Job searching and postings for speech language pathologists in Korea

Abstract

Objectives: In order to provide a fundamental understanding and prospective suggestions for the profession of speech-language pathology (SLP), job searching prospects were investigated via a review in the field, and job postings were analyzed based on advertisements posted on the Korean Association of Speech-Language Pathologists (KSLP) website. Methods: A total of 14 studies were reviewed to analyze the current status of job hunters and 1,326 job postings were analyzed. Results: The main focus of job searching literature had been on 'job status', 'job description', and 'job satisfaction'. More specifically, 'job location', 'employment facility', and 'salary/wage' were the most frequently surveyed aspects. Most of the respondents were SLPs working in private practice or for service providers. Their 'job satisfaction' was higher than 'wage satisfaction'. The job postings on the KASLP website contained information about 'job location', 'employment facility', 'type of employment, working, and wage' and 'benefits'. Most of them were posted by private practice organizations or service providers located in big cities, and were primarily seeking temporary, part-time based, and/or revenue-sharing fee-based employees. Conclusion: Job searching and posting occurs primarily in the private practice or service provider context in cities. Currently 80% of the SLPs in Korea are in their 20's and 30's; the profession has flexible positions for those with professional expertise and provides a wide range of choices for employment in terms of types of facilities and work. There should be a constant effort to improve working condition as well as therapy quality in the SLP profession.