The most important part of the visa process for any English teacher is interviewing and getting a job offer. In this post, we cover the most frequently asked questions about interviews with Korean schools.
How long do interviews with Korean schools last?
Interview lengths vary so it is hard to give an exact length of time. Many schools conduct interviews for only 10 to 15 minutes. Most Korean directors know exactly what they are looking for, so it doesn’t take them long.
What questions are typically asked in the interviews?
You should not stress out about these interviews. The most common questions for interviews with Korean schools are very simple and obvious. Also, we will provide you with detailed tips and tricks that will help you during Skype or phone interviews.
- Why do you want to teach in Korea?
- What teaching or tutoring experience do you have?
When will I receive a contract offer?
If the school is very interested in you, they will typically offer you the job within 1 to 2 days after the interview. Don’t forget that Korea is almost 1 full day ahead of North America so you should factor that time in.
How long do I have to make a decision?
For the most part, Korean schools move quickly with their hiring decisions. First, there are many well-qualified applicants who want to go to Korea. So, schools usually have many good applicants to choose from. If their first choice takes too long to get back to them, they are likely to move onto their second or third choice. Those applicants are almost always just as qualified.
Second, schools want to make hiring decisions quickly because they want to avoid delays. There are several steps in the visa process, so delays are somewhat common. Sometimes, teachers are late for their arrival date. Without enough teachers, the school cannot teach all of the students. Many schools shutdown because of this issue.
For these reasons, most schools expect an answer within a few days. At Travel & Teach, it is our goal to find you the perfect fit. If you aren’t comfortable with a job offer, you can definitely wait for others. However, it is important to know that if you don’t accept a job offer within the first few days, it will definitely be filled by another teacher. As a former English teacher in Korea, I personally know how big of a decision this is. However, as long as you are using a reputable recruiting agency, you have nothing to fear.
We have worked with these schools for many years! We also offer our Travel & Teach guarantee to all of our teachers to be there for you anytime you need us – from the initial interview all the way until you finish your contract in Korea.