Great to read about your south Korean adventure. As a teacher who has experienced life in South Korea would you recommend it over China?

Thanks,
Ben

I have a question about resumes. How do you format/write a resume that is hopefully an attention grabber for an ESL job? I am not sure how to arrange it in a way that will garner an interview.

Thanks!

Hi Tiara,

Thanks for your question. I fully understand why the logistics of making the move might give you some anxiety, and finances can prevent a very real barrier to travel. However, you’ll find that with some perseverance and flexibility there is always a way to make it work.

The TEFL course is definitely an investment, especially straight after the investment that is college. The biggest benefits of doing it are that it gives you more job options and the company you do it through will likely make your job application process more convenient. However, there are many ways to get to the same place in the end (teaching in Korea) without it. There are teaching positions in Korea that don’t require a TEFL certificate, only a college degree. You could focus your attention on applying to these and see what happens.

As for the flight, there may be a job that does meet your financial needs. Some employers will arrange the flight and pay for it right off the bat. You could make this one of your criteria when evaluating jobs, and ask about the process at an appropriate stage in the interview process. Or you can opt to apply for jobs through a recruiter, and explain your situation to him or her so that he or she can navigate this with the employers and make sure you’re applying to jobs that would work for you. (Recruiters get paid by the employers, not the applicants).

So, where there’s a will there’s a way. That being said, it’s pretty common to not get your first paycheque for 6-8 weeks after you arrive and start working. It is important to have a buffer of savings to live off of in that period. If you don’t think you will have this when you graduate, it may be best to work and save for a period of time in Canada before you go. This would also allow you to really take your time with your job search, research Korea so you know which city you’d be most comfortable in and what to expect there, maybe practice some Korean… In the end this will probably make your move and adventure more comfortable and enjoyable, too.

Once you do get to Korea, it’s possible to save a fair amount of money while you’re teaching. So be sure to consider your plans in a ‘big picture’ context – there are upfront costs, but in a year or two you’ll be ahead!

I wish I could give you more definite advice but I’m limited because my own experience moving to Korea was a while ago now, and it was a different situation (I’d been out of college for a few years). I would recommend asking some of your questions on http://www.eslcafe.com/ where you can get a variety of opinions from people currently teaching in Korea.

I hope that’s some help! If this is something you really want to do, don’t let money stop you and don’t let stress slow you down. Talk through it with friends and family, believe it’s possible, and you will find a solution.

Claire

I know this post is old but I had a question about getting over there that no one seems to actually answer and I kinda have anxiety about it. I’ll be done with college in May and I’ve been thinking about Korea and my friends have suggested it to me for years. It’ll be my first country besides Canada if I can do it. However, the question is: how can someone afford to pay for the airfare and TEFL coming straight out of college? I have read that you must pay your own airfare and then you get reimbursed when you move but most bloggers don’t even talk about how they were able to afford the plane ticket once they got the offer. I’m coming from a minimum wage 15 hours a week job with a possibility of extra hours but the ends in May as well. So I’m kinda stressed. I really want to do this but I have cold feet. Any advice from you or other teachers?

Thanks, Ian! Actually, I took most of the photos in the article but that one comes from elsewhere. I think you’re right about the location though – looks like it might be from the top of the Lotte Department Store in Nampodong? Great area, great city.

Thanks for your comments, Jordan! I’m glad you had a great experience in Korea.

Those are all awesome points for people considering teaching English abroad to keep in mind, especially when it comes to the gritty details of contracts. I agree that speaking to a past or current teacher from the school will give you the best idea of what the job will be like. Dave’s ESL Cafe (http://www.eslcafe.com/) is also a great resource – but of course, take everything you read online with a grain of salt!

Your best advice, IMO, is to speak to a current/past ESL teacher at the school. There are many bad academies (we all know people that have been stiffed pay, overworked etc.). Ask frank questions and really shop around. There are thousands of schools, they want you as much (or more) as you want them.

And, of course, READ! Dave’s ESL is amazing, I spent hours going through forum posts before deciding on my school and negotiating (yes, you must negotiate) my contract.