First of all, EPIK teachers have regular working hours and are not contractually obligated to work during evenings or weekends, except for English programs specially administered by the employer. All EPIK teachers are employed by the Korean government and can thus take all national holidays off in addition to 18 workdays paid vacation days. As EPIK teachers work in the public school system, they can sometimes enjoy additional paid time-off when schools are closed.
As a government employee, your job is secure with EPIK. You will never be released from your contract for budget or institutional problems nor for preferential reasons. Also, you are always paid in full and paid on time, unlike some private academies.
EPIK is a national English teaching program sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Education and can carry more weight on your resume. Your teaching experience in EPIK also has more prestige and can bring widespread recognition in a local community or even in a province. EPIK is also a great launching point for an English (ESL/EFL) teaching career.
EPIK positions offer a lot of flexibility in your teaching. Most EPIK teachers have autonomy over what they teach and do not have to adhere to rigid rules or pre-designed textbooks. EPIK teachers usually have little administration work and are not pressured by having to meet academic objectives, but can focus more on helping students build confidence and have fun in the classroom.
In EPIK, you will have the opportunity to network with high-ranking education officials and administrators who can improve the way English is taught in the public schools of Korea. Simply by sharing the different ways in which you learned English, you can give them valuable input and ideas which can affect change on an official level. You will also have the opportunity to teach students from diverse backgrounds, and not just those students who can afford private lessons. You may also have the opportunity to teach public school teachers, who will then go on to teach English to their students. In other words, you can potentially reach a lot of people and have a much greater impact than with other teaching jobs in Korea.
Finally, during the EPIK orientation, you can form a network with all of the EPIK participants who will go on to work in various areas of the country. As a result, you will have more opportunities to travel around the country and meet with friends who can give you firsthand accounts of the diversity among Korea's regions. You may travel regional locations where tradition still thrives and you will be immersed in the sights and sounds that define Korea.
