After my initial interview appointment in Toronto was cancelled due to an early Winter storm, I finally made it to the consulate last Monday. It was short. Really short. FIVE MINUTES short.
Upon arrival, I found about 10 other twenty-somethings awaiting their interviews. Looking down at my very best jeans (with long undies underneath) tweed coat and boots, I began to worry that my warmest-is-best philosophy for making the bus-train-subway journey to Toronto was not the wisest. The other kids were in business attire. Actually, not really business attire. They were dressed the way that I do when attending weddings and other formal gatherings. I felt pretty scrappy.
However, the gorgeous Korean administrative assistant called my name first, and led me through the immaculate conference room to the gentleman conducting the interviews. Luckily my jeans and snow/ice/sidewalk-salt-encrusted boots were hidden under the boat-sized mahogany desk. The gentleman was kind, pleasant, and asked me a few questions about my reasons for coming to SK and my experience in the public school system in Ontario. In less than five minutes, the interview was over.
Knowing that I was approved, finished and ready-to-go, I smiled a "payce-out-suckaaaaahs" smile at my more fashionable counterparts in the waiting room and headed out into the snow again. At last! I had jumped through the final hoop!
However, my Canada Post tracking number informs me that my Visa and Passport were not mailed to me by Wednesday as promised. With Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day all being business holidays falling within the next week, I am skeptical of the possibility that I will leave for SK on January 2nd as planned. BAH!
I'll get back to you soon with a departure date.
Merry Christmas/Winter Solstice/Hanukka/Kwanzaa to all! And to all a goodnight!
kp
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
An Idiot's Guide to Teaching Abroad (Korean Edition)
For a very long while, I have be meaning to create a step-by-step list of instructions for attaining a job and a Visa in South Korea. To be honest, I've found the entire process quite confusing and frustrating, and I really wish that I had access to something like this.
While my recruiter has been amazing, informative, and helpful, each city's consulate determines it's own set of rules, and the key to Korea's heart (and wealth!) is through your local consulate. That being said, this information will be most helpful to Canadian candidates living in Ontario.
1)Before you even begin, I would recommend contacting your university for the following:
-4 sealed transcripts
-a copy of your diploma (You may use your original if you like, however, you must send it overseas. You can either have another copy printed and stamped, or have a lawyer make a copy and put her/his seal on it. This is called having your document "notarized". It should cost you around $20)
...Also, ensure that your passport is up-to-date and valid for at least another year. It is good to have extra passport-regulation photos taken, as you will need to send them to your school and to the consulate.
2)Have an updated criminal records check and vulnerable sector screening.
While these documents are usually valid for 2 years in Ontario, the Korean government will only accept documents that are dated within the six months before your teaching contract commences. Also I was surprised to find (after travelling from out-of-town to Toronto) that this document also needs to be notarized by a lawyer. This is not mentioned on the website, and I thought that the Hamilton Police seal would be familiar enough an hour away in Toronto. I ran around, found a lawyer and brought my documents back to the consulate. This will cost you $40 for the police check, $20 for a lawyer to notarize it, and $2.50 from the consulate.
3)Now that all of your documents are ready, it is time to begin looking for a job. Instead of replying to individual job postings, I decided to register with a recruiter. I registered with Korea Global Connections, and they have been fantastic! They will call you the next day to learn a little more about you, your education, qualifications and what you are looking for from this experience.
4)The recruiter will send you any job offers that fit your profile. Remember, teachers are in demand in Korea. You don't have to accept the first job that you are offered. Really look through the postings and find one that you love.
5)Do some interviews. Remember, Korea is 13 hours ahead of Ontario, so your interviews will be over the phone and very late at night. While you are the one being evaluated, it is also important for you to evaluate the school and the interviewer.
My first interview consisted of a clueless American (he had only moved to Korea 2 weeks earlier) reading me some information about the school, and the process of coming to Korea. I was not asked any questions about my teaching qualifications, experience or skills, and he was unable to answer any of my questions. I quickly refused this offer.
If the school does not have the owner, principal or head teacher conduct the interview, then the hiring of quality teachers is not important to them. A good school will ask you (even badger you) all about your experience teaching and they will ask you questions that require you to talk, talk talk! They will want to make sure that you have a sophisticated use of language, and have a nice, clear voice. As a certified teacher, I was very critical of the questions asked. This led me to find a job at a wonderful school that has very strict requirements for its students and teachers, and appreciates my credentials.
6)Accept a position. Once you have been offered a job, your recruiter will notify you. Then, s/he will email you a contract and a list of documents that are required. Hopefully, you will already have these organized, notarized and ready to go.
**Don't be afraid to negotiate your contract. I was able to push for higher pay, and the removal of several items on the contract that I thought were contradictory. The school was actually thankful that I had pointed out those items.
7)Mail your diploma, police check, completed contract and all other requested documents to your recruiter via FedEx. This will cost you about $80 from Toronto. Eeek!
After two weeks, your recruiter will inform you of your Visa Issuance Number. You will need this number to submit your application in Toronto and book your interview.
8)Submit your visa application to the Korean Consulate in Toronto. This includes:
-Your (actual) passport (this made me slightly uneasy, as you will be without it for about a week)
-A photocopy of the information page of your passport
-A passport-sized photo
-$55 Visa processing fee (must be in cash if you apply in person or a money order for applications sent by mail)
-A completed application form, with your VIN clearly stated at the top and bottom
-A sealed university transcript from all undergraduate/graduate institutions attended
**If sending by mail, they will ONLY accept Xpresspost from Canada Post. This cost me about $19 from Hamilton for next-day delivery.
9)Once the consulate receives your package, they will contact you to book an interview. The interview is the final step in acquiring your Visa. You should either get your passport back the day of the interview, or can pick it up several days later.
10).........dunno. This is as far as I have gotten. Your agent will confirm your flight details, and you will be on your way!
I'll keep you posted on what happens next. Please leave any questions that you may have about the Visa process in the comments box, and I'll be more than happy to reply.
kp
While my recruiter has been amazing, informative, and helpful, each city's consulate determines it's own set of rules, and the key to Korea's heart (and wealth!) is through your local consulate. That being said, this information will be most helpful to Canadian candidates living in Ontario.
1)Before you even begin, I would recommend contacting your university for the following:
-4 sealed transcripts
-a copy of your diploma (You may use your original if you like, however, you must send it overseas. You can either have another copy printed and stamped, or have a lawyer make a copy and put her/his seal on it. This is called having your document "notarized". It should cost you around $20)
...Also, ensure that your passport is up-to-date and valid for at least another year. It is good to have extra passport-regulation photos taken, as you will need to send them to your school and to the consulate.
2)Have an updated criminal records check and vulnerable sector screening.
While these documents are usually valid for 2 years in Ontario, the Korean government will only accept documents that are dated within the six months before your teaching contract commences. Also I was surprised to find (after travelling from out-of-town to Toronto) that this document also needs to be notarized by a lawyer. This is not mentioned on the website, and I thought that the Hamilton Police seal would be familiar enough an hour away in Toronto. I ran around, found a lawyer and brought my documents back to the consulate. This will cost you $40 for the police check, $20 for a lawyer to notarize it, and $2.50 from the consulate.
3)Now that all of your documents are ready, it is time to begin looking for a job. Instead of replying to individual job postings, I decided to register with a recruiter. I registered with Korea Global Connections, and they have been fantastic! They will call you the next day to learn a little more about you, your education, qualifications and what you are looking for from this experience.
4)The recruiter will send you any job offers that fit your profile. Remember, teachers are in demand in Korea. You don't have to accept the first job that you are offered. Really look through the postings and find one that you love.
5)Do some interviews. Remember, Korea is 13 hours ahead of Ontario, so your interviews will be over the phone and very late at night. While you are the one being evaluated, it is also important for you to evaluate the school and the interviewer.
My first interview consisted of a clueless American (he had only moved to Korea 2 weeks earlier) reading me some information about the school, and the process of coming to Korea. I was not asked any questions about my teaching qualifications, experience or skills, and he was unable to answer any of my questions. I quickly refused this offer.
If the school does not have the owner, principal or head teacher conduct the interview, then the hiring of quality teachers is not important to them. A good school will ask you (even badger you) all about your experience teaching and they will ask you questions that require you to talk, talk talk! They will want to make sure that you have a sophisticated use of language, and have a nice, clear voice. As a certified teacher, I was very critical of the questions asked. This led me to find a job at a wonderful school that has very strict requirements for its students and teachers, and appreciates my credentials.
6)Accept a position. Once you have been offered a job, your recruiter will notify you. Then, s/he will email you a contract and a list of documents that are required. Hopefully, you will already have these organized, notarized and ready to go.
**Don't be afraid to negotiate your contract. I was able to push for higher pay, and the removal of several items on the contract that I thought were contradictory. The school was actually thankful that I had pointed out those items.
7)Mail your diploma, police check, completed contract and all other requested documents to your recruiter via FedEx. This will cost you about $80 from Toronto. Eeek!
After two weeks, your recruiter will inform you of your Visa Issuance Number. You will need this number to submit your application in Toronto and book your interview.
8)Submit your visa application to the Korean Consulate in Toronto. This includes:
-Your (actual) passport (this made me slightly uneasy, as you will be without it for about a week)
-A photocopy of the information page of your passport
-A passport-sized photo
-$55 Visa processing fee (must be in cash if you apply in person or a money order for applications sent by mail)
-A completed application form, with your VIN clearly stated at the top and bottom
-A sealed university transcript from all undergraduate/graduate institutions attended
**If sending by mail, they will ONLY accept Xpresspost from Canada Post. This cost me about $19 from Hamilton for next-day delivery.
9)Once the consulate receives your package, they will contact you to book an interview. The interview is the final step in acquiring your Visa. You should either get your passport back the day of the interview, or can pick it up several days later.
10).........dunno. This is as far as I have gotten. Your agent will confirm your flight details, and you will be on your way!
I'll keep you posted on what happens next. Please leave any questions that you may have about the Visa process in the comments box, and I'll be more than happy to reply.
kp
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