My name is Kristopher Kinch and I own and operate APC. It has been seven years since I decided to establish the company and return to Canada from five years in Asia. In October, 2005, I left Vancouver for Bali, Indonesia, where I continued to operate the business. This spring, I returned to Canada, this time to Montreal. I am 39 years old and I've been teaching English since I was 24. 

The company is pretty much a one-man show, though my partner, Iman Wicaksono, looks after most of my modest marketing needs and the accounting. Iman isn't a native speaker of English, but his English is very good. He also sometimes handles the initial application process, so you may receive an e-mail or two from him before you speak with me.

Most recruitment firms dealing with Korea are quite small, despite depictions otherwise in their marketing materials or on the internet. While new business is always welcome, I am not particularly concerned about expanding the company or making loads of money. I place between 4 and 8 teachers a month, depending on the season and the time and energy I want to put in.

A little about myself: I am from a small town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. From 1986 to 1992, I attended McGill University in Montreal and earned a B.A. in English and a Diploma in Secondary Education (high school teaching license). I taught high school ESL and English for a suburban Montreal school board from 1992 until 1996, when I moved to Korea. I did two one-year contracts teaching children in Seoul. In 1998, I moved to Taiwan, accepting a job as the academic director for a newly-opened chain of schools in Taipei. The following year, I taught for the British Council in Taipei (great job!). In 2000, I returned to Canada, this time to Vancouver, where I started up APC. While recruiting for Korea (and initially, Taiwan), I also taught advanced grammar part-time for a language school just up the street — mostly Cambridge Exam preparation for European adults who found Vancouver a cheap alternative to London. Since the move to Bali, I haven't been teaching, which is a nice break. I am currently focused on recruiting for Korea and enjoying a bit more time than I've had in the past for leisure and the pursuit of personal interests.

I do many of my placements in Korea through a Korean partner, Clara Kim. She is a little younger than I am, and she's been working in the industry for several years. Commission for placement of a teacher is split between us 50/50. I met Clara on a business trip to Korea in 2003 and she's proven reliable and supportive of teachers once they are in Korea. I chose to work with her because, when I met her (I've met and briefly worked with several other potential partners) and discussed cooperating in placing teachers, she struck me as open, honest, and well-intentioned. I have continued to work with her because I trust her and because she has proven she will stand up for a teacher (thereby losing a client-school for herself) if diplomacy has failed and I am convinced a teacher is in the right.

I have, and sometimes still do, recruit for schools directly in Korea; however, I've found that working with a Korean partner makes it easier for me to get the information I need. Most Koreans are not particularly good at predicting what a Westerner wants to know about them or their businesses, and they are often suspicious of foreigners who seem inquisitive. Having my partner deal with the school owners while I deal with the teachers has resulted in me having a good understanding of the issues at play in a Korean work environment and Clara better understanding the concerns of the teachers we place. I've learned a lot about how Korean school owners interpret teachers' actions by hearing something from a teacher, and then hearing how the same incident is described by the employer. I've also learned what motivates a variety of Korean workplace behaviors and attitudes and am able to give advice that results in better outcomes for teachers in difficulty.

Through the hiring process, I do my best to provide prospective teachers with a realistic picture of living and teaching in Korea so they can make informed decisions. Bringing perceptions and expectations as close to reality as possible before teachers arrive in Korea makes adjustment to such a foreign environment easier and generally results in people being happier in their jobs. To this end, I always put people in touch with current teachers at any school I recommend so they can get the information that is important to them. Secondly, I try to encourage progressive business practices and improved learning outcomes in Korean language schools. I advise schools and my Korean partner on how to keep Western teachers happy and how to identify and make use of teachers' skill sets to everyone's best advantage. I remain in contact with, and available for, teachers I place. I am careful about whom I send to Korea and where I send them. I do not hesitate to stop working with a school, or a teacher, who I think might create a bad situation for other people. As a result, more than 90% of the teachers I place complete their contracts, and many renew them. Several people I sent to Korea in the first years recruiting are now on their third or fourth contracts.

For many people, a year in Korea is the first step towards a dynamic and rewarding career that will take them all over the world. For others, a year in Korea is simply a means to pay off student loans or save some money. I try to cater to both groups and offer appropriate advice where I can. Spending a year or more in Asia is a life-changing experience that has benefited everyone I know who has experienced it. Learning how Asians think, and how their cultures influence their ideas and actions is beneficial to Westerners in any career path. It can also be personally inspiring and lead to life decisions that didn't seem possible before living abroad. If you've felt over-educated and underpaid since you completed your studies, you'll find actually earning more money than you need very satisfying and personally motivating.

Kristopher Kinch, April 2007