The Korvia Process

This post will be all about the documents you need, how to get them, and when you should start to get everything in order.

First of all here is a list of all of the documents you need:

1. Korvia application form
2. Resume
3. Diploma
4. Official sealed transcripts
5. Photocopy of passport
6. Criminal Record
7. Passport size photo
8. Two reference letters
9. Teaching certifiction or TESOL certification

Remember this is for the Korvia program and to get a teaching job in South Korea. Although many other companies and countries will probably want many of the same documents.

1. The application form was really easy to fill out. Most of it was basic information, name, date of birth, and so on. There is a 500 word essay but that too wasn't so difficult. I just wrote about why I wanted to go to South Korea and why I wanted to teach. I also talked about how I would handle the cultural differences that I would face when I moved there. In the last paragraph a talked about my teaching philosophy. The last part of the application was writing a lesson plan. My lesson plan was on verbs ending in "ing." The lesson plan needs to be written in the form of a script. I also included example dialogs between me and fictional students, students that did and didn't understand and how I would explain it in a different way. I also included blank worksheets that would be used for the lesson.

2. The resume should be up to date, accurate, include a cover letter, and look professional. There are plenty of sites to go on to help you set up one if need be. You should email your resume and cover letter in along with your application form. 

3. Your diploma needs to be mailed, not emailed, so I would suggest mailing everything that needs to be mailed all at once to save yourself some money. If you are currently graduating from college and need to wait to send your diploma and transcripts then you will have to send your things in two different packages.

4. The transcripts can be purchased from the registers office at your University. This also needs to be mailed to South Korea. 

5. The photocopy of your passport is just that a photocopy. It needs to be of the page that has your picture and information. I got a colored copy of mine, but I'm not sure that it matters if it is in color or in black and white. 

6. To get your criminal record background check you need to go to: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/criminal-history-summary-checks/submitting-a-criminal-history-summary-request-to-the-fbi
You need to fill out the form and mail it with a return addressed envelope along with the $18 fee and your fingerprint card. Go to your local police station and ask to get your fingerprints taken for a FBI background check. The address to mail the form to is:

FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

Once you get your background check  back you will need to send if off to get it apostilled. The form can be found here: http://forms.cerenade.com/esdotnet/editdocument.aspx?documentid=309
There is an $8 fee. The address to send it to is:

      U.S. Department of State
      Authentications Office
      518 23rd Street NW.
      SA-1,  Columbia Plaza,
      Washington, DC 20520

This can be a long process so it is important to start it as soon as possible. It took me about three months to complete the entire process.

7. You can get a passport sized photo at your local CVS or Walgreen's. Its quick and only costs some like $10.

8. The two reference letters can not be from friends of family. Mine were from my practicum co-teacher and my long time professor. You should send a scanned copy with your application but hold on to the original copies because you will need to send them in the mail later on.

9. If you are a certified teacher you will need to send an emailed copy of it to Korvia. If you aren't a certified teacher than You will need to take the online course TESOL. I am a certified teacher so I didn't take the TESOL course.

Korvia!

As I had said in my last post that I looked at many different countries I likewise looked into many different companies to go through. Korvia was the best and safest company to go through by far. Check out the Korvia website: http://www.korvia.com/

The Korvia website is extremely informative and easy to navigate. The Korvia company really takes care of us! You have one consultant (Ciena Bahk is mine) that is able to answer any question you might have during the year long process of getting over there.

One of the big things I was worried about as choosing a company that would abandon me the second I stepped off the plan or put me in a school that would close half way through the year. All of which can happen if you aren't careful in picking a company. Korvia will not do any of these!

There is a couple that have lived in South Korea for five years now and if you are serious in being interested in moving to South Korea you should really check out their website: http://www.eatyourkimchi.com/

They started off as teachers in South Korea as well and the company they went through was, that's right you guessed it, Korvia! They even did a video on how Kovia is better than the other companies.
Check out their video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e711fpz4wn4

Background Info

Hi there everyone! My name is Kelsey and I am a first time blogger. This blog is mostly for the benefit of my family and friends back home, but people that are interested in learning more about the country of South Korea, are planning on moving to or visiting South Korea, or plan on teaching in a foreign country might also find my blog interesting and useful.

A little background on me might be helpful to the people that aren't my family or friends. I am 22 years old and in less than two months I will be moving to South Korea. While in South Korea I will be teaching English. I am from the United States but, anyone from a country where the native language is English can come to South Korea to teach.

I just graduated from Westfield State University with a degree in Elementary Education. I decided to be a teacher around the age of six and never really looked back. I took my first trip out of the country when I was 18 years old and fell in love with traveling and experiencing other cultures. During the summer when I was 21 I took a trip to Ireland. While I was there I was talking to a high school girl. She told me all about this history teacher that she had that was from the States. I never really thought that combining my two passions in life was even possible until that moment. If I taught English then I could travel and teach!!!

I got home from Ireland and started looking into which countries I could teach abroad in. After months, I kid you not I was very thorough, I had decided on South Korea. I can't tell you exactly why South Korea won out over all the rest. It just felt like the best fit for me. So there it is. I'm moving to South Korea. I start the journey to get there almost a full year ago and now it's almost here!

Stay tuned for more information on how I got everything I needed to make this all possible and what company I chose to go through.