May 15th, 2001
Why Korea?
If there is any real truth as to why I decided to pack 60 kg worth of luggage and travel half way across the country, it is that I had nothing better to do.
The idea initially sprung into my mind during the spring semester of my senior year at Georgetown University, when I was desperately searching the Internet for a way to not be unemployed after I graduated.
On a job web site, I had filled in the following fields of interest:
- Arts/entertainment/media - After all, I had spent the past four years studying music and English culture. Plus, this category sounded like a lot of fun.
- Internet/e-commerce - I threw this in because I had spent the past Summer making on-line advertisements for a small business located near my home in Cleveland, Ohio. I had learned how to use a particular type of software that I was sure would open doors for me.
- Information technology - I added this field because, well, I felt that it had a lot of potential for upward expansion and it was an exciting and innovative field. This is what I would have told anyone who had asked me why I was interested in a job in information technology. The truth is that I could not really explain what exactly information technology was and I don’t even think I had made the connection between the words “information” and “technology,” and the commonly used acronym IT.
At any rate, I waited in excited anticipation as the job search commenced. Slowly, the blue screen that was to show me my future offered me the following list:
- Java developer
- Senior consultant
- Web programmer
- Senior Java developer
- Receptionist
This was not what I had expected at all. Instantaneously, I began to imagine myself at thirty years of age, sitting and playing games on my Nintendo game system as I waited for my Mom to drive me to the local theater where I would sell popcorn for five hours.
I quickly scrolled down the list and I found something called VB developer with C++/Visual C++. This sounded like some kind of job on a spaceship to me, but out of curiosity, I decided to see what the job qualifications were like. This is what I found:
Technical skills: Perl, HTML, CGI, Java Active X, Visual Basic, ASP, IIS, C, C++. Mainframe experience: CICS, MQ, TSO, COBOL, DB2, Oracle. Use of triggers and stored procedures a big plus.
“Wow!” I thought to myself. “Thank God I learned how to use triggers and stored procedures.”
I looked at the next job, which was entitled “web design.” Now, here was a sure bet. The software that I had learned at my job was becoming increasingly popular on the internet and I was sure that all of these web design jobs were looking for someone who had experience with it. I was right, the job listed my software, but then proceeded to also list “HTML, DHTML, ASP, VB Script, Java Script, Database Interface (Oracle/SQL server), excellent capability with web browsers.”
I did know my one software package very well. It was just the other six thinks which made me start to imagine myself, this time at age forty, playing video games while waiting for my Mother to drive me to the theater. I had not even gotten promoted to ticket booth at the theater. The reason was that the ticket booth required that I know ASP, VB Script, MQ, TQ, R2D2, etc.
I was beginning to give up on the whole job search thing, when my eyes alit on a single icon, “international.” I remembered that my Father had mentioned something about teaching English in foreign countries, so I clicked on the icon.
A list sprung onto the screen, and I clicked on the first job, “ESL teacher.” I nervously began to scrutinize the job qualifications.
- native English speaker - check
- BA required - so far, so good
- Enthusiasm about teaching - why not?
- Likes working with children - sure.
Then, all of a sudden, the list ended. My heart leapt and immediately, the image of the forty year old me disappeared and was replaced with an image of me dancing and laughing with cute little Asian children.
I had basically learned that in a cover letter, you need to explain why you are interested in the job, and why you would be well suited for the job.
This is what I came up with:
Dear Ms. Mikeson,
In response to your advertisement on Jobweb, I am applying for the position of English teacher. I am extremely interested in the professional experience that this job opportunity would afford me as well as enthusiastic to learn about such an illustrious culture.
I am a recent graduate of University, where I majored in English and minored in Music. My English major has helped me to develop strong writing, speaking, and analytical skills. I spent my junior year at a College in London, where I focused on the study of English literature and English speech patterns. I would welcome the opportunity to utilize the skills that I have acquired in a professional atmosphere. Additionally, my position as marketing associate at I-site Communications brought me into contact with all sorts of people in various positions. I feel extremely comfortable relating to people of all types and would enjoy the opportunities that a student/teacher relationship would afford me. I have attached my resume for you to review. I will contact you via e-mail within the next week to discuss the possibility of coming to Korea. Thank you for your time and consideration.
I think that if I had been more honest about my cover letter, it would have come out like this:
Dear Mr. Whatever your name is,
I don’t know how to use CICS, MQ, TSO, COBOL, DB2, or Oracle. I don’t want to teach really, but to reiterate my initial point, I don’t know how to use CICS, MQ, TSO, COBOL, DB2, or Oracle. What I do know how to do, is to pretend like I’m enthusiastic about working at your school, at first. Gradually, I will become familiar with all of the intricacies of your working environment with the intention of learning how to slack off without getting caught.
I went to a University. I paid a lot of money to go there so I shouldn’t really have to elaborate on this point too much. I have enclosed a copy of my tuition bill. Oh yeah, I went to London for a year. In London, I learned how to take food from the communal kitchens and blame it on the quiet kid from India, I also became familiar with the location of various pubs in the Southwark area.
Please give me a job because if you don’t, then I will be living in my parent’s house until I am 40 years old and I will work at the snack bar in the movie theater.
I went with the first letter though, and within one week, I had heard back from about five different schools in South Korea. Satisfied that I would not encounter any problems finding a job in Korea on short notice, I promptly disregarded all of the letters of response and forgot about the whole thing really.
My final semester passed quickly and before I knew it, I was ambling along the front lawn at my University, garbed in a black robe and holding a College diploma. My friends would be traveling to Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City in order to begin their lives as Investment bankers, Financial analysts, medical students, etc. I was going to Cleveland to live with my family while I decided what the hell I was going to do.
