What you need to go teach ESL in Korea.

So, you've been thinking about teaching ESL in Korea.  You may have friends doing it, or you may be in a difficult financial situation. Perhaps you just got out of school, or you're tired of your job at home.  You want an adventure!

Keep in mind that the application process isn't for the apathetic.  You really have to be assertive to get all your paperwork (especially when you need it quickly).  Hopefully this post will help some of you that are on the fence decide if it's worth the effort!

The first thing to do is to RESEARCH.  If you decide to go through a recruiter (which we did), do not count on to hold your hand!  If you want to get a good job, you need to do thorough research.  

For first-time applicants, I would recommend using a recruiter.  Yes, many out there do not have your best interests in mind, but there are some that are very helpful.  We actually signed up for six recruiters, used three for the job hunt, and finally ended up with one recruiter, TeachESLKorea, that found us a pretty decent position.

Here are some of the documents (as of December 2011) that you will need to apply for your E2 Work Visa and get a job:

1. Valid Passport (make sure it won't expire on you while you are gone!)
2. Original University Degree (you must have at least a Bachelor's degree to teach!)
3. Copy of Original University Degree, notarized and Apostilled by the State (we will go over this process in a later post.  It can be a major headache.)
4. 3-5 sets of sealed University transcripts (I would go ahead and get 5.  For most universities, these are free, so stock up!)
5. Resume (make sure to include information about any teaching experience or experience with kids you may have!)
6. 6 Passport-sized photos (or 5 if you already have your passport)
7. FBI background check, authenticated and Apostilled by the Federal Government (we will go over this process in a later post.  Also a major headache!)
8. 2 letters of reference from past/present employers or educators (required only for public school jobs. The guidelines for these letters can be pretty strict, so do your research before you ask someone to write one for you.)

The FBI background checks take the longest to come in, so if you are wanting to start teaching soon, apply for the background check ASAP!  Our background checks took almost 4 months to get in.

Check back later for a progress report on our move and more information about the application process!

Rebekah

New Beginnings

Hello family and friends!  Bekah here.

Ben and I have decided to create a blog so all of you can follow our adventures in Korea.  We'll try to update regularly as soon as we get there, so stay tuned.

Jukjeon, Yongin city

This week has had a whirlwind of developments.  Monday, we got a contract from the Welton School in Yongin city, South Korea.  Tuesday I turned in notice at work.  In two weeks, we will be relocating overseas.  In other words, we're freaking out.

Ben and I chose to look at teaching English as a Second Language in Korea for a number of reasons.  We started discussing the move in August when a friend of Ben's told us we should consider teaching to save some money.  Our financial situation for the past few months hadn't made it possible to save any money for our future plans, and I was getting frustrated by feeling so helpless.  We had heard that teaching ESL in Korea would allow us to pay off debt and save money for whatever future plans.  48 hours after Ben's friend made the suggestion, we decided to go for it.  Now that the time is upon us, we're just excited for an adventure.  We don't have children, and I've got the travel bug badly.  We're ready to make some memories and to jump into new experiences.

We have been gathering our paperwork since August (check back later for a post with step-by-step directions on the E2 Visa process and applying to a program!).  We have had more than a few setbacks.  We were turned away by the first recruiter we applied to.  We encountered car troubles.  We had to submit a particular set of documents three times because the notary we were using didn't understand what we needed.  We are still encountering difficulties... but instead of getting superstitious and chalking them up to bad omens, I prefer to think of these difficulties as opportunities to prove our determination to accomplish our goals.

Difficulties notwithstanding, we are moving painfully quickly.  It's hard to imagine that we will be in Korea in two weeks.  Which reminds me... I should get back to packing.  More from us later!

Rebekah