So you’re thinking about teaching abroad?

Many people have asked me how exactly I’ve come to be an English teacher in South Korea. Almost 1 year ago, I got on a plane from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. 2 layovers and about 27 hours later, I arrived at Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea. After reflecting, the flight was only about .05% of my entire experience. The application process felt like at least 75% of it.

So here’s the basics on how to get a job as an English Teacher in South Korea:

Have a Bachelor’s degree

If you read my post ‘To gap year, or not to gap year?’ you know that I decided to come to Korea toward the end of my last year of college, for the Fall intake. Since my degree was impending, I began my application process around the end of March/Early April.

For a starting salary position with EPIK (English Program in Korea), you must at least have a Bachelors in any discipline from an accredited university. As your education becomes more specialized (Bachelors/Master in Education/TESOL) you are eligible to receive a higher starting pay.

Have a TEFL/TESOL certification

Next, all teachers must be certified to teach English from an accredited company by having a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) or TESOL (Teach English as a Second Language) certification. I did this by taking a 120 hour online TEFL course. These courses are also offered in person.

Come from one of the main English speaking countries

Because I am teaching English through EPIK, it is required for Native English Teachers to come from one of the 6 English speaking countries (U.S.A, Canada, England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand).

Research

Having a desire to travel is one thing, but while considering being an English teacher abroad, you must remember what your actual purpose is: being an English Teacher. After accepting this, moving forward with the process isnt so difficult.

Like I said, I am here teaching through EPIK, however, there are a few other ways to come to Korea to teach. There are hagwons (private academies) that hire and sponsor teachers. I am also slightly aware of the TaLK program (Teach and Learn Korean), that is a government sponsored program that allows teachers to come to Korea to teach part-time and learn about Korean culture. Each have their own pros and cons, figure out which one is right for you and your situation.

Apply

I applied to EPIK through a recruiting service. This made my application process very easy as I was able to ask many questions and get a lot of tips for the interview process and help with my sample lesson plan. You can also apply directly to the program.

Interview

After submitting and having my application accepted, I was told there was an open position in the Gangwon-do province. My interview was scheduled for a few weeks later. It was a Skype interview with someone at the Gangwon-do Provincial Office of Education. Because of the 13 hour time difference, I had my interview around 12AM. So try your best to look wide awake!

Accept position

After your interview, the POE will make an official job offer. The one down side of the EPIK program is that you are ONLY aware of what province you will be placed in, you don’t find out what city within the province until orientation AFTER you have arrived in Korea. (for my Americans and the like who may not understand the provincial system, compare a province with a state within the US, and not knowing what city within the state.) This is one disadvantage with the EPIK program because within one province you can be in a major city with hundreds of thousands of people, or you can be in an extremely rural town with one thousand people. It’s the luck of the draw.

Gather documents for VISA

To live in Korea for longer than 90 days, visitors must have a VISA. As an English teacher, my POE sponsors my E-2 VISA. To get it, you need a passport, a VISA application, an apostilled copy of your diploma, you university transcripts, a notarized FBI background check, and a money order for the processing cost.

Get a work visa

Take these documents to your nearest Korean Embassy, they will return your passport with your VISA included within the week.

Get ready to come to Korea!

Book your flight, get packed, and excited! You did it!

Question: do you want to know more about teaching/life in South Korea? Let me know below!