Interviewing with the school

Since my friend kept asking me about the interview and what they asked, I thought I would post something to give you an idea of what to expect.

Mind you, the school knows what the recruiters tell them and what's on the resume and information you send. Which is why I recommend sending a cover letter with your resume.

To be honest, my interviews were rather simple. Since they already had my information, they asked about certain jobs, the experience, what I did, what I learned. Mostly it was just the principle telling me about the school and the job and what I needed to do, but...

What did you study for your degree? Where/when did you receive it from?
How long have you been considering teaching in Korea?
Why are you interested in Korea?
What do you know about Korea?
Have you previously traveled to Asia (Korea)? Where? When?
Do you have teaching experience? When? What age?
Do you have certification? What kind?
How soon can you have the Visa documents ready? Do you have them already?

Basically, all you need to do is be calm. Talk slowly, but not too slowly. Don't make it sound like you're talking to a three year old, but don't talk like they are your friends either. Speak clearly and use simple sentences (don't go on and on about nothing "like this... like that"). Normally you will be talking to a Korean whose English is limited.

Make sure you have a list of questions you want to ask them prepared before your interview.
How many (if any) sick days you get? Paid or not?
When/how often do you get paid?
Do they buy the ticket or reimburse you?

ALSO, be sure to ask if you can speak to one of the current ESL teachers! This is some good advice I got from my recruiter. The teachers will give you an honest account of the school, apartment, and city. Should you decide to take the job and keep their contact information, they can also be a big help in preparing for your trip.

Important questions for teachers could be:

What do they think of the school/principle/other teachers?
Location of housing in comparison to the school? If far, the cost of commute.
What is the state of the living conditions?
What furnishings were supplied?
Have they heard of any other ESL teacher's having had issues with the school or payment?
What is the dress code? Is there one?
How hard was it to open a bank account? Get a phone? Did the school help?
Can they e-mail you any pictures of the school/apartment?
What is the teaching style? Do you write lesson plans from scratch/work from books/etc?

Recruiters

Choosing a recruiter(s) is something you'll need to be careful about. Some people who contact you may not be real recruiters.

Things to keep in mind:
Recruiters are paid by the school to find YOU. If they ask you for money, find someone else.
You can always search them online to find other people who worked with them and what they said about them.
You don't have to choose one! They have different opportunities, if you tie yourself to one recruiter you may miss the job you want.

They normally send you something like this:

If you would like to learn more, please send us your resume, a recent picture and the following information:
Nationality:
DOB:
Available Start Date/End Date of Current Contract:
Current Location and Contact Number:
Level of Students:

Desired Location:
Visa status or status of necessary visa documents:
Time available for interview (Korean standard time):

The picture should be professional looking. Often Asian resumes have a small 2x2 photo on upper right/left hand corner in line with your basic information. You don't have to do this, but it can be easier sometimes than sending so many pieces.

They may ask you for some more informal photos later. Since the school can't meet you in person, these are usually so they can try and get a feel of your personality.

Also, it is good to create a short cover letter with an introduction of yourself and your motivation, even if they don't ask for it. This helps the recruiter and the school learn more about you.