update: another item off the checklist

It's a miracle! When I stopped searching for a 경력증명서/gyeong ryeok-jeungmyeong seo (employment certificate) and started looking for just a 증명서 (certification) in my now-extensive email archives, I found a certificate of employment (재직증명서/jaejik-jeungmyeong seo) from Daegu Catholic University, already in PDF form. Delighted, I downloaded it, renamed the file, and did a "save as" to get it into the proper folder. Done! I'd wasted a lot of time trying to register myself as ex-faculty on the Daegu Catholic University website, but when after registering, the website claims it had no record of me. Bullshit, but whatever. I'm now too happy to care.

This means that only Sookmyung Women's University is left, and an ex-coworker has given me a couple of avenues to explore (tax and pension documents). I also have one more on-campus ace up my sleeve: my very own Chef Jean-Pierre (not the YouTube guy, but the baker and pastry chef), whom I'm seriously considering visiting just so he can come down to the third-floor office with me and attest that, yes, I had been a teacher in the Lingua Express department during the 2005-2008 period. If even his presence (he's apparently still faculty at Le Cordon Bleu in the same building where I'd taught) isn't enough to convince the Powers that be to print me a certificate, then I don't know what else to do. It could be that my ex-coworker's email about tax and pension documents might make a stronger case for me. I'll see how much I can look up online.

Meanwhile, another check:

Job stuff:

✓ cover letter (generic, but changed to fit each university)

✓ résumé
✓ a selfie

✓ a reference list (professional + character references)
✓ scans of school transcripts (undergrad & grad)
✓ a copy of my passport (2 pages)
✓ a scanned copy of my alien-residence card (2 sides)

✓ scanned copies of my diplomas (undergrad & grad)

☐ 1st diploma copy, converted to PDF & apostilled (coming soon)

☐ 2nd diploma copy, converted to PDF & apostilled (coming soon)

☐ FBI criminal background check, apostilled

✓ 1st letter of recommendation, converted to PDF

☐ 2nd letter of recommendation, converted to PDF (coming soon)

☐ 3rd letter of recommendation, converted to PDF (coming soon)

✓ copy of 1st certificate of employment (2015-2025) (Golden Goose)

✓ copy of 2nd certificate of employment (2014-2015) (Dongguk)

✓ copy of 3rd certificate of employment (2013-2014) (DCU)

☐ copy of 4th certificate of employment (2005-2008) (SMU)

☐ health check; scan form and convert to PDF for job hunting

Personal stuff:

☐ colonoscopy scheduling

☐ completed (& uploaded) first movie-review ebook ms

✓ my phone as a wireless remote control for PowerPoint on my laptop

☐ sample lessons for universities that prove interested in me

☐ sample lessons for KMA (which probably won't hire me)

☐ lessons for private tutoring (lower priority)—test prep & various subjects

☐ more Substack material to last through September

☐ more interactive quizzes for Substack (w/different question formats)

☐ ebook version of the first movie-review book, published

☐ ms for the second movie-review book (long-term project)—start working on it

UPDATE: one step closer. I took my ex-coworker's advice, figured out how to get into the HomeTax site, and printed a tax report (to PDF) from 2004 to 2009 to show the stubborn SMU office. And right there on the report, it says my employer was Sookmyung Women's University. I'm just gonna send that puppy tonight, and if even that's not enough, then I really have no reason to bother Jean-Pierre except to say salut. Sending the report now. Fingers and tentacles and other dangling extremities crossed.