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Is it possible for me to get a job in Korea?
Jul
17
2011
Before I begin, I would like apologize for the wall of text.
I’m quite young (16 years old), and from the Netherlands. My wish is to get a job in Korea as an English teacher when I’m older.
I’ve did some research and read that only natives of a country where English is the primary language are allowed to teach in Korea.
So my question is: Do I have any chance to get a job there by doing certain things or should I just give up on that dream?
Some information:
I’d say my level of English is rather good and it might even improve considering I haven’t finished high school yet.
I attend high school on a havo-level (not sure if anyone here is familiar with that term, but it literally means ‘higher general continued education’). I currently am on my summer holiday and have one year of school left to finish. I plan to finish high school and what I do next depends on what I need to get a job in Korea, if I can get one at all. I’ve read that you only need a bachelor’s degree to get a job there but I assume that applies to those native to an English speaking country.
I don’t look white, despite being from the Netherlands. I am multiracial (Portuguese, Indonesian, German, Dutch, and African). I’d say that I look like a mix of someone from Spain and southeast Asia. I have black hair, brown eyes and an olive skin.
Tags: dutch, job, korea, non-native, possible
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Answer #2
Hi Lauren,
I’m afraid the answer to your question is ‘no’. Unless you’ve lived, own a passport and been schooled (attained a degree) in one of the qualifying countries then you cannot get a visa.
You need:
1. A passport from one of the native English speaking countries (not neccessarily born there, just have a passport).
2. Have a degree from a university/college in one of the native speaking countries.
3. Have a criminal background clearance from one of the native speaking countries.
There are different requirements depending on the type of job you want. With public school jobs you have to have attended school in a relevant country since grade 7 onwards, although restrictions for this requirement can ease depending on the government body responsible for your employment.
Sorry about the bad news.
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Answer #1
Shoot. I just noticed a grammar mistake I made in my post. With all the different sentences going through my head I should’ve proofread it first. Oh well.