Gettting an international school job in Korea

[westcoaster]

Hi,


I'll be finished my B.Ed in secondary science at the end of December and would like to get an international school job in South Korea (first choice) in January 2011. What is the chance of being a new graduate and getting an international school job not during the standard hiring time of September? I've read that many of the international schools there only hire at fairs for September start date. Is this true?

I'm also open to going to another Asian country if I can't get a job in Korea. I am not interested in teaching English in a public school in Korea. I want to teach in my subject area and I have already taught English in Korea before.

I also want to know when I should start looking for a job? Is now too soon or should I wait until late fall?

So, any advice would be much appreciated.

[goinggoinggone]

Unless a vacancy unexpectedly opens in your specific subject area you aren't very likely to find a position for January. International schools follow the regular school year and start in August/September, so unless a teacher has some kind of emergency and can't finish the school year you won't be hired at that time.

Many if not all of the larger schools in Korea hire at the major job fairs. I've heard that it is quite difficult for someone without a few years of teaching experience at schools in their home country or in international schools to get a job at the larger schools, but Korea does have many smaller international schools. Some have good reputations and others appear to have conditions that are worse than working at a hakwon. It's probably a good idea to do a lot of research and make sure the schools you are applying to are good work environments.

Also, if you're really serious about teaching at an international school you should definitely expand your search to other countries to increase your chances of finding a decent position.

If you want a job starting in September 2011, you should probably start contacting schools some time in the fall. You can also start monitoring international school ads for jobs that might start in January.

Good luck!

[westcoaster]

goinggoinggone- Thank you very much for the good advice. I will definitely heed it. Is it possible for you to tell me which of the smaller international schools are reputable? (I don't know whether this is allowed on this forum.)

I will definitely expand my search to other countries. Thanks again! :)

[goinggoinggone]

I don't feel as though I know enough about all of the international schools to put together a comprehensive list of good schools. A lot of schools are reviewed on ISR, but some schools aren't. My advice, especially if you are particularly interested in Korea, is to apply to as many of the schools (large and small) as you can and decide on what exactly you are looking for in a school. For me, it was important that the school be non-profit, have small class sizes, a diverse student body, room for creativity in teaching styles, but everyone has different priorities. As you interview with different places you should have a better idea of whether the school will be a good fit for you or not. I know that after I interviewed at some schools I realized they weren't right for me as a teacher. Ask to have contact information for teachers and find out what their experiences have been like. Look and see if the school is actually registered as an international school in Korea or whether it has a western accreditation. Basically just do your research, and you shouldn't end up in a bad situation.
I hope this helps!

[westcoaster]

goinggoinggone- Your advice definitely helps. Thank you very much!