One of the great aspects of teaching English in South Korea is that the requirements are very basic. For many positions, all you need is a bachelor’s degree and to be from an English speaking country. However, there are a significant number of schools in Korea that have higher standards for their teachers. At these schools, students and teachers often work with more advanced curricula that are both more challenging and rewarding. This post should shed more light on these teaching jobs in Korea for certified teachers.
The Korean schools that have higher standards for their applicants most often want teachers who have either an education major from university and/or an official teaching license in their home country. If you have either of those two things, you will be a solid applicant for any school in Korea. That being said, it’s still not a bad idea to take a TEFL course. These certifications specifically target how to teach to an ESL classroom. Unless you already have that experience, it won’t hurt to add that to your resume!
Higher Salaries
One of the biggest benefits to being a certified teacher is that you can get a higher salary. For most teachers in Korea, the average teaching salary is 2.1 million Korean won per month. However, for certified teachers, the average salary ranges between 2.3 million – 2.5 million Korean won per month. With a higher salary, you are able to save more money and spend more on traveling!
Don’t forget, though, that there are a wide variety of skills between teachers with official licenses. For example, if you have several years teaching experience and a teaching license, you will be much more qualified than someone with just an education major. Furthermore, if your teaching experience is specifically for ESL students in a foreign setting, than you are in an incredibly powerful position as an applicant.
More Options
Besides the higher salary, another benefit of being a certified teacher is being able to work at a more advanced school. Often, this will you put in the classroom for higher levels and with more motivated students. This is great because your efforts will be more rewarded in those classrooms as all of the students are highly driven to learn.
All in all, having more qualifications simply means that you have more choices. All schools would love to hire teachers with official teaching licenses. Those teachers have years of specialized training and usually lots of practical experience. So, when you apply, you will likely have many schools interested in you. That means you don’t have to settle and can find the perfect fit for you!