reminder email

Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:37:58 +090
Hi S,

I just wanted to remind you that you will need to undergo a mandatory medical exam and drugs screening during your training. I recommend that new instructors who will be coming to teach be very careful about doing any last minute partying because if the results are positive we will not be able to offer the position.

I also recommend that instructors do a basic medical check before coming over as well, just to make sure that their bill of health is clean. I also recommend doing an HIV/Aids test as this will also be tested for during the training.

I am sorry to write such a bleak sounding email but rather safe than sorry as I am sure you will agree.

Kindest Regards,
=====================
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:51 PM

Hi, no apologies necessary, thank you for the heads up. I'm awaiting that packet in the mail you mentioned will all kinds of info in it, it'll be here soon I hope. Thank you!
=====================
Dear S,

Please find attached the Welcome Pack. We always send these by email so it’s a good idea to just print it out from your side and keep it with you. I wonder how everything is going your side with preparation. I will of course be in touch. S, please ask me should you have any further questions.
Kindest Regards,

Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 1:15 PM
To: jasonn@cdimail.net
Subject: question

Hi Jason. Thank you for your last email, I'll be awaiting the visa in the mail. I was wondering, since I have opted for hourly pay instead of salary, I understand that I will have to find my own accommodations. I remember you mentioned possible options are taking over an apartment of someone who is leaving Korea, or using the agent that CDI has. But will CDI assist me with a place to stay when i initially arrive? Or shall I be searching and arrange for something on my own? Thank you.
===============
Dear,

CDI will provide accommodation for the length of the training. During this time you will have an opportunity to go out with the director to look for places that will suit you. We will provide every assistance in finding a place, there is really no need to worry. The only thing that you will be responsible for will be for the realtor fees which are usually around 250,000 KRW depending on your location choice.

I will be sending out the welcome pack before you arrive with a lot of useful info. I also plan on giving you call before you arrive just to touch base and make sure you are OK.

Regards,
Jason

i want to be a consumer!

things i'll do/buy & places i'll shop when i have disposable income:

• pay back my dad the million dollars i've borrowed from him over the years.
• pay off the student loans.
  
• flow-follow love of words. i like a couple of these t-shirts.
• indigo arts beautiful cloth & barber shop signs.
• fahari- if they ever get new stuff.
• get weekly manicures
  
• pinoymall- reprazent!
• more pride: black lava, kailani, fili-islander, flipgear, my barong, tsinilas, archipelago-inc, bomba star, culturallycool,
• monthly facials
  
• donate to iabolish.
• more clothes
• i love these grammar t-shirts.
  
• carol's daughter. all natural black hair care products, and black owned! ujamaa!
• donate to children of uganda
• i bought shirts here, and gave them away when i moved to korea. so i want to buy them again. i didnt even know there were black women pilots.
• take drum lessons. and maybe piano lessons, too.
  

korea internet shopping:

• buy books in korea at whatthebook
• amazon ships to korea, yeah!
• yesstyle, specifically korea online shopping.
• and another one, yessasia
• seoulselection, books and dvds and stuff
• this is gmarket. havent really looked at it myself.
• http://www.okokokok.com/ self proclaimed "Korea's Foreigners'Market"
  

Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:46:49 +0900
From: goodenglish1st@gmail.com
Subject: I hope you are doing well

Dear S
I hope you are doing well.

When you get an ID number from the immigration, you should appy for an E2 visa at the Korean Consulate with your passport, a passport size photo, an application form and the ID number. And then you will get the working visa.

Please let me know your departure date to Korea , the name of the airport you will use and your full name on the passport.

The travel agent will help you to find a good flight ticket.

I hope to hear from you.

Thanks and kind regards,

Cindy
====================
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007
Hello Cindy, thank you for your email.

I'm doing great, thank you for asking. I have my passport size photos ready and now I'm just awaiting the information for the visa the mail from Jason from CDI. He has been really great about letting me know what to do and what to expect. The full name on my passport is... My departure date is February 9th, flying out of San Diego, California. The airline is United. I have already bought my ticket. I shall forward the itinerary to you. Thank you again so much for helping me find this job, I am very VERY excited to get to Korea and start teaching, and it's all thanks to you. :)

leaving in february

From: jasonn@cdimail.net
Subject: Update
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 18:03:55 +0900

How are you? I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to check something with you about your arrival date. We have just confirmed the dates for the Lunar New Year holidays in Korea and unfortunately they begin on the Saturday after you arrive. In this regard we are asking all candidates who are flying out around that time to push forward their arrival dates, if possible, to the previous week either Friday (9/2) or Saturday (10/2)? So basically one week earlier. Please let me know if this is possible with your ticket. If not, please don't worry. We will sort something out! Kindest Regards, Jason Nieuwoudt
==================
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 7:53 AM
To: Jason Nieuwoudt
Subject: RE: Update

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I can change the ticket, I'll work on it and email you tomorrow.
==================
Subject: RE: Update
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 10:17:01 +0900

Hi S, I really am sorry to bother you with this. Remember that if it's not possible, it's not the end of the world either. Hope to hear from you soon. Regards, Jason
==================
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 4:39 AM
To: Jason Nieuwoudt
Subject: RE: Update

Hi Jason. You're so very polite, I wonder if your English. :) I checked my flight, I could change it but the fees would be a little over $200. I feel tacky asking, but would CDI reimburse me that amount? If so, I'll work on changing the ticket straight away. Thanks!
=================
Subject: RE: Update
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 18:50:35 +0900
Hi S,

So sorry for taking so long to return your mail but I was off sick with food poisoning (along with not having any sleep for the last week as a result of the birth of my daughter) and am only back at the office today.

I have cleared this with the director and we are prepared to pay for the change as long as your visa is processed prior to your arrival. How is everything going in this regard?

PS. I am (proudly) South African ;)
Jason Nieuwoudt
=====================
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 1:42 AM
To: Jason Nieuwoudt
Subject: RE: Update

Oh, congratulations, Dad! Actually, with your (very charming) accent, I pegged you for either New Zealand or South Africa. I'll call to see what's taking my passport so long, and I will work on changing my ticket today, and I will email you with confirmation as soon as it's done. Thank you, Jason!
===================
Sent:Tue 1/09/07 12:59 AM
Thanks so much for the email and thanks for the congratulations. Let me know what they say about the passport.

Regards,
Jason

be very very prepared.

below is some correspondence i've had via myspace with a brotha in korea now. wow, lesson to all: be prepared! come to korea with extra passport photos, extra official transcripts, extra copies of your degree, and MONEY. again, im so glad i was turned down by japan. all this time i've been checking up on korea and ive read stories like this guy's over and over again. :(

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
Title: CALI IM COMING HOME
Date: Jan 8 2007 03:05
yup thats right. i fiyah burned my director and quit this gig over here. i feel like i dont get the respect due from my director. its alittle too much like im his "slave", for lack of a better word. Cali im coming home. they dont know how to treat a Rastaman over here in South Korea.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
Date: Jan 8 2007 11:20 PM
just like that? did you consider checking out another school? how long have you been in korea?

----------------- Original Message -----------------
Date: Jan 8 2007 23:55
2 weeks. i am looking into other schools but all the paper work thats needs to be done means i need to go to japan then come back, plus more transcripts, another diploma, and other hoops to jump through. i seriously advise you to very careful when coming here. they will try to rip you off and work you like you have never thought possible. i have to be here by 8:30 and dont leave till 8:30pm. when i get home i have to finish work til about midnight. its tough to find room to eat.
this is not always the case. i have met many who work about 3hrs a day and still get 2mil won. so it depends. i was mislead and lied to before i came. i hope you arent.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
Date: Jan 9 2007 09:20 AM
ah brotha, im so sorry. i will for sure keep your advice/experience in mind. i've been reading up on esl in korea for quite some time. i am fairly confident that the school i chose is reputable, but when i arrive, i will do so with extra transcripts, diplomas, and money to last until ii find another school and they pay for the visa run, if the situation arrives.

im sad that youre leaving korea! have you any friends there just yet, to stay with until you check out other schools? you could stay in one of those love hotels or a Goshiwon or a yoinsuk? all whilst awaiting someone to mail you copies of your paperwork to start a new job?

i'll be arriving on february 10th. it would've been nice to have met you.

leaving february 9th

the school has emailed and asked that i come early, something about lunar new year? anyway, they agreed to pay for the change on my ticket, so im now leaving on february 9th. im in a poo mood right now b/c im at work and i hate it here.

resu & cover letter & photo

in process:

thank you to young frankenstein a la daves for the info.
1st, to legally get job you must be citizen of UK, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, USA, South Africa, Austrailia, and New Zealand.
Or a country where English is spoken (such as India or Malaysia) and the applicant MUST have an English degree. The countries quoted above can get a visa with ANY degree.
No, it's not new. It's just there are so few who come from those countries to teach, it's not as well-known.

Most of the Filipino/Indian teachers on E2s (because they have their English degrees) take DRASTIC cuts in pay and living costs compared to us in exchange for DRASTIC increases in workloads. Many are paid around 1mill, but most get less than that, all for 140-160 hours a month. And no paid accommodation, either. Most of the ones I know or know of who have their E2s do phone or internet English. There are a very small few who teach at uni (working 30-35 hours a week).


Proofread, proofread, proofread. If I see any errors, your resume is going to the bottom of the interview pile.
Do not tell me how well you did in high school. I don't care if you got 95% on your grade 11 math final. I don't care if you won the grade 10 drama award. I don't even care if you wrote for the school newspaper. That's the stuff that got you into university. If you've still got it on your resume, it makes you sound desperate.oneiros: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3324
Resume:
Not longer than 2 pages. Clear and well presented. List only relevant experience (leave out the jobs that are not related to education/training). Do not list all of your degrees, only the most recent one. Do not list all of your hobbies and interests. Either include references or list that they can be furnished upon demand. ===2) Keep it short, if you can keep your resume to one page, it's great. Do not use under 12pt font either, it will piss people off. Two pages is acceptable, three the absolute max, but no one should need three pages. Put your work history in descending order, from the most recent to the oldest. You do NOT have to put every single job you had on your resume, nor every skill.laogaiguk: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=7475
Cover Letter:
One page. Highlight what would make you a good teacher. Do not do grandstanding...it actually works against you. Personalize the letter (address it to a person or a hiring committee). ===Start it off with what YOU can do for the school. The second part should be why you want to work there (this is not as important, so keep it shorter). Put things you couldn't put in the resume due to length here.====In terms of cover letters, keep it clear and concise. I don't want to read things like "After a damp morning in May, in the midst of a cloudy afternoon, after years of hard work and sacrifice, I received my degree and moved one step closer to achieving my dream, my dream of being an English teacher." This is a quotation from an actual cover letter I've received. This person did not get interviewed. Just tell me why you want to work for us, and why I should hire you.
Present your documents clearly and mistake-free.
As for what is considered, it varies from place to place (Hakwon, Universities, Public Schools) as do the requirements.
I know we look for certain qualifications and experience but we also evaluate personality and general demeanor when the interview takes place (we also send a questionnaire in advance of the interview). My university does most of its hiring locally as they prefer face to face interviews. The interview is conducted by a small committee of Koreans and Westerners. When hiring from abroad the university relies on recommendations from its staff and asks for a few more references.
homer: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=265
PhotoMake sure you use a professional looking photo. We've gotten a ton of photos of people who: look drunk or stoned ; are showing too much cleavage or skin; are somewhat inappropriate (there have been a few guys who sent vacation photos with bargirls sitting on their knees), etc. Make sure it's a clear photo, too.
email: Make sure you don't have a retarded email name.
"yes we'll be sure to call you hornychick@hotmail.com"pak yu man http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=6281

hey

know what forget it, im going to korea.
goodbye to cubicles & call centers forever!

im a sucker.

im leaving my job on february 3rd. i found out that i get paid for my accumulated holiday time and vacation time when i leave, but i do NOT get any of my sick time, and do you know what yo i have 114.75 hours of sick time? hmph. just gone. no money for it, no days off, nothing. i talked to the boss about it and asked her if there was anything we could do about that. i told her that i didnt plan on calling in sick everyday b/c it's not right and that no i dont love my job or the people here but i do have a sense of responsibility and i know that if im not there, the extra work has to be absorbed by my colleagues... blah blah blah... complain complain complain... she said she understood; that at her last job, she lost around 300 hours of sick time. so what i guess we were playing who suffered more? puh. im not mad, but i am pretty darned annoyed. i gave them like 2 months notice of my leaving, they thanked me up and down for that, but couldnt nobody let a person know about some sick time?! all the extra shifts i've covered, the holidays i worked, the shifts i worked when other people called in sick, and now that im here writing it, i AM getting really angry...