Application Tips and Advice - Resumes, Photos and Cover Letters

Schools don’t have the convenience of being able to conduct in person interviews. Whether a school requests an interview with you depends on a few small variables: the recruiter’s input, your resume, your photo(s) and a cover letter.

Teachers need to remember…YOU’RE SELLING YOURSELF TO THE SCHOOLS!

Resume To Teach English In Korea - When you submit your resume to a placement agency it should look professional. If you submit a lousy resume that looks like it was put together in 5 minutes then hiring directors will automatically assume that you're not serious about the position and you may be overlooked.

Remember, you’re going to Korea to teach and schools don’t care if you have a degree in rocket science, or that you are an award winning engineer 5 years in a row, etc, etc. Teaching is a social job and the schools want to know that you’re friendly, able to work with people and have a legitimate interest in teaching. 

If you don’t have formal experiences as a teacher then make sure to include any (and all) volunteer work you’ve done, coaching, mentoring, baby sitting, counselling, etc. The best way to include this information on your resume is to place a section at the top labelled: Work Related Experiences.

Photo Required For Application- When you provide recruiters and placement agencies with your photo it should look professional. If you submit a picture of yourself in a ripped t-shirt, sitting on the beach, high fiving your friend, or standing in a bar, hiring schools will not take your application as seriously as someone who looks professional and is willing to take the time to send a decent photo. We advise submitting a photo that makes you look friendly, clean cut and professional. The photo should also be a front shot, not a side shot, glamour shot, etc.

Recruiter Interviews - Although you may not be asked specific teaching related questions during your discussions with recruiters, recruiters are still listening to how you speak and present yourself verbally as a person. Ultimately it is a character reference and you are being judged. Recruiters are not going to present shy, arrogant, unfriendly, etc. people to their better schools.

Cover Letters – Although cover letters are not a requirement, they do (at times) help. A cover letter shows the recruiter and schools that you are serious about teaching overseas. Cover letters are also a great way to introduce yourself (to recruiters and schools) and an effective way of explaining why you’re interested in teaching abroad. Remember to keep the cover brief (1-2 paragraphs) and to the point, going overboard and writing a 5 page introdcution is not required.

ESL Certificates – People who apply without related majors or teaching credentials may want to consider looking into an ESL Certification program (i.e. TEFL Certifcation,, TESOL certification, CELTA certification, etc.) Although these certifications are not a mandatory requirement for securing a job and visa, they sometimes have an impact on your placement, especially in the public school sector. Note: Public schools offer higher salaries to those who apply with a 100hr (or more) ESL certificate. Private schools don’t usually offer a higher salary for having this credential; however, it will make your application more appealing to potential employers.

Gone2Korea recommends getting your TEFL diploma through TEFL Online. TEFL Online is an accredited course offering a dynamic online learning environment with live support and teaching assistance.

When to Apply – Please visit our when to apply page for more information