Types of Jobs in Korea

There are 2 basic types of jobs in Korea – Public Schools, and Private Schools. Private schools are often called “Hogwans”. The basics for all public schools, are fundamentally the same, in regards to contract, working conditions etc. For hogwans, there are 3 different types of jobs, explained below. Within the type of job, the details, such as working hrs, age of students, etc will be very similar.

*At this point, it must be made very clear, that the ESL job market in Korea has changed rather dramatically, over the past 6 to 12 months. Applicants should no longer think they can pick their exact city, exact job, working hrs, and even hold out for some miracle salary. The market is absolutely flooded with applicants, which is, unfortunately, working in favor of schools. This is making things more challenging for single male applicants, or couples, which are not as sought after by Korean schools. We promise to do our best to help you, to the best of our abilities, even in this tough market.

**It must also be mentioned, that certain jobs, usually public school jobs, will require you to plan further in advance, than others. This is not our decision, at Teach ESL Korea, but that of the public school boards in Korea. We are here to help you gather as much information as possible, about the Korean job market, and help match you to the job you want, based on this information.

Private Schools (hogwans) – 3 Types

Kindergarten and elementary school - Your hours would be from about 10am, to about 6pm, with you teaching no more than 30 hours/classes each week. You will always follow a series of textbooks, determined by your supervisor or director. You will focus on simple English conversation, vocabulary, pronunciation and to a lesser extent grammar. You will also use things like flash cards, simple songs and body language to help the students learn. Teaching younger students requires more energy, but is often considered the most fulfilling type of job, since it will be easy to see progress in your students very quickly, as they absorb your lessons. Teachers over 35 are not often hired to teach the younger kids in Korea.
Elementary and middle school - Your work hours would be from about 1pm, to around 9pm. You will help students expand their vocabulary, showing them various ways to use the new words in sentences. You will always follow a set of textbooks for each class. In some schools you have a Korean co-teacher in class, while in others you will be solo. You might also help contribute more to the lesson plans, or reporting on students' development, which can add to the workload. Most of your classes would be with elementary aged students.

***Middle school or high school – not available for hogwans. Many people are not aware when they begin this process that there are very, very few jobs teaching this age group, at hogwans, in Korea. The reason is this age of student in Korea focuses almost exclusively on English grammar, as they prepare for the university entrance exams. They teach this grammar using English speaking Korean teachers who explain the finer points in Korean. (It must be so boring!)

Adult, or university aged students - These schools require a split shift, which means you work from 7 to 11am, (before work or school for the students) and then again from 5 or 6 pm, to 9pm. You would teach a maximum of 30 classes a week. These jobs are not as common, simply because there aren't that many ESL schools, focusing on the older demographic. Many teachers enjoy these jobs, even with the split shift since the classes are always conversation based, where you do various exercises to help stimulate conversation amongst the students. “Free talking” is also very common, so you can learn lots about life in Korea. If you are someone who would use the break in the middle of the day for something like taking courses (towards a 2nd degree, or maybe learning Korean) or exercising this job could work for you.

Public School Jobs

With these jobs you are at school from 8:30am, until 4:30pm, even though you most likely finish your classes by 2pm. You will be contracted to teach only 22 x 45 minute classes each week. Anything above this, you will be paid over-time for. Your pay will be determined by a set pay structure, and all contracts are signed directly with the Korean government. You will be the only native teacher at your school, and you will be at the same school, for the entire school year. You will always have a Korean co-teacher, in class with you, for support, and guidance. Teachers can choose their holidays (2 weeks in the summer, and 2 weeks in the winter), based on the school’s schedule. It is common to get bonus holidays with these jobs, for special school activity days or test days. Please be aware that you will be the only native teacher at a public school, and since the school likely doesn’t have as much experience dealing with native English teachers, the level of support might not be the same as you would find at private schools.

All things considered - lower teaching hrs, Korean co-teacher in class, extra vacation time and government sponsored contracts make the public school jobs a very attractive option.

Additional information on public schools
The 3 main public school boards in Korea are EPIK, GEPIK, and SMOE. EPIK is currently taking over some of the responsibility for the other 2 programs, as they have proven to be the most organized of the three.

For EPIK (which covers most of Korea, including major cities like Busan, Daegu, etc, as well as all provinces in Korea), applicants must start gathering documents at least 5 months prior to the date they would like to start. For example: actual applications for EPIK should be submitted by April 1st, 2010, for the August 2010 semester.
EPIK hires on a “first-come, first-served” basis, as long as you have all documents in hand (submitted), and pass the EPIK phone interview. Additional qualifications on your resume, such as: a TEFL course; specific/related university major; teaching or related work experience; will help you get the job, over other applicants though.
GEPIK (public school for Gyeonggi-do province) and SMOE (public schools for Seoul Metro) have very recently changed their requirements, for their teachers. Officially, teachers who fall under category 2, on the pay scale, qualify. But, we have found the school board is very strongly leaning towards only hiring those who have a major in English, or Education, even turning down applicants who have experience in Korea, or even a Master’s degree. This is a result of the fact they have been receiving 10 times more applicants than available jobs. Applicants must apply at specific times of year, usually about 2-3 months prior to the start of the semester.

So, if you have a general BA, are hoping to start asap, with a public school, we’re sorry, but it simply isn’t possible. These jobs are filled months in advance. These jobs are also very competitive, to the point where for the March 2010 semester, 100 applicants, applied for only 150 GEPIK jobs. Needless to say, there were many teachers who didn’t make the cut.