are instead filled through word of mouth, through friends of current foreign teachers. If you are reclusive or not a cool person and just don't know that many people in Korea, you will have a hard time finding a university job.

8. Lack of Professional Development See #6. This can really set apart the "real" teachers from the "amateurs."

9. Non-Professional Application Package If you are not getting interviews, consider your package carefully. I offer a wealth of advice in How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams on this topic.

10. Not Applying to Enough Jobs In the book, I talk about what to do if you are not a top candidate and have a few strikes against you such as your country of origin, lack of experience or age. I suggest applying to ANY and ALL university jobs in South Korea. Treat it like your full-time job and get obsessed with it. You need to apply for at least 50+ jobs in order to get a few interviews and eventually jobs offers. Maybe you are a less than ideal candidate but you are being too picky and only applying to the very top jobs that even someone well-qualified would have a hard time competing for.

A couple years out in the countryside working at a job with a high number of teaching hours, less than full vacation, or low pay will help you tremendously in competing for the best jobs in the future.

Korean University Job Without a Masters Degree

University Jobs Korea

One of the most common questions that I get in person and online is how someone with only a BA can get a university job in South Korea. My answer is that these days, it is quite difficult but as with anything, it is about being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.  Many of my friends are working at universities here in Busan and they do not have Masters degrees.

Here is any example of a Korean university job offer that just came out that doesn't require a Masters degree and which is an excellent opportunity to get your foot in the door to get that all important few years of university experience. Once you have that experience, you can move up in the world into bigger and better positions. But, this job is definitely a prime one with the low teaching hours and excellent vacation.

I found the information in one of the Facebook groups I'm a member of:

Daegu Catholic University requires English teachers ASAP
No MA required, only BA + 4 years of teaching experience (Hagawon, university, public school, etc)
28 million/year + housing
5 months paid vacation
12 hours/week, spread out over 4 days.
Email: yeokh08@cu.ac.kr

For some advice on how to get a uni job in South Korea, check out: How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams.

A negative review on Amazon: my response

University Job in South Korea

It has been pointed out in the first and only negative review over on Amazon that I've been really down on Korea as an English teaching destination lately while at the same time trying to sell my book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreamsand also while making my own exit strategy. I do realize that it's kind of a mixed message, but life is full of grey, and black and white quite rarely exists in my world.

I'd like to respond publicly to the review because it seems "Ted Walker" reads this blog. And Ted, if you'd like to comment and let me know specifically which sections are particularly disagreeable in the book, I'll take it into consideration for when I update the book in a few months.

Let me start by saying that the situation in Korea is complicated and funding for English and education in general seems to change as often as the seasons. I feel like I've seen it happen numerous times during the past 10 years. Just because the current administration is serious about shutting down Korean universities doesn't mean that the next one will be too.  Nobody, probably not even the presidents at the top unis in the country can accurately predict what the landscape will look like in 5 years from now. I think it's unlikely that there will be more university jobs for English teachers in the future, but who can really say for sure.

Secondly, I'm leaving Korea for other reasons besides the reduced number of uni jobs that will likely happen in the next few years.  I've been here a decade and it's time to go home and change careers while I'm still young enough, along with spending more time with a niece who is growing up and parents and aunts and uncles who are getting older. 

Thirdly, uni jobs will still remain the prime job that they are now, in the future.  I just think qualifications to get them will be higher, but I think I'm pretty clear about this in the book by saying that it will be extremely difficult for those not in the "top-tier" of candidates to compete for jobs in Seoul, for example. If you can get the job (and I think the book will help you do that), you'll likely be pretty happy doing it for a number of years as I was (and still am).

Fourthly, yes...I do make money online through writing books and blogging and a few other ventures.  Lots of people do that and plenty of English teachers have left teaching and now make their living online. I think it's quite impressive and I wish I were as funny, creative, informative, helpful, tech-savvy, and motivated as they are.

Finally, I do not think the information in my book is outdated.  It was only written three months ago. I have been working at Korean universities for almost 10 years and certainly know the ins and outs of how the system works.  I, myself have been through 2 rounds of applications and interviews and I have also helped numerous friends through the process as well.
   

Top 5 Tips for Newbies to Teaching in Korean Universities

It's that time of year again as the new semester starts in a week or so. Even though I've been doing it for years, I still get a little bit nervous. But, it's nothing like it was before my first semester teaching at a university. Instead of feeling a bit nervous, it was a feeling more akin to terror. Anyway, nothing I can say is going to make you feel less nervous, but here are a few tips to help you.

Top 5 Tips for Newbies to Teaching at Korean Universities:

1. Lower your expectations, particularly for freshman English classes. First year of university is a time of rest between high school hell and mandatory army hell for the boys, so they just want to have fun, enjoy their freedom and perhaps find a girlfriend.

2. Simple is best. You may have plenty of fabulous ideas for how you're going to have the raddest classes ever but always remember that simple is best. Your students are probably going to be lower level than you would expect them to be. 

3. You can't fight the system. Things like passing seniors who never show up to class and/or fail every single assignment and test will seem ridiculous to you. Get over that and the quicker the better. You are a lone foreigner and nobody actually cares what you think about the Korean university system.

4. Be fair and care. You don't need to be the funniest, or the coolest, or the most handsome teacher in order to be popular. It is actually easier than that. Just be fair and treat all students the same and also show them that you care. Remember their names, talk to them outside of class, be a decent human being in case of a problem of some kind. Never use the power that you have to your advantage but instead be humble.

5. Fly under the radar. Build yourself a reputation as a stellar teacher but also work on being the person who never has any negative interactions, with anybody. NEVER complain to the admin about anything and try to ask for as minimal amount of their help as possible. I make it my goal to always fly under the radar and only have positive interactions with the powers that be.

Maybe you're wondering how you could get this rad job?  Let me tell you how for the low price of $3.49:

Korean Culture Tips for Job Seekers #3: Use Correct Language

This is the third tip in my series about culture tips for those looking for jobs in South Korea.  It's an excerpt from my book which is available on Amazon for $2.99 US so if you like what you see, rest assured that there is plenty more goodness in the book and definitely a few tips that will be useful for anyone looking for a teaching job in South Korea.

 How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams

"Use Correct “Language” At your interview it is especially important that you realize your position of inferiority to your interviewers. If you speak any Korean, you should use the formal verb endings (“imnida” instead of the “yo” or no ending). You should use a 2-handed handshake, complete with head-bow and not make too much direct eye-contact during the greeting and introduction phase of the interview."

The general principal of this applies to whether you speak Korean or English in your interview because you always need to remember that Korea is a very hierarchical culture and that you, the interviewee are way, way lower in the pecking order than your interviewers. You should always use formal language and if you speak Korean, be extremely careful to use correct verb endings. Remember: it's far easier to offend someone in Korean with inappropriate "politeness" than it is in English.  While your interviewers may have some sympathy for your weak attempts at Korean, if you make a mistake and address them as someone in a lower position than you, you will be in big trouble.

Japan on the rise, Korea on the decline for English Teachers?

An interesting article from Expat Newswire:

TEFL Job Market Reversal as Japan Demand Rises, Korea Flounders

It's pretty high on the anecdotal evidence and low on actual stats, but it feels true to me.  I've been in Korea almost 10 years and it really is much harder to get a job these days in Korea than it was back in the old days.  

It's still possible to get a hagwon job easily enough but they seem to be getting pickier and pickier about things like gender (females), country (North Americans) and skin color (white).  Public schools are cutting Native English speaker positions left and right, especially at middle and high schools.  Universities have upped their requirements such that even someone with a masters degree and a couple years experience at a public school or hagwon in Korea can find it quite difficult to get their first uni job.

Maybe Japan is the answer?  

Classes are done for the semester

Classes are Done!

Happy, happy times here in Busan as I've just finished teaching my last class of the semester, which is actually my last class until March since I've decided to have a mental health break this vacation and spend some time in Canada visiting the family and then to Vietnam for some beach therapy with friends.

Next week is speaking tests/presentations which are pretty low stress for me this time around because I'm not actually interacting with students and instead just observing.  (Check out this blog post for my run down of various kinds of speaking tests and the pros and cons of each).

Then the Monday after that is the final written exam for all my classes, which is even lower stress and pretty easy marking (1-2 minutes/student).  No 1/2 points here!  It's all or nothing.

Some final grade calculating which will be reasonably easy due to my diligent upkeep of that throughout the semester.

Anyway, long story short is that I've done all the hard work of the semester and only the easy stuff remains!  Yeah.

Like the sounds of working at a Uni in Korea and not having any classes until March?  Want to know how to get this job?  Check out this most fabulously helpful book (written by me!)

Reader Question: Night-Classes Only?

Teaching Night Classes Only

From N.T:

"I just bought your book and read it. Thanks for the info; I enjoyed your style of writing as well.  I was curious if teaching late afternoon or night classes exclusively was at all possible. I know some universities occasionally have a teacher teach one or two, but I'm not sure if one is able to avoid morning classes altogether or if people ever try to do this. Perhaps some people make arrangements for classes they are taking as opposed to teaching? If one is able to do this, is there any guarantee that this can continue for the rest of the employment term?"

My answer:

First of all, thanks for the positive review of my book (How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams).  A short answer to your question: no, it's probably not possible.  Check out this blog entry of mine for further details:

Korean University Schedules.

That said, if you have a very good reason for requesting a certain schedule (children, or doing a course of some kind), most unis will try to accommodate you, but it would be rare that anyone would guarantee you anything from one semester to the next.  And, of course you should never say something like, "I can't wake up for 9am class" at an interview because it will make you look totally unprofessional.