I did a lot of research before I came and talked to a few veterans of Korea who gave me advice on what avoid and what to look for. Because of this (and maybe a little luck), I found a really good school.
Don't learn the hard way...there's a wealth of information out there...at least check out the Korea link on Dave's ESL Cafe and at least one of the "Grey Lists", which have information on specific schools.
For every email you send a school or recruiter expect to get a job offer and the accompaning phone calls. Of the emails I sent out the first day, I heard back from almost all of them the next day. I got a little lucky cause most of them couldn't read my resume. I had posted it in .pdf format, which many weren't able to view so they couldn't get my phone number. I say lucky because many schools I sent emails to didn't sound very good but I figured that since I already had the resume and coverletter written up, what could it hurt to send an email. It matters cause you don't need the hassle of a desperate director phoning you every couple days to see if you've changed your mind.
Once I had narrowed it down to the schools I wanted to come to, I didn't return emails to the others. One director that I spoke too but decided that his school wasn't what I was looking for actually got my number after I had come here and tried to lure me to his school knowing that I had already begun teaching at another.
Be careful where you decide on because once you sign the contract you can't pick up and leave unless you get a release letter from your school which isn't very likely.
Don't be afraid to negotiate items of a contract to try to avoid some of the things that cause people to make that "midnight run" back home; Split-shifts, very young kids, Directors who are lousy businessmen, long hours, high teacher turnover, large class sizes, among others can be a nightmare.
Also, keep in mind that Recruiters are paid to get you to Korea and there are many that will tell you anything you want to hear to get you on that plane...beware. You can deal directly with schools...if they don't have someone there that speaks English fluently enough to talk to you directly (or is too overworked) then you probably aren't going to enjoy your time teaching.
Talk to one, or better yet two, teachers at the school...but keep in mind that you may be talking to a recruiter and not an actual teacher.
I still say that you're better off to come to Korea first so that you can check out a school first hand. Also, you end up with a free flight to somewhere (usually Osaka) to get your visa. BUT, when you don't know anyone here it's a little scary. It's much easier to sign a contract cause so that you have a place to stay once you get here and someone meeting you at the airport.
If you have any questions or want to know anything else, feel free to email me ([email protected]). I've always answered everyone who has emailed me with questions.
