From There to Here

This blog entry will take you from start to finish, in terms of the steps I took to getting my job here in South Korea.

Required Documentation

Resume

The resume that you use to get an English teaching job in Korea is not the same kind you would use to find a different type of job in the States. 

Your resume should include the following at the very top:

• Full name, mailing address, phone number, and email address
• Skype ID (if you don’t have Skype, get it)
• Country of Citizenship
• Native Language
• Marital/Familial Status (yes, they do ask, and yes, you have to tell them)
• Visa Document Status – I listed mine as follows, but obviously you would put whatever applies to you:
• FBI Criminal Background Check with Apostille – yes, in hand
• Diploma(s) with Apostille – yes, in hand
• Official Transcript(s) – yes, in hand
• Any international travel/study abroad experiences
• Any teaching experience, paid or volunteer

Then, you would follow this with traditional resume information, i.e. Educational Background and Professional Work Experience.

FBI Check & Apostille

This is probably one of the most important things that you need to make sure you order EARLY.  It will take at least four weeks, and sometimes as long as eight, to get your FBI background check back from DC.

You need to order your FBI check not earlier than 6 months before your earliest anticipated start date.  You cannot get a visa with an FBI check that is more than 6 months old.

Here is a link to the site with the information on what you need to do to get it:

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/background_checks

If you click the link next to option 1, it will lead you to step-by-step instructions for everything you’ll need, as well as a link to a checklist to make sure you have it all.

Once you get your FBI background check back, you’ll have to get an Apostille placed on it by the U.S. Department of State office.  The information for obtaining the Apostille can be found here: http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/

NOTE: I was able to have my FBI background check apostilled by the Louisiana Secretary of State because I had it notarized by a Louisiana notary first.  Please be advised that most states will NOT Apostille your FBI check, they will require you to send it to the U.S. Department of State office.  You MUST check with your state to find out what they will and will not do….just like laws, the process WILL vary.

TEFL Certificate

http://www.teflonline.com/

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.  I earned my TEFL Certificate through a company called Bridge Linguatec.  I chose them because I was living in Denver at the time, and I passed by their headquarters almost every day. In other words, I knew they were LEGIT, which is important to me when shelling out dough.  The course I did was primarily online, but it did include an in-class component, whereby I spent a Saturday and a Sunday at their Denver location, in a class with 3 other people, and a certified instructor.  It was definitely a valuable experience just to network with other aspiring teachers, as well as to interact with the instructor.

There are so many certification options available out there, but I think the TEFL Certificate is going to be your most basic one.  I considered going all in and getting a CELTA or DELTA, but in the end, those are considerably more expensive than a TEFL Certificate.  My advice, for anyone who’s looking to start teaching English abroad, especially in Korea, is to just get a TEFL Certificate.  It’ll cost you a couple hundred bucks, but it’ll help make you more marketable for teaching positions for those times when a certification is listed as “preferred” instead of “required.”  If, after your first year or so of teaching, you decide that teaching English is where you’d like to take your career, then it’s a good idea to head for a CELTA or DELTA, or maybe even a Masters degree, if you’d like to go that route.

Please note: If you choose to do a TEFL Certificate, it MUST be at least a 100-hour course.  Places that require them generally will not recognize a course that is less than 100 hours.

This particular company sent out the certificate in a PDF format, so I was already good to go.  But if you use a different company, and they send you a paper certificate instead, be sure to scan it to a PDF file.

Transcripts

You will want to order at least four sets of transcripts from schools where you earned a degree: 1 unofficial set, and 3 official sets.  Personally, I ordered 1 unofficial set, and 6 official sets.  I know, I know…overkill…but I did that because I planned to cast a wide net, and didn’t want to have to wait on new sets to arrive in the event that I had already distributed the ones I had. (In the end, I ended up not even needing them, but I’m still very glad I have them.)

Scan the unofficial set to submit with any teaching applications that require them, and save them as PDF files.  If you don’t have a scanner, you can go to a FedEx Kinko’s, Office Depot, etc, and they can scan them for you for a small fee.  Hold onto the official sets for when you get hired, in case either the school wants them, or if they are required to obtain your visa.

Diplomas & Apostilles

There are two things you should do with your diplomas….and this includes ALL diplomas you may have earned, not just a Bachelors.  You never know when having an Associates, Masters, or Doctorate degree may benefit you.

First, make a copy of the original diploma(s).  You will take these copies to a notary, who will notarize them, which basically certifies that they are true copies of your actual diplomas.  If you don’t know the notary that you’re using, be sure to bring the originals with you when you go.

Second, scan the original diploma(s).  Again, if you do not have a scanner, or, if your diploma is larger than average, you can go to the places listed above to have them scanned for you.  Be sure to save them as a PDF.  This is the first set of scans you will have for your diplomas.  This will be used for any job that requires you to email scans upon initial application.

Once the copy of your original diploma has been notarized, you will then send it to your STATE’s Secretary of State’s office to get a state-level Apostille placed on it.  The process for every state will vary, but here is the website for the office I used in Louisiana: http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/134/Default.aspx

My diplomas were from Florida, Arkansas, and Colorado.  However, I was able to have the LA Secretary of State apostille the copies of my diplomas because I had them notarized by a Louisiana notary.  Please be advised that some states will not put an Apostille on diplomas earned at institutions in another state. You MUST check with your state to find out what they will and will not do….just like laws, the process WILL vary.

Timeline: Application to Arrival

Below you will see a timeline that I created to give you an idea of how quickly and slowly things can move.  This is just an account of my timeline….it certainly can vary, depending on what school you’re working with, and what documents you end up needing to submit.

As you will see, I submitted other applications and was rejected a couple of times before I ended up with my current position.  99% of the positions I applied for were found on www.eslcafe.com/jobs/korea. The others were found on www.waygook.org.

Please note: The timeline for my position at GEV is short because I was NOT working with a particular program.  I applied with the school itself.  Processing times for EPIK and other public school programs has been known to take much longer from application to the actual arrival date.

Packing

How does one proceed to pack for an entire year in a couple of suitcases and carry-ons?  Well, you don’t….at least, I didn’t.  Since Korean stores generally do not cater to people with larger bodies or feet, I already knew that I would have to bring a lot of stuff with me.  (Smaller individuals can probably bring less stuff, because they would be able to buy clothes and shoes quite easily in Korea.)  I packed what I knew I would need for my first couple of months before it starts to get cold, and will have my parents ship my winter stuff sometime in September or October.

Because of my flight arrangements, I was able to check 3 bags, up to 70lbs each, and have the standard carry-on item and personal item.  I made sure to purchase a travel luggage scale, which was absolutely a life-saver as I packed and re-packed my luggage!  Not only should you use a travel scale to help you pack, you should bring it with you—it will help you for any trips that you go on during the year you’re abroad, as well as to help you pack when it’s time to come back home.

Here’s what I brought:

Carryon #1 (Personal Item) – Backpack with laptop and other electronic devices that I didn’t want to put in a checked bag, the corresponding chargers and adapters for those electronic devices, eye shadow palettes (so they don’t get broken by being banged around in the checked bags), and travel documents

Carryon #2 (22” Rolling Suitcase) – SHOES! No, really, that’s all that was in that bag. I wear a size 10 shoe, so I pretty much had to pack a wide variety of shoes. 

**Unofficial Carryons: My purse, and a shopping bag with some rain boots in them; It was monsoon season when I arrived in Korea, and it had been raining quite heavily (and flooding!).  I’m definitely glad I made that last-minute purchase!

Checked Bag 1 – (Large Rolling Drop-Bottom Duffel) – seasonings/spices, cold/flu/allergy medications, toiletries, feminine hygiene items, and hair products; As a black woman, the products that I use on my hair are not available in Korea.  It is possible to have them shipped in a roundabout way, so my advice is to pack at least 6 months worth of hair products.  That way, you have enough to get you through the first half of your stay, and it gives you enough time to figure out ways to get what you’ll need for the remainder of your stay.

Checked Bags 2 and 3 – (both are 29” Rolling Suitcases) – casual and dressy clothes, undergarments, socks; If you’re coming in the spring/summer, I’d advise bringing what you’ll need for warmer weather, and having your winter stuff shipped.  If you’re coming in the fall/winter, it would be the opposite, and you should have your summer stuff shipped.  You should certainly pack some crossover items, which are those that can be worn in any season with or without the appropriate layering to make it work.

Booking the Flight

I booked my flight about a week ahead of time.  Although I had not yet received my visa back from the Korean consulate in Houston, I called them to see when they would be sending it, and booked my flight for 2 days after the latest date that I was supposed to receive it.  I based this on the fact that I sent a self-addressed Express Mail envelope with my application, so that I would get it back quickly.  But I advise to include at least a couple days worth of cushion, just in case.

I was also sure to book ahead of time because I knew I wanted to use some of my accumulated SkyMiles to upgrade my economy ticket to Business class, and the earlier you do it, the better chance you have at there being available seats on the flight you select.  For me, there was no question that I would be booking my flight with Delta Airlines, but for others, it may not matter that much.  I would just be sure to compare their in-flight accommodations and services for international flights, so you can make sure you’re comfortable on your journey.

Next Up: Up, Up, and Away!