Anyways I know epik can be pretty picky but ...
Anyways I know epik can be pretty picky but it seems like every year they don't have enough applicants.
Quote from: destawil on December 24, 2018, 08:28:32 amAnyways I know epik can be pretty picky but it seems like every year they don't have enough applicants.From what I read there are now about six applicants for every one public school opening. So I guess hard to get in as a n00b (especially as a male), but easy to renew once already in the system. (Applies to university instructors as well.)
Japan has gradually become more competitive over the years. Now Japanese ability is a big leg up, if not required in some cases. Will Korea follow suit?
I heard that epik didn't have enough people to fill placements this year. So I'm surprised they rejected you. But for me Epik is nice. It's my first year teaching and I think everyone in Epik has a different experience. For me I don't like my placement. I like my coworkers and my students. I just hate my town. I'm in a pretty rural place and since I stayed in Seoul for college for a semester. I'm kinda over this rural place. I also like the city a lot so being rural is annoying to me. I am also the only western foreigner in town and the closest western foreigners live an hour away by bus in the main city of my area. So it's pretty lonely and my everyday life has become stagnant. I go to work and go home. Then on the weekends, I travel out to the city. I'm planning on moving next year to be honest. I'm tired of having to be on the bus by 7:30 or I have to sleep in a love motel. Also tired of the busses that come once an hour and working at 5 schools. But for working with my co-teachers they're all pretty nice to me. I have a couple of schools where I teach alone and it's pretty tough. Then some, where we co-teach and it's good. All my co-workers are caring about me. The staff tries to talk to me. I think the staff trying to talk to me is because I speak some Korean so that the language barrier is broken and the nervousness isn't really there. Anyways I know epik can be pretty picky but it seems like every year they don't have enough applicants.
Not sure you need Japanese for the JET program (their EPIK equivalent)
Quote from: eggieguffer on December 24, 2018, 11:19:05 amNot sure you need Japanese for the JET program (their EPIK equivalent)As part of the general criteria, applicants must: (1) Be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their knowledge and appreciation of Japan after their arrival; be motivated to participate in and initiate international exchange activities in the local community; make effort to study or continue studying the Japanese language prior to and after arriving in Japan.http://jetprogramme.org/en/eligibility/additional consideration will be given to applicants who:Have language teaching experience or qualifications.Have general teaching experience or qualifications.Have a high level of Japanese language ability.
The "shortage" is coming after they turned down a ton of interested, eager applicants. Look on reddit to see the many stories of experienced teachers failing the EPIK interview for reasons they don't understand.
I heard that epik didn't have enough people to fill placements this year. So I'm surprised they rejected you.
I was with Gepik and got rejected by Epik. I have been with public school system for 3 years and have been with my school for 2 years. My letters if recommendation from my principal and coteacher are solid as well. I didn't even get an interview. Feels weird working here and not even being seriously considered for a measly interview.
I wish everyone the best of luck with your applications. I got just got mine rejected despite having letters of recommendation from two different principles, and over ten years work experience in public schools.
Did you have an interview? If not it could have been that they called your former employer and she didn't give a positive review.