Post-Interview Positivity

I just finished my EPIK interview.

I feel relieved. And, to my surprise, very confident.

My interviewer added me on Skype several minutes late, but called me as soon as I accepted his request.

We did our introductions, and he gave me a run-down of how the interview was going to progress:

1. Go over basic application info (full legal name, DOB, birth place)

2. Go over application essays/lesson plan

3. Additional questions

I didn’t have a difficult time answering questions about my essays/lesson plan. I spent all day reviewing them. During the section on my lesson plan, he asked how I would deal with students who might be at a lower level than the rest of the class as well as how I would deal with rude/insensitive students.

My interviewer asked why I would be a good EPIK teacher. I discussed my experience working with children at my current job (I do a lot of children’s programs at the museum where I work) as well as the fact that I recently started tutoring non-native English speakers via Skype.

He also asked why I wanted to teach in Korea. I talked about an Asian art history class I took in college that really influenced me. I learned a lot about the Silla Dynasty and the art I admire from that period.

My interviewer also asked questions like if I had any tattoos, if I ever did drugs, if I ever took medication for anxiety/depression, etc.

At the end, he thanked me for my time and told me my recruiter will notify me in 2-3 days to let me know if I’ve been selected.

I feel pretty darn good right now!

Frustration

Getting all my documents together for EPIK is really starting to get to me.

First of all, I need to get my undergraduate diploma notarized, then apostilled, in order to send it in to EPIK. However, I went to a private Catholic University and my diploma happens to be in Latin. Apparently, you can’t get something notarized if it isn’t in English.

I have contacted several banks, the county chair, UPS, and FedEx.

I have also left a voicemail and sent an e-mail to my University’s Registrar.

Waiting for a response, but I’m not holding my breath.

Then, I need my TEFL certificate. However, I am not completing my in-class component until June. I asked my accrediting school to provide me with a letter, which I forwarded to my KorVia recruiter, and am waiting to find out if it will be sufficient until I complete the 20 in-class hours.

The struggle.

First SkimaTalk Lesson

I was very pleasantly surprised with my first SkimaTalk lesson tonight. My student was an older gentleman from Japan. We started out with some technical difficulties on my end which were quickly resolved.

After making our introductions, we jumped right into conversation! My student noticed on my profile that I studied art history, so we talked about Surrealism – including Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and Gustave Moreau (an artist I wasn’t familiar with). We moved onto to movies and television and discussed The Lord of the Rings, The Big Bang Theory, The Walking Dead, and Once Upon a Time.

It was a really fun way to spend my first lesson and I hope this student books with me again!

EPIK Interview Date Set!

I just got an e-mail from KorVia that my EPIK interview will take place on Thursday, April 30 at 10 AM (KST). So that would be next Wednesday for me at 9 PM, my time.

AHH!

Commence all the excitement and all the freaking out all the once!

More SkimaTalk

Ok, so I just signed up with SkimaTalk. I had to make a profile, upload a high quality headshot, record a short audio sample of me talking about why I want to teach with SkimaTalk, and provide a link to either my LinkedIn or Facebook for verification. Finally, I had to take a 19 question quiz on SkimaTalk. All the information for the answers is located within the text of the questions. Be careful to read everything, as you need to achieve a score of 100% to be considered. However, you can take the quiz as many times as you need to pass. Now, I’m waiting for my profile to be reviewed. If everything’s ok, you can begin by teaching 3 lessons for no charge. After, you will make $9/lesson. Once you’ve taught 10 lessons and get at least 2 ratings of 4.0  or higher, you can charge whatever you’d like. The only other things you need are Skype and an internet connection. Sweet deal, right? Check it out for yourself here.

EDIT: Just got approved to teach online with SkimaTalk!