TEFL & TEACH ABROAD
Letters of Rec for EPIK
The EPIK program for public school positions in Korea requires two letters of recommendation and has very
specific instructions for them. In the past, they have rejected applications because of letters that did not meet
their standards exactly, so these are very important!
To achieve a position with EPIK, it’s critically important that you request and collect these letters ahead of
time. The sooner you can get them, the better, so you can double check the requirements and have time to
request new versions if needed:
• For the Fall season, give recommenders a deadline of January 15
th
, to make sure you’ll have the letters
in hand and ready to use when EPIK opens their application (usually February 1
st
).
• For the Spring season, give recommenders a deadline of July 15
th
, to make sure you’ll have the letters
in hand and ready to use when EPIK opens their application (usually August 1
st
).
Please note that CIEE staff cannot review or check rec letters – that’s your responsibility. Make sure to discuss
the following guidelines with your recommenders before they write their letters:
Your letter must come from a professor or an employment supervisor (Korean or JET co-teachers, pastors,
and ministers are also acceptable).
EPIK does not accept letters of recommendation from: family members, relatives, friends, non-supervising co-
workers, university teaching assistants, clients, business partners, neighbors, or parents of children from
babysitting/tutoring/nannying.
Letters should not mention CIEE at all, since they are ultimately destined for Provincial Offices of Education
(POE’s) in Korea. They may reference “the EPIK program in Korea,” or “a teaching position in another country.”
Letters must be:
Signed in ink (digital signatures or stamps are not accepted, even if signed over again in ink)
Addressed “To Whom It May Concern” (not to CIEE or CIEE staff)
On the letterhead of the institution or company. Staple a business card if letterhead isn’t available.
If the recommender no longer works at the organization where they supervised you, they must
mention this in their letter and explain when they left and what their new role is.
Include all of the following: recommender’s name, job title, address, phone number and email
Dated not more than two years previously
Use your full, legal name (e.g. Pamela, not Pam)
Collect the original, signed letters in your possession, and keep them in a safe place. When completing EPIK’s
online application, you’ll need to upload scans or careful photos of both letters. After you pass EPIK’s
interview, you’ll need to mail the originals to EPIK as well.
EXAMPLE LETTER TEMPLATE FOR EPIK
[PRINT ON LETTERHEAD OR ATTACH A BUSINESS CARD]
DATE
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing this letter to recommend ___[candidate’s full legal name]__ for a position teaching English overseas. I have
known ____ for _____ years, and I can tell you that….
INFORMATION TO INCLUDE:
- Recommender’s job title and organization
- Explanation of candidate’s job title and role at the organization
- Evaluation of candidate’s job performance
- Candidate’s personal qualities that will help them succeed as a teacher
- Additional comments or endorsements
DO NOT MENTION CIEE OR INCLUDE CIEE’S ADDRESS
Thank you for considering ____ for a role with your organization.
Sincerely,
[INK SIGNATURE – no scans or stamps]
THE FOLLOWING INFO IS REQUIRED, EITHER ON THE LETTERHEAD, BUSINESS CARD, OR SIGNATURE BLOCK:
Recommender’s full legal name
Job title
Organization
Mailing or Physical Address
Phone number
Email address
