Finding A School

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TIPS FOR FINDING A SCHOOL See Phone Interview Below

For ESL teachers who have completed at least a one year contract in Korea, you can simply hop on a plane, show up and start looking for work, as I have done in previous years. Be sure to bring your necessary Documents. For other countries such as Japan, it is very similar and first time teachers usually require an interview and visa from within a home nation. For China and Thailand it is recommended to do the same, though these nations may or may not require this.

It helps to start searching for jobs via the Internet before going to Korea. If you simply show up in Korea (after completing at least one contract) it is a good idea to contact and apply with a recruiter or school before coming. You may even line up an interview upon arrival in Korea. This would require an airplane ticket already paid for on your own dime. When returning home after a contract I had simply bought a round trip ticket to return to Korea a few months later. In this way you get to meet schools first hand before committing for a year. Some schools may even reimburse your airfare or give you a signing bonus. Public schools always give an entrance allowance or airfare allowance around 1 300 000 won.

For first time ESL teachers you will be required to attain a working visa within your home country and find a job via the internet or some form of classifieds. The web is great for this. At any given moment there is an abundance of ESL positions available online.

Take some time to find the best possible school for you. You may view Korea Job Types and China Job Types here. How do you know which school is right for you or not? There is no way to be 100% sure but you can certainly have a very good idea. This depends on what you consider a good school. You may like the usual easy going and relaxed atmosphere of the small private Hagwan, or a more professional public school or University. You may want to teach in an adult school but not like do to early morning and evening split shifts. Perhaps you are most concerned with good working hours and a really nice manager. Perhaps salary level is most important. Writing down pros and cons of a school can help you decide if the school is right for you.

In reality many schools will be very similar, with some good and difficult points in every type of school. In various types of schools work loads and schedule times will alter. Some schools do have some longer hours and more expectations. They may also pay a bit more as well.

One way to get a good feel for the school is during a Phone Interview which you will most likely have. You may have a chance to speak with an ESL teacher who is currently working at the school. This will not always be the case and you may have to rely on a Korean teacher or recruiter. Speaking to the director or manager of the school would be best and in most cases their English is fine for a phone conversation. You will also be relying on the honesty of anyone you talk to. In most cases you will have a good idea of who they are and what the school is like with a simple phone call.

In my experience working in over 20 different schools, mostly Hagwans and some public schools, either part-time or full time, most of the management and owners have understood that treating you fairly or beyond will create a better working environment. Good private schools (Hagwans) depend largely on good employee relationships with management, as well as with their clients, and student’s parents. These types of schools depend more on their reputation and will want to maintain a good one, not only for their clients, but for future ESL teachers. Most schools have realized that by treating their teachers well, they can attain better teachers.

PHONE INTERVIEW

General telephone interview tips for ESL Jobs abroad.

For the most part, this will be an informal chat over the phone or via skype (perhaps video). Here are some tips on how to get the most out of this opportunity and how to properly sell your self over the phone. They will most likely ask you why are you interested in coming to work in that particular country and what you enjoy about teaching English, or why you might want to teach English if you are new. Well, you may want to think about this before the interview. Some usual and good answers maybe because you want to travel and heard that the country you are applying to teach in was great. Perhaps a friend or acquaintance told you. You also maybe interested in writing about another culture and want to experience first hand for a time, and you may want to try teaching as a calling, and of course save money.

Most of the time the school may not be able to speak English well over the phone and even more nervous about this than you are. Most interviews maybe done by the recruiter. If you feel more comfortable about speaking with the school, it is always ok to ask. In the case of public schools, placement in a particular school is done later, after being hired and there would be no contact with a school prior to starting your first day. Usually the first day a public school is open ceremony followed by a week of introduction classes.

Here is a great chance for you to come across as a potentially well organized and an informed possible teacher of English as a second language. Try and learn something about the local culture you maybe soon embarking to live within, such as a few words in the language. This is sure to impress. It also shows your keen interest, open mindedness, willing to learn, possibly work hard and enthusiasm.

The school may provide you with all the info you need on salary, living condition, etc, but you may still have questions relating to other aspects of the job such as textbooks used, style of teaching, other foreign teachers that may already work at the school (you may want to speak with), work clothes expectations, apt furnishings etc. It is a good idea to ask some questions to get a good feel for what the job will be like and show your interest as well. You may also want to ask what night life is like nearby or restaurants, transportation or other questions.

Try and relax during the interview. Be yourself and be as professional as possible. Some humour is great as well. Teaching ESL usually requires some humour, and being professional. Let the interviewer know you are serious about teaching well, and enthusiastic. Using words like, ‘excited’ or ‘looking forward’ to starting to teach and live abroad, may help show enthusiasm.

Interviewers will usually be concerned about a candidates ability to live abroad in a ‘foreign’ country for a year at a time (usual contract term). If you live abroad you will become the ‘foreigner.’ Personally, I don’t care much for the word, especially the word ‘alien’. You will hear things like, ‘be sure and get your ‘alien’ card.’ Perhaps in the near or not to distant future these words will not be so relevant to our societies, as the world grows smaller through technology, and common language, closing gaps and chasms between nations, but for now, you will be the ‘foreign teacher’. At first this was quite strange. Perhaps living in another nation may always seem strange, at first. One friend informed his very posh and English mother that he was a ‘foreigner’ here in Korea. She replied, “No you are not, you are an Englishmen.” She is a very kind and dear woman but as you can see a certain view point that may not mean much to locals where you live aboard. So, by all means, make the interviewer feel that you will be comfortable living abroad and that you are open to new cultures, food, etc.

If you do feel nervous or uncomfortable abroad at first, remember all things pass, even our problems, and before long you will feel comfortable, like a second home for those who spend years abroad in a certain country.

Try and enjoy the interview as part of the adventure of teaching and living abroad. It is usually a very short process, sometimes only a few minutes to get to hear your voice and ask a few questions, just enough to tell that you ‘don’t have two heads’ or something like that.

Remember to contact us hear at Dom’s ESL anytime for any questions, concerns or suggestions. We would love to hear from you! We have over a decade experience teaching abroad and have seen pretty much most circumstances.

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