I love questions from readers! Search my blog to see if your question has already been answered - if it hasn't, e-mail me at chrisinsouthkorea AT gmail DOT com.

A reader writes in asking about interviews:

Hi Chris,

I have really been enjoying your blog while I am going through the process of moving to South Korea for an ESL job myself.

When I searched your blog I couldn't find any info about how it went when you were interviewing with schools to get jobs.

• What kind of questions did they ask?
  
• Was it difficult to understand them? Was their English very good?
  
• Since you have interviewed for a couple of job while there... are there typical things they are looking for you to say in an interview?
• Is there something I might say or do in an interview that will screw it up for me?

I hope that you can find time to get back to me.

Thanks for your help via your blog -- very informative! [M.G.]

Hi M.G.,

Phone interviews are a mixed bag. On one hand you may get the director, principal, or owner of the school to do your interview in varying levels of English. On the other hand, the job might be passed off to one of the native English teachers that currently works at the school. The former is far more common, although the latter may be used by a director that trusts that particular teacher.

By the time you make it to the interview process, a decision has usually been made - this step may actually be a formality to confirm the answers they've already heard from you or about you. Questions about your work experience or educational background would fall into this category. While they're not trying to catch you in a lie (you didn't lie, right?), they're the same sort of things you'd probably ask to confirm vital information. They might also ask things from a different angle or in a different way, depending on their English levels.

The biggest rule to follow is to simply be polite. If you know any Korean, this would be a GREAT time to show that off. The second-biggest rule is to speak slowly. Avoid idioms, colloquialisms, and other non-standard or casual language - English is not their first language, so their understanding may be limited to standard or formal language. You'll get a feel for how well they can communicate in the first couple minutes of the interview - adapt accordingly. That's a good thing to remember once you've arrived as well.

Once you're in Korea and looking for another job, you're far more likely to meet them face-to-face. Those interviews can run the gamut from short and simple to giving a sample lesson in front of mock students. There's really no excuse to not meet face-to-face if you're in Korea

Is there something I might say or do in an interview that will screw it up for me?

"I love to drink"; "I was absent for several days from my last job because of bad hangovers"; "I'm always running late"; "I don't really care about my job", or other stupid statements of the same ilk. With few exceptions, Korean bosses will not care about your personal life, and may not aware of the fact that one may be desired. Their interest is ensuring that you'll show up, show up on time, do your job, try your best, make them look good, and so on.

Readers, time to share your interview stories or experiences. Any interesting, shocking, or just plain questions?

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© Chris Backe - 2010

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