UPDATED and ADDED 27 October 2010: Recruiters mentioned in the comments have been added to the list - readers, do your own due diligence, but having multiple, unsolicited, unpaid, positive recommendations from fellow expats is about as good as you can get.

A reader writes in:

Dear Chris,

First, an obligatory thank you for your blog. I've enjoyed reading it
for about a year or so.

I'd like to teach in Korea (I got a 36 on your "Should You Teach in
Korea" quiz!), but like so many others, I've heard a few horror stories
that make me nervous. I found your post on hagwon blacklists, and I know
you said you can't suggest any specific hagwons because there are so
many, but can you suggest any recruiters? I saw your post on what to
look for in a recruiter as well, but I was just wondering if you could
make my search a little easier.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
[C.C]

C.C.,

A 36 puts you in the right bracket, definitely :) I've written about recruiters, reliable hagwons, and how recruiters are a necessary evil, which might lead the uninformed to think they're a slimy bunch of people. Having worked with several (and heard about many others), I'm relieved to tell you that they're not all bad. Some can be a bit shady, while others just have a hard time staying on top of things or seeing things from the teachers' perspective. That they're paid by the schools is a conflict of interest; the result is a process that causes more headaches than it should.

There are a number of ideals for a good recruiter.

A good recruiter should:

• have a phone number, a website, and a street address. Contacting them should be the least of your worries.
• have success stories / references from teachers they've helped on their website
• advertise their jobs, or give enough information to tell you they actually have jobs available. Simply telling you to 'register' with their website tells you nothing about what jobs they may have for you.
• screen applicants and be honest about your job prospects from the start
  
• listen to and work with your preferences within reason.
• be open about the recruiting process, and the steps both you and the recruiter need to take.
• be friendly, but professional. There is definitely a balance here.
• sound organized when you talk to them. It's unfair to expect them to memorize your entire file, but it is fair to know what stage of the recruiting process you're at.
  

A good recruiter SHOULD NOT:

• ask you for money during the recruitment process. They make their money when you're placed at a school, just like a realtor makes their money when they sell a property. The school pays their recruiting fees, not you.
  
• ask you for your original diploma or other documents until / unless a firm job offer has been made.
• delay the process without good reason. "I'm waiting to hear back from the school" is acceptable within reason; "my staff hasn't finished filing their nails yet" is definitely not acceptable. If you get the former and it's been more than a few business days, move on.
  

As I've said with hagwons, I'm hesitant to name specific recruiters as that might appear to create an endorsement. I value my reputation as an independent / unbiased writer (e.g. I don't list stuff on my monthly calendar because someone paid me; I don't write glowing reviews of a place because of payment, etc.).

With that said, I've personally heard multiple, unsolicited, unpaid, positive responses of the following:

KorVia (one of several recruiters for GEPIK)
Footprints (supposedly provides lots of information)
Say Kimchi! Recruiting (has a native English staff and experienced English teachers)
ESL-planet (see the comments of this post for a couple reviews)

(Note that there are several other recruiters that are positively mentioned in the comments, but haven't received a second yet - if you've used them, shoutout!)

Again, these are not endorsements. I have not used them personally, and would not want to endorse something I haven't used. See this previous post for some more possibilities.

It should also be mentioned (HT to Steve, AKA the QiRanger on Youtube) that jobs are found in any number of ways - my current job was found through social networking, and plenty of your friends know there's an opening at their school coming up long before an ad goes up.

Readers in Korea: you've probably used some good recruiters in your time. Care to share? If you used any additional standards, comment away!

© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.