#epik2014

So once January came, I was emailing different recruiting agencies, asking them all the same questions to get a feel of how they would respond. Trust me, when I say a lot, I mean like at least 10 to 12 different agencies. I finally chose Reach to Teach, a placement agency that places ESL teachers not only in Korea but also China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and UAE.

This is their link, feel free to check it out:

http://www.reachtoteachrecruiting.com

Now there are advantages and disadvantages when applying through a recruiter. First and foremost, your application will be given into EPIK later than those who apply directly. So now that I’ve got that out of the way, let me list some of the pros of going through a recruiter:

Pros:

1. The agency will thoroughly check your application and lesson plan before sending it in to the EPIK office in Korea.

- Meaning if you missed any information or even added information that the EPIK office might think is irrelevant, they’ll tell you. For example, in my lesson plan, I had a lot of back-up activities and my recruiter thought that it might come across to EPIK that I don’t know how to manage my classroom time properly. Of course, the decision was up to me on whether or not I wanted to change it but I decided to take his advice and I’m glad I did.

2. A Mock Interview

- I thought this was the best part. If you’re anything like me, shy, nervous etc., then this mock interview will help you a lot. The idea of the mock interview is to get you prepared for the actual EPIK interview. The interviewer will give you constructive criticism at the end of the interview. (I’ll get into the details of the interview in a later post)

3. Recruiters offer a wealth of support for ESL teachers, during the process and also after you reach your destination. For example, how to get your work visa, helping you book your flights and even helping you if you have any issues with your landlord. So, basically they assist you throughout your year abroad too.

Pros on applying directly to EPIK:

1. Faster response time because recruiting agencies can only send in applications after a certain date. (timeline will be posted)

2. So, you’ll be granted interview times quicker than those who go through a recruiter. So for those of you who go through a recruiter, this means you have to be on top of your game in handing everything in on time.

3. You might think flying solo means there won’t be someone assigned to you, but an EPIK coordinator will be assigned to you, to support you through the process.

Each recruiting agency works differently and some might have more benefits than others. One thing I can think straight off the top my head is, Korvia (another recruiting agency) gives you a cell phone when you arrive at the airport. Unfortunately, my agency does not, but I knew that when I applied. Another thing I noticed during my frenzied moments was that if I did in fact fail the EPIK interview, my recruiter would have helped me find another school to teach English.

I’ve stated only some of the pros and cons, so hopefully from this you can make a decision on whether to use a recruiter or to apply directly to EPIK.