Gone2Korea has credible jobs at reputable schools available year round. We currently accept teacher applications up to one year in advance, although files do not become active until 4-6 months prior to the contract starting date.
When are the majority of jobs available in the public school sector?
Public schools hire new teaching staff at the start of each semester, March 1st and September 1st, each year. We can begin submitting new applications 6 months prior to the starting date; therefore, if you’re interested in starting a public school job in March we can begin working on your application as early as September. Likewise, if you’re interested in securing a job for the second semester (September) then we can begin working on your application as early as April.
Note: Contracts officially commence at the start of March and September each year; however, teachers are expected to arrive early in order to complete the training and orientation. Applicants should be prepared to depart around February 17th and August 20th respectively.
If you’d like to start early then please feel free to send us your application earlier than 6 months in advance. We will be happy to keep your details on file and submit your profile on the opening day.
Things to consider in the public sector
Jobs in the public school sector are filled on a first-come, first serve basis - assuming your application is accepted and you pass the interview stages. In short, the earlier you submit an application the better chance you’ll have at securing employment in the city or province your prefer most.
The ideal time to submit an application for the first semester (February) is between June and October of the previous year. Meaning, if you’re interested in a February 2012 start date then submitting your application sometime between June and October of 2011 is ideal. Likewise, if you’re aiming for the September semester then submitting an application sometime between January and May of the same year is ideal.
When are the majority of jobs available in the private school sector?
Jobs in the private sector are available year round; although, the majority of jobs in this segment of the market open up in February & August each year.
We would like to tell you that we have unlimited jobs available and that we’re able to accommodate everyone who applies but doing so would only be misleading. Gone2Korea is one of the largest ESL recruiting companies that deals with Korea and we can tell you from experience that teachers are more likely to secure jobs (with working conditions and locations they prefer) during the peak hiring sessions.
We do have lots of private school jobs available during the off months but we receive lots of applications so accommodating everyone during the slow season is quite difficult. Note: Due to the limited number of vacancies during the slow season applicants may need to offer some flexibility with regards to student age groups, preferred working locations, etc. Either way, our staff obviously does their best to accommodate as many requests as possible.
When is the ideal time to submit an application for jobs in the private sector?
Submitting your application 4-6 months prior to your desired departure/starting date is ideal. This gives both parties (you and us) adequate time to address your concerns, secure your documents and complete the visa procedures without stringent deadlines.
We also have the capacity to accommodate ASAP requests when such positions are available. Assuming applicants have the required documents at their disposal then it’s sometimes possible to have teachers in Korea within 4 weeks of their application submission date.
When to apply - Summary
Public Schools – March Semester: 6-9 months prior to February is ideal, although 4-6 months is usually sufficient (ASAP requests will be accommodated if jobs are still available)
Public Schools – September Semester: 6-9 months prior to September is ideal, although 4-6 months is usually sufficient (ASAP requests will be accommodated if jobs are still available)
Private Schools: 4-6 months prior to your desired starting date is ideal (ASAP requests will be accommodated whenever possible).
