I recently graduated from university and was planning on teaching overseas to explore the world, gain experience, and, let's face it, teach cute Asian kids :)
I originally tried for Korea because the cost of living is inexpensive and essentially everything is paid for - housing, flights, training, etc. And then I did the application for EPIK - the company that most recruiting agencies work for on behalf of to recruit for teachers. The application was brutal to say the least. They require a personal essay that explains why you want to teach in Korea, what you can offer the company, and what your beliefs on education are. This is not so bad - I wrote honestly and used personal anecdotes of an ESL roomie I had and other students I went to school with. I really do believe education is important so that part was a no-brainer.
Then came the medical questionnaire which contains questions that are seriously illegal to be asked in Canada (and the US I'm assuming). Do I have AIDS/HIV? What allergies do I have? Have I been treated for depression, anxiety, mental illnesses? Do I have alcohol or narcotic addictions? Have I been hospitalized recently; what for? What prescribed meds am I on? When was the last time I went to the doctor's and why? How much alcohol do I consume a week? Do I smoke; how many a day? What's my height? What is my weight? Any tattoos or piercings; where?
Are those questions too personal for you? They were for me! At any rate I filled it out (feeling a little irritated) and hoped for the best. Let me tell you, though, I rarely drink, I don't smoke, I'm not suffering from any mental illnesses or serious health issues. I'm a good and healthy person :) I waited for a reply for an interview and I got it! Good stuff, right?
I was interviewed by a young man (early 20s) via Skype as he was in Korea. He's a fellow Canadian and not Korean. I thought it went really well. He asked some discipline questions, why I like education, gave me some pointers to state exactly where my piercings are (ears) on my application and to change the age group on the lesson plan I submitted. I was confident and looking forward to moving to Korea. I didn't hear anything for a few days and so I e-mailed him. He replies I didn't get the job and please don't ask why.
I was super bummed! What did I do wrong? And then I remembered what I was told several times by several people about expectations of North Americans. In Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries, they believe a North American is "skinny, blond, and blue-eyed." I was told not to even try for China or Thailand for that reason. And then I remembered the application says the hiring school makes the final decision not EPIK. So that sucked - I'm not white, I'm not 100 lbs, and I have brown eyes. Is this why I wasn't accepted? Yup - I can pretty much guarantee it! This isn't to say all not white, non skinny people are rejected but it holds true for private school for sure (parents will transfer their kids from your class into another) and if the public schools are headed by ignorant people...well why bother?
I thought it could be because I don't have teaching experience - but how many people do you know that went to Korea to teach that are bonafide teachers? They require a Bachelor's and that's pretty much it. My lesson plan was great too! So, I talked it over with other people and their experiences and experiences of people they know and we all came to the same conclusion - I'm not "North American" looking enough.
And so I began the application for Japan - which seems a little more lenient and tolerant :) More on that soon!
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