Teach English in South Korea with CIEE | Includes TEFL Certification & Rent Free Housing

If you are considering working abroad in South Korea, let this be your sign to do it! I was really nervous to come to Korea, as I had never been and didn't know too much about the country. But I think this is one of the best decisions I have ever made for a few reasons:
1. The program: there is tons of program support here and its well organized. EPIK orientation is a great way to meet people and familiarize yourself with the country and the job. Having the support of my co-teachers and other GETs has made my transition so much smoother. For me, having the housing provided was a really big plus as well.
2. The people: everyone I have met has been friendly and welcoming, and there are great opportunities to make friends.
3. the country: It has been such a fun and interesting experience to live here. It's a great mix of city and nature, traveling in Korea is super accessessable with the KTX. I am in Busan and I find the city to be very clean and safe. Theres tons of great food, clubs/activities to join, and life is generally affordable.
I didn't know what to expect when coming to Korea, and I was nervous about making friends, being a teacher, and navigating living in a new country. I have been surprised by how well all of these things have gone, and I think a lot of that is thanks to a well designed program in a great place. Korea has been more amazing than I could have imagined and I would recommend it to anyone!

So far experience has been pretty good. Finding an in person practicum for teaching hours for TEFL was a nightmare, but eventually I found one.

As for living in Korea there is very little "moving in" period. Once you get your housing its almost like less than 24 hours.
That being said taking care of all the documents could be difficult since banks and offices are usually closed on the weekends and you work all day at work, either you go REALLY early in the morning or its going to be closed. Also not all jobs pay for your ticket to Korea, so keep that in mind.

Still the pay is as advertised no surpises, also the housing is nice although its not always going to be close; it takes me around 40 minutes to get to work each day and another to get back. The work itself is like any job, some days are harder than others , but it seems to be going well.

In conclusion, pay is great, the team is helpful, and respond quickly. However, the housing is not always close, and there is almost never anytime to get personal documents for living arrangements done.
Would recommend!

CIEE has been a big part of my success and preparation as an EPIK English teacher in Korea. From the second I applied to CIEE, they were ready to help me with everything. While applying they guide you on step-by-step application tips, the visa process, and even tips with interviews and so much more as they provide assistance through the staff and as well as a special canvas page with preparation pages. I think if I hadn't applied to teach abroad through CIEE, I would not have gotten as far as I have.

Teaching abroad in South Korea has been such a great experience! I’ve only been here for two months, but I already love it. The culture is amazing, and it’s been really fun to be part of it both in and out of the classroom. The students are eager to learn, and while teaching English has its challenges, it’s so rewarding. My coworkers have been super supportive, which has made adjusting a lot easier.

What really surprised me is how much easier daily life here is than I expected. That was something I was worried about. Things like public transportation and recycling are so organized and straightforward. Most things here are convenient and easy to figure out.

Outside of work, I’ve loved exploring the local food and culture. There’s always something new to experience. Overall, teaching in Korea has been even better than I imagined, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my time here brings!

My experience has been great so far! The only disappointment I got was that my recruiter could have definitely told me that with my certifications and experience that I’ve had prior to traveling and working in Korea could have gotten me a better salary. Everything else is good. Location is great! The people I work with are also great!! Next year I will be trying for a better position and hopefully it will work out and have better benefits because now it’s unfortunately a no go. I hope better opportunities will come.

Going into this program, I had already experienced Korean life to some degree. However, teaching was new territory that made me feel quite nervous and out of place. However, CIEE did an excellent job providing support and resources to make the transition much easier.

My housing is admittedly one the smaller side, but I feel it is ideal for one person. Likewise, my school is very comfortable and not too far from my housing. I would say I got lucky in this respect. While it is not perfect, my program experience so far has been worth the effort and I am learning a lot very quickly.

I decided to teach abroad with CIEE because they made it so easy to get my TEFL certification and helped me with every step of the EPIK application process. Now that I’m here, I have had the most wonderful experiences exploring South Korea. I was placed in my first choice city and I’ve already been connected with several other English teachers so it was easy to settle in and make friends.

CIEE also organized a trip to Seoul for their teachers and study abroad students. They took care of everything for us from hotel to meals to transportation. 10/10

Here is my story and I hope it helps others who are interested in teaching abroad understand the impact that it can have on your life. I first found CIEE at the end of 2016. I knew that I wanted to teach abroad, but I wasn’t sure how to get started. When I first applied, I was paired up with Luke Beland, who to this day I cannot express the amount of appreciation I have for him. I wanted to work in the public school system and after completing my TEFL and my application, I interviewed with the Epik program but unfortunately due to a mistake on my end, I was not given the position. Luke called me to let me know of the issue and that I couldn’t continue with public schools, but he told me that it wasn’t too late and that I could move my application to a hagwon. There were only 2 weeks left, so I knew I had to work hard to get the chance to go in 2017. After I completed my end, he got me an interview with a hagwon in Paju and I passed! I was so excited that I was finally going to go to Korea! He made the process for pre-departure very easy, including the visa process. When I arrived in Korea, I did experience a bit of a culture shock. I thought my work ethic was superb but seeing the long hours and hard work from the Korean teachers and their expectations was next level. It wasn’t to the point that I would quit or felt overwhelmed, but it definitely made me work harder and become more flexible. CIEE set the expectations for me beforehand and in my interview, I was told most of the tasks I would need to complete but doing and seeing it in person is a little different. I’m happy to say that rising to the challenge helped me grow in ways I didn’t know was possible. That’s why I would like to stress to people who are interested in going abroad that being flexible and accepting of the country’s culture (including the work culture) is crucial to getting the most out of the experience in a positive way. CIEE did offer an orientation and multiple get togethers in my first year. I was happy to meet other teachers that would be in a short distance from me. Although I was in Paju and the meeting was in Seoul, it wasn’t hard to get to. Korea’s public transportation is really the best in the world, in my opinion, and going to the orientation prepared me for using it during my stay. I was happy to also meet the in-country team that would be supporting me during my time, although I think I contacted Luke more and he was always willing to help.
My salary was standard, as all my other friends who didn’t use CIEE, received the same pay. I know people might think 2.1 KRW isn’t a lot for the month, but when you don’t need to pay rent, utilities, TV, etc. it really goes a long way. I was able to use that money to travel all around Korea and experience so many of their different festivals. I fell in love with country, the job, and the kids. I decided after my contract ended, to stay on with my hagwon. I was promoted to Head Foreign Teacher. Soon after, I got married and due to my husband’s job location, we relocated to Gimpo, where I had my first child. The hagwon in Gimpo was definitely a bit more demanding, which made me understand that not all hagwons are the same and I really appreciated the one that Luke set me up with. I eventually moved back to the States with my husband and now 2 children. Besides meeting my other half and having my two bundles of joy, I took so much away from my time in Korea. I feel truly fortunate to have had this amazing experience and it all started with CIEE and a coordinator who did not give up on me, even when things didn’t look so rosy. So, if you are reading this, I hope you can take away from it that getting the right organization to help you in the beginning is very important! It’s important to get off on the right foot and to feel supported as the first year can be the most difficult due to assimilating to a new culture. Also, being open and flexible will help you not to take things so harshly and can eliminate a lot of the stress that may come from going abroad. It helps you appreciate the opportunity you have and to take full advantage of learning and adapting to a new culture. Finally, if you are looking for a game changer in your life, this might really be a program for you!