Program Reviews

Coming to Korea is a bit decision, and I had a ton of questions, both in terms of Korean culture as well as the actual steps in becoming a teacher. Korvia, and especially Ann Park, answered each and every questions promptly and completely. She really helped to calm my nerves, and Korvia, being a Korean company, gave me an immediate connection to the country I have called home for these past two years. At every step in the process, Korvia was there to help. They made sure I understood the documents I needed to get and asked for updates to ensure everything was going to plan. It is already overwhelming to think about moving to another country, and I think it would have been way too much for me to handle the entire application process on my own on top of that. Korvia took some of the burden off me and handled communication with EPIK for me. As soon as I arrived at the airport, Korvia staff were there to greet me and give me a free phone to use until I could get my own. That's just part of the great service they provide. Once we got settled in Korea, Korvia offers parties and fun activities for its recruits, but I, unfortunately, wasn't able to attend because I didn't live in Seoul. Still, it is nice that they want to continue to connect with recruits and support us even after we have arrived. I stayed in contact via email, and it was always pleasant to hear from Korvia. Thank you Korvia for getting me to Korea. It has been a fantastic 2 years working at a middle school in Daegu, and I'm so glad to have had this amazing experience.

My recruiter was Sarah and she was amazing. This is a fantastic company that helps you along every step of the way, which is exactly why I chose Korvia. They are extremely professional and always answer you with a quick response! Sarah was there to answer every little detail I had as well as help review and correct my application. I couldn't be happier with the outcome and my placement here in Daejeon. Thank you guys for all your help!

I originally applied to the EPIK program through another recruiter. Unfortunately, EPIK rejected me, and when my previously enthusiastic and "dedicated" recruiter found out, he dropped me like a hot potato and told me, "Have a nice life". To say I was devastated, was an understatement. I worked very hard to prepare myself for the EPIK application process and the possibility of moving to another country.

I was determined to find a teaching position in Korea. I knew there were other possible outlets. I just needed a reputable recruiter to help me explore those options. So I applied to Korvia Consulting! I was paired with Sarah as my recruiter, and I can tell you that she has been such a great support through my entire process.

Interview:

When I applied to Korvia, my application was pre-screened, then I was offered an interview with a recruiter (Sarah). This interview was maybe 15 minutes total. I believe the purpose of this email is to decipher individuals who are truly passionate about wanting to teach in Korea, from those who are looking for a free vacation. My advice is to be prepared when entering this interview. Know why you want to teach, and how you plan to teach. What is your teaching style (again, do your research if you do not know)? Where do you want to teach? I would suggest that you be pretty flexible with your options, mainly because Seoul is one of the hardest places to find a position now-a-days due to the lack of funding. Maybe consider the GEPIK program. Many locations in Gyeonggi-do are within an hour subway metro ride to Seoul. Either way, even if you are not placed anywhere near Seoul, the experience of living in another country and immersing yourself in a different culture should be a great opportunity all together.

Finding placement

I would say that this portion of the job process was the longest. Although Sarah was my official recruiter, all of the Korvia recruiters will send you descriptions of job openings. I could get 1 or 2 everyday. It was my duty to respond to these emails and tell the recruiters whether I was interested or not. If I was interested, then the recruiter would send my information (application and introduction video) to the school. It was at that point the school would decided whether they wanted to have an interview with me or not. Though this process sounds pretty easy, it was hard finding a school that wanted to interview me. I went 4 months without any interviews. The first an only school to interview me, ended up being the school that hired me!

DOCUMENTS, DOCUMENTS, DOCUMENTS!

As I mentioned early, be prepared. Already have your documents done, or in the process of being done. As for me, I had my documents done VERY early (August 2014). Therefore my background check expired (it only lasts 6 months). So once I received my job placement, I had to basically travel the entire United States to have my background check submitted, certified, and apostilled (I literally flew to Washington D.C. to have my background check apostilled in person).
Anyways, despite how crazily hectic everything was, Sarah and Ann Park stood by my side and reassured me continuously along the way. They were very organized. Once they received my documents in the mail they informed me right away. They made sure that things went smoothly despite my situation.

Additional Assistance

One of the main reasons I chose to apply through Korvia,is because of the services they provide you.
When my plane arrived in Korea, Korvia had a driver meet me at the airport and drive me directly to my apartment.
They also provided me with a preloaded Korean SIM phone card so I was able to communicate with people here in Korea and at home. The SIM card has about 30 minutes preloaded on it, but you can add more time and internet data if you want.

Placement

Since I was denied by EPIK, my next option was to apply through GEPIK, so my placement is located in Namyangju, Korea (about an hour east of Seoul). What I can say, is that despite it being considered "rural", it is still a pretty hustling town. I cannot say that your town will be similar to mine, but I can say that, you will be within a 30-45 minute distance of an Emart or shopping area (what I have deduced from other teachers working and living in the Gyeonggi-do area). I was stringent about wanting to teach at a public school, and I was awarded just that. From what I understand, private schools are quickly becoming the route to go because of reduced funding for the native teachers. I am happy with my school, co-teachers, students, and location.

Social Activities

Korvia is trying to bridge together their teachers through parties during the spring, summer, and fall. I was able to attend the Spring 2015 party, and was able to meet many teachers who have become good friends. I really appreciate this step they are taking, because this is one of the only times I get to interact with other foreigners in a open and comfortable environment, other than the GEPIK orientation.

All-in-all I was extremely satisfied with my experience through Korvia Consulting. I would HIGHLY recommend them if you are considering teaching English here in South Korea!

This is my eighth year in Korea. In spring of this year, I needed to find a new school for the first time in four years. A good friend of mine has spoken highly of Korvia Consulting for a while, so I signed up with them. Ann Park, Jessie Kim, and the rest of the staff did an excellent, thorough, professional job from my first contact with Korvia through my new placement, and after.

I had used a couple of other recruiting services in the past. One went out of business and the other was the exact opposite of Korvia: it was obvious that staff members did communicate well with each other, and were even worse when it came to providing information to me. Korvia always communicated with me in a timely manner, and made the process feel personal, positive, and even friendly.

I highly recommend Korvia Consulting to anyone interested in teaching English in South Korea.

If you're planning on teaching in Korea, use Korvia! They helped me with every aspect of the application process and were able to answer any question that I have. I've been in Korea for over a year and still working in the schools they placed me in. I've really haf such a wonderful experience. Especially wheb I compare it to my friends who did not go through Korvia.

Since I arrived in Korea, I have been with Korvia. They have always been professional and have assisted me with every step of the application process - and there have been several. They have provided me with excellent institutions to work at. Schools that have been nothing but good to me. It has been 6 years already and they have very recently placed me in a marvelous position at an excellent institution. I am exceedingly grateful.

Ann Park has always had my back and goes out of her way to help me. That is why I recommend this company and her by name, to my friends and newcomers. When I call, she remembers me and she is never too busy to help me.

I appreciate them looking out for me so much.

Blessings!

I had heard many good things about Korvia Consulting from friends and various people over the past few years in Korea. Everyone was happy to have Korvia as a recruiter and recommended them to me. I have lived in Korea for the past five years and, unfortunately, had some not so great recruiters over those years. After meeting with Korvia... wow! What a breath of fresh air!

They call themselves the Kovia team but I think Korvia family is more suitable. The recruitment process does take some time and there is a lot of back and forth communication involved. Even after having gone through the recruiting process a few times previously, there were still a few hiccups along the way with getting documents signed and approved. My recruiter was great in replying to my emails promptly (does she sleep???), following up with me, and was very pleasant and genuinely helpful.

I also was fortunate enough to meet the Korvia team at their workplace. They were very warm and welcoming and looking around at their desks I could see how busy and dedicated they were to being really good recruiters. Korvia also keeps in touch with you after you've started working and will help you with your transition to a new school and any challenges you may encounter. I would recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone who is coming to Korea for the first time and even for the seasoned vets still teaching over here. Get in touch with them today and let them help ease your transition into Korea! Also, welcome to Korea! ^^

TL:DR Great people, amazingly helpful, quick responses, above and beyond service. Basically, your success = their success. They want you to succeed!

12/10 would recommend again!

Applying to a public school system across the world is a really intimidating process. EPIK has very specific nuances about so many important documents, so it was important for me to seek out a recruiting company that was established and knowledgeable so that I could get it right the first time. There are a ton of recruiting companies out there but in retrospect I'm really glad I chose Korvia because of my recruiter, Sarah Lim. The quality of your recruiter can make or break your experience. It's not just about getting you hired, which Sarah was fantastic at, but about the follow-up as well.

I have already been in Korea for four months teaching in Busan, and I JUST received (because the IRS takes forever to do anything) a super important tax document (Residency Certificate... *shudders*) personally forwarded to my school by my recruiter. That is AMAZING, it's been five months since I've even thought about the thing. Most recruiters cut ties when you get hired, but mine has been keeping regular tabs on me and inviting me to different Korvia events and what not. I'm not particularly needy, and I don't really ask for help all that much, so I'm really glad I had someone behind the scenes making sure that I got my first choice in location and helping me feel welcomed since day one in Korea. Keep it up Korvia!

I've lived in Korea for seven years and have used Korvia to find a public school position (GEPIK) twice. They are honest, which is more than I can say for other recruiters! I love Korvia and can't recommend them highly enough. I worked with Ann Park, and she was totally open to my ideas and suggestions, but honest enough to put me in my place if I was being unreasonable. Since I used them, I have recommended them to many friends, and everyone has been more than satisfied with their work.

Korvia has been so helpful since the beginning. They listened to what it was that I was looking for, and found me just that. I am so thankful for all that they have done for me. To this day, even though I now am an English teacher here in Korea, we still keep in contact, and I know I can rely on them for anything.