Finally, a new university-level EFL want ad is out! See it here.
Native English-Speaking Non-Tenured Professors Needed at Cheongju University, Cheongju, Korea
The pay looks to be... decent. It's about a 50% downgrade from what I'd been getting over the past few years, but beggars can't be choosers.
The main problems, from what I can see, come down to the required documents. I have to dredge up employment certifications from my previous university jobs, which I don't think I have anymore since my previous uni jobs date back to 2014-2015 (Dongguk University), 2013-2014 (Daegu Catholic University), and 2005-2008 (Sookmyung Women's University). So that's one hurdle. It's too bad they won't accept documentation from my most recent job.
Other document problems: I need to get two letters of recommendation. While I know my most recent boss will be happy to write me one, I'm not quite sure where to get my second letter from. There are some former colleagues that I can try, so maybe I'll hit those people up by email this weekend. I'm also going to have to obtain apostilled copies of my degrees (B.A., M.A., and PhD.), sealed transcripts with grades, an apostilled National Criminal Background Check from my native country, and a recent health report. The criminal background check is something I'm going to need to request, and that's going to take weeks. In fact, it might take so long that I'll surely miss the May 12 due date for initial documents submission. Crap.
The whole apostille thing became a requirement after my time. I didn't need any apostilled documents for Sookmyung, DCU, or Dongguk, but from what I've seen over the past few years, apostilling is required everywhere now. So that's going to take time, but it's not a thing I need to worry about right now because, according to the job ad, apostilled documents aren't required until you've reached the second part of the hiring process.
Up to now, I've taken for granted that some university will end up hiring me, but as I've thought the matter through, I've become less confident about that. I'll be 57 come this August 31, and if the university is truly asking for a recent health report, they're going to see that I'm in precarious shape at best, i.e., there'll be even less motivation to hire me.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they say. So it looks as though I've got my work cut out for me this weekend. I guess the nice thing about apostilling my documents is that I can do it once, then it's done, and any other universities requesting apostilled documents can get them instantly.
Oh, yes: Cheongju University is also requesting a "demo lesson" to be conducted in person in June, assuming I make it that far in the hiring process. Guess I'll have to work on that as well. Pray for me. I'm suddenly facing a lot of paperwork.
ADDENDUM: The more I think about it, the more I think it'll be impossible to apply for this particular uni job, but the job ad gives me an idea of what I need to do to apply for future positions as they open up. It's now May, so there ought to be plenty of jobs on offer.
UPDATE: I've sent Cheongju University an email asking whether I can just give them what documents I already have ready if they're willing to wait for things like my criminal background check. I doubt I'll get an answer before Monday (if I get an answer at all). Better to ask now, though.
Damn, who knew getting a job would be such a job? It's been many years since you've lived in the USA; you'd think an employer would want a criminal record check from Korea. I have no clue about what's involved in getting documents apostilled. As you say, now that you know what you need, you can at least start the process and be ready for future vacancies. As I recall, age discrimination is a thing in Korea. Does mandatory retirement at 60 apply to university work?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it's been said that nothing worth having comes easily, so maybe this job will be great. Good luck jumping through all those hoops.
Thanks. We'll see.
DeleteThe apostilled criminal background check is going to take forever if you have to have the actual physical document. I do know that it can be done online these days, though, so you may want to ask if that is possible. I had to get a physical copy of mine back when I applied, and it took months--not just the apostille, but the FBI had to get their act together, etc. I ended up having to send my folks down to DC to pick it up (I framed it as an all-expenses-paid vacation to the nation's capital).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I would get on that ASAP, because that's probably going to be your biggest hurdle. They may also want a Korean criminal background check, but that is a trip to the police station and a wait of about ten minutes and you're done.
(To John: Mandatory retirement age is 65, and it applies to everyone, professors included.)
For my DCU job, all I had to get was a local criminal background check. There's a large police station just up the street from me, walking distance, where I can get fingerprinted and request an in-country criminal background check (or, being good bureaucrats, they can point me to the regional office where I can do all of that). I'll still need to get the FBI record (which, alas, is going to show a dropped assault charge since I never moved to have the dropped charge expunged) and the apostille, though.
DeleteBut I see that getting the apostilled FBI doc starts by obtaining fingerprints locally. FBI requirements are such that you can't simply attempt to fingerprint yourself at home, which is another reason to visit a Korean police station. I guess I've got a lot to do on Monday:
1. visit the bank and send off $500 to my US account
2. sign my new rental contract for my apartment
3. visit local police station, get fingerprinted
4. at local police station, request another criminal background check
5. after fingerprinting, start process to obtain FBI record and then get the record apostilled
I might have to do (3) and (4) elsewhere, but the station is large enough for me to think it serves the entire 구 and not just my 동.