Korean Horizons Reviews

I have been in South Korea for almost two weeks now and have had great experiences thus far and am hoping for many more!

Alistair was a great help throughout the many months leading up to this adventure. He helped ensure a smooth transition for me when moving and teaching abroad. He told me not to hesitate to reach out to him for any assistance during my tenure here.

I highly recommend him and Korean Horizons!!

I had no idea what I was doing upon signing up to teach abroad, but Korean Horizons guided me through each and every step. There were so many times that I thought that I wouldn't be able to complete my application with all the setbacks but they kept working with me to ensure that all was going well. Even when the deadline was getting close, he assured me that everything would be done in good time. Alistair and Sarah were so friendly and helpful, everything works better with them on your side.

My favourite part was the fact that Alistair stayed calm, even during my panic moments where I kept thinking to myself that I wasn't good enough as a candidate for the program and that maybe I wouldn't get hired or even chosen for an interview. He was great at getting rid of my self-doubt and explaining that I was what they were looking for. That would have to be the most reassuring statement I could have gotten, because I now understand that Korean Horizons looks for the people that will represent them well, and I am overjoyed to not only have been hired by my school, but also chosen as a candidate by Korean Horizons.

Alistair helped me through every step of the EPIK application process, which in itself is long and extensive. He gave me advice before my arrival in Korea and assisted me in every way he could.

The best part of applying through Korean Horizons, in my opinion, is that they asked us to arrive a day early, put us up in a hotel for the night and brought us for a meal. This meant that I had the chance to meet other EPIK teachers prior to orientation. No other recruiters did this as far as I know. Making friends so early after my arrival has made my transition to life in Korea much easier.

You also recieve a welcome pack including guide books and a T-money card.

I couldn't reccommend Korean Horizons more highly!

Alistair is very professional. He gave me all the information very clearly throughout the application process and answered any questions I had promptly and clearly.

He also supported me well after my arrival in Korea; he paid for my hotel after arriving in Korea (some other recruiters don't do this!) and gave me a lot of information and other useful things (books on language, teaching, sightseeing,a power adapter, and a public transportation card).

He also continues to support me have I any other questions.

I applied for the EPIK programme through Korean Horizons after a previous plan fell through. Alistair was consistently helpful throughout the process. He kept me up to date with all important information, and went the extra mile to try and arrange something when one of my documents was held up. The welcome at Incheon Airport was much appreciated by all of us. In summary, Korean Horizons exceeded all my expectations of a recruiter. Thank you Alistair!

Never liked the thought of using a recruiter to get a job. After reading review after review about how great Korean Horizons was I decided to at least talk with Alistair. He not only met the high expectations set by the internet but he exceeded them.

He was with me through the whole process. Helped before the interview. Helped after the interview when I did not think it went as good as it could have. Then helped with the visa process once I was offered the job. Picked me up from the airport and paid for the hotel that night. Next day drove me to my first day. Much needed service after 23 hours of traveling.

Currently in Korea and I have reached out a few times to him. He has been ultra responsive and helpful connector of information. This seems to be a negative for so many recruiters. Think of all the negative thoughts you have had or heard of for recruiters out there. Then take the opposite of everything you are thinking. That was my dealings with Korean Horizons.

I taught English in South Korea for two years, and got there through Korean Horizons. I highly recommend doing this! Alistair personally picked up the whole group of us from the airport, transported our luggage and ourselves to a guesthouse, and got us dinner. This was great because it meant we didn't immediately have to figure out how to navigate in a new country after a 14-hour flight. Alistair was always helpful and kind during our orientation. Having an awesome experience as a teacher, I contacted him again years later to return to Korea. Alistair remembered me and the other members of my intake group, and was more than happy to help me make my way back. He was super helpful in advising me on what it meant to be a returning teacher, and how to best swing my experience. I have recommended Korean Horizons to everyone thinking about teaching in South Korea, and I myself totally respect and trust Alistair to help prospective teachers find the best possible positions!

From the day I first contacted him to the moment I set foot in the airport in Seoul, Alistair at Korean Horizons took great care of me.
He was always prompt and helpful in his communication via skype/email and he gave me clear instructions for every step of the way. Each of the main steps to gain employment with EPIK can be tricky, but Alistair guided me through it all. He even offered some clever tips for the interview process.
Once we arrived, Alistair picked us up at the airport, shuttled us to our hotel, and then took us all out to dinner. We had a blast.
On top of it all, he gave us a bag full of handy books and materials to ease our transition to Korea.
Korean Horizons offers a service that goes above and beyond. I would recommend for anyone who is considering to teach in Korea to contact Alistair and let him be your guide.

I went to the ROK on two separate occasions and both times Alistair was absolutely amazing.
On my first attempt I was at a complete lost as to where to start. I had originally started my search on DavesESLCafe and replied to numerous postings on there. Many recruiters for both public and private schools responded with instructions on what to do next and informing me of various positions they had. They quickly built up my hopes and then just as quickly abandoned me without any further word. They literally just stopped contacting me after several weeks of correspondence. In hindsight I guess they had found someone to fill the position and didn't see the point in helping me find another.

Fast forward to Korean Horizons..
Literally within a month of contacting Alistair, I was in Korea. The process was so fast and efficient that I barely had time to register that I was heading to a foreign country for the first time in my life!! Before I knew it I was stepping off the plane and began feeling overwhelmed. Unlike some others who went through Korean Horizons, Alistair didn't meet me at the airport. It was off season and he was assisting another client on the other side of Korea. However, he left me with such detailed instructions that I felt as if he was there with me. From the moment I landed and throughout the year, Korean Horizons provided continuous support.

When I decided to go back to Korea for a second run, I bypassed all the job postings from other places and simply emailed Alistair directly. He gave me a list of available locations in the province of my choice and told me to order them in my preference. He claimed he couldn't make any guarantees to give me my first choice, but I ended up getting it! Alistair was considerate enough to give all the options and honest enough to tell me there were no guarantees, but it was clear that he really tried his best to make sure I got the position I most desired.

Both of my experiences with Korean Horizons were beyond exceptional and now they offer even more amenities like fronting you for your first purchases while waiting for your first paycheck. Korean Horizons is definitely the way to go if you want to work in a public school in Korea. If I ever decide to do another year, I have no doubt in my mind that I'll turn to Alistair again.

So Alistair has exceeded expectations in helping me with my application materials and all the issues that came with that (there were many), should I have had to resolve all these difficulties on my own I surely would have failed to meet requirements and receive a job. As I came during an off peak time I didn't have a group of EPIK teachers to socialise with but was still put up for the night in Incheon and then taxi'd to the Jeonbuk Office of Education where I met my Provincial Supervisors and then was taken to the city in which I would be teaching: Gochang.

As with such a big endeavor it is impossible not to have speed bumps throughout the process but for the most part (Applications, Communication and Travel) Korean Horizons, or should I say Alistair, really made me feel like if something bad happened, they would catch you before you hit the ground. I thank them for helping me have this opportunity and look forward to the rest of my work here in my lovely city.