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im_not_a_violentdrunk
Joined: 18 May 2012
Posts: 59
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 Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:31 pm Post subject: Osaka |
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Hi everyone, I've just got back from completing my CELTA, which was an experience! I'm in the process of applying for jobs in Osaka now and was just hoping for any pointers that people may be able to give. I'm using all of the websites listed in the FAQ section, but positions for Osaka are somewhat thin on the ground. I had planned to come to Japan on a WHV and apply for jobs in person. However I've been told(by someone of identical age and qualifications to me-that has been teaching in Japan for three years) that people who apply outside of Japan are offered significantly higher salaries? I have an interview with ECC in September for a November start. Does anyone have any experience in this matter? Thanks in advance  Also thanks to those who offered encouragement to me when I was talking about ESL teaching in the first place (i.e. before I did my CELTA). |
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deadzenpoet
Joined: 06 Aug 2010
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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| So are you currently in Osaka? |
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im_not_a_violentdrunk
Joined: 18 May 2012
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Hi Deadzenpoet, At the moment I'm in the U.K. I'm open to getting to Osaka and applying from there (which was my plan initially). I just thought I'd try from the U.K first (bearing in mind what I was told with regards to salary), plus, commitments mean that I can't leave the UK until the first week of September at the earliest. |
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deadzenpoet
Joined: 06 Aug 2010
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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| You said positions are thin on the ground. Osaka has a lot of schools that don't necessarily advertise so you won't know til you get there. Research what schools are there and apply before you come or at least have a plan on where to go in person. Osaka is easy to get around. If you come over with 4 or 5 grand and remain diligent and open, you should be ok. There is always Nagoya as a backup. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:15 pm Post subject: Re: Osaka |
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| im_not_a_violentdrunk wrote: |
| I'm using all of the websites listed in the FAQ section, but positions for Osaka are somewhat thin on the ground. |
Yes, as far as finding Osaka-specific ads, I don't know of any special sites. You just have to scour what's out there. Limiting yourself to any single city other than Tokyo has this effect.
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| I had planned to come to Japan on a WHV and apply for jobs in person. However I've been told(by someone of identical age and qualifications to me-that has been teaching in Japan for three years) that people who apply outside of Japan are offered significantly higher salaries? |
Never heard of such a thing in all my years here. Besides, that's discrimination. Maybe if you were more specific about what your friend said...
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| I have an interview with ECC in September for a November start. Does anyone have any experience in this matter? |
What experience do you want? Help in the interview, demo lesson, grammar test? Help in understanding what the daily work is like or what branch is better than others? Have you done a search for any of that information? Most of it is there.
I did an interview a few years ago for ECC Junior, if that's any consolation. |
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im_not_a_violentdrunk
Joined: 18 May 2012
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| If you come over with 4 or 5 grand and remain diligent and open, you should be ok |
Fair enough, that is probably what I will end up doing. In terms of researching and applying to schools, do you recommend sending e-mails with your C.V and a polite introduction informing the school of your date of arrival in Osaka? I was thinking of doing this and then following up any interest in person.
@Glenski [color=orange]Maybe if you were more specific about what your friend said...
/color] She just mentioned that people applying for jobs outside of Japan were being offered better wages. I couldn't tell you how she verified that, but the fact that it's news to you makes me think that perhaps its not worth delaying my arrival in Japan over.
Wasn't clear over what I was asking with regards to the ECC interview. Mainly it was in relation to the overseas employment/salary issue. I would much rather have been on the ground in Osaka for a month to help me acclimatise (whilst job-hunting) then to be placed through ECC/Interac/aeon whilst abroad, although I'm not sure whether this is sensible, perhaps you could advise to this end? I'm not overly concerned by the interview process as such, but for a first timer (both to Japan and the EFL world) would you recommend going through a company such as ECC? Thanks |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:51 am Post subject: |
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| im_not_a_violentdrunk wrote: |
| In terms of researching and applying to schools, do you recommend sending e-mails with your C.V and a polite introduction informing the school of your date of arrival in Osaka? I was thinking of doing this and then following up any interest in person. |
First of all, don't cold call. Send that information only in response to ads that you see posted.
Second, yes, definitely let employers know when you will be here. It will minimize down time. Once you land, contact them again so they know you actually came and know how to contact you locally.
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| I can't leave the UK until the first week of September at the earliest. |
Just keep in mind that it's August now, and it will still take 1-2 months (maybe more) to get a job lined up and visa paperwork done. That's what the 5 grand in cash deadzenpoet said was so important. You'll need to support yourself until the first paycheck comes in, which could be a month or more after you actually start work.
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@Glenski
Wasn't clear over what I was asking with regards to the ECC interview. Mainly it was in relation to the overseas employment/salary issue. I would much rather have been on the ground in Osaka for a month to help me acclimatise (whilst job-hunting) then to be placed through ECC/Interac/aeon whilst abroad, although I'm not sure whether this is sensible, perhaps you could advise to this end? |
Acclimatizing is a sensible precaution, especially if you have never been to Japan. For one thing, buildings are not numbered sequentially as you march down the block, so they can be hard to find. Also, if you are physically here, you are more eligible for some employers (those who absolutely require applicants to be in Japan, because they see that as a sign of commitment).
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| I'm not overly concerned by the interview process as such, but for a first timer (both to Japan and the EFL world) would you recommend going through a company such as ECC? Thanks |
A big one like ECC or AEON, yes. You don't even have to be outside Japan to apply to most of them. Check the web sites to see which ones will accept applicants who are in Japan. Obviously, you will save money by staying home and applying from there, but there aren't that many employers who have recruiters abroad (let alone in all anglophone countries), you still have to pay your expenses to attend interviews (which could be 1-3 days long), and you deal with their schedules. A few companies will do Skype interviews, but those are not so numerous, and there is an obvious down side to a computer interview.
Applying to the big companies is a security blanket. They are well known, generally reputable, have a good support system and an established teaching format, etc. Not every branch is great, but the odds are with you, IMO. |
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im_not_a_violentdrunk
Joined: 18 May 2012
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice Glenki, I think that I'll go for the ECC interview and then look to fly out the week or so after, regardless of whether I'm successful or not. The job with ECC starts in December, so I'd be happy with having November to settle in. I've already started learning Japanese, so the month without work could be a less stressful way of learning more of the language! (Although I could do some private tuition in that month to help me get by as well). Thanks for your thoughts on the big companies, it mirrors many of the assumptions that I had about them.
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| Once you land, contact them again so they know you actually came and know how to contact you locally. |
In your experience, do people prefer correspondence over e-mail in order to avoid any embarrassment over mis-communication? Or is ok to try and tackle a phone call? Thanks again |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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Starts in December?!?!? You'll have a couple of weeks, maybe 3, and then be on a 2-week or longer break. Hmm. That doesn't sound very normal even for eikaiwa.
Keep a low profile doing private tutoring if you have not received your work visa by then.
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| In your experience, do people prefer correspondence over e-mail in order to avoid any embarrassment over mis-communication? Or is ok to try and tackle a phone call? |
By "correspondence", do you mean a phone call or a paper letter? Sounds like the former, in which case I'd say that you may run into problems at the first person to pick up the phone. I don't know how good ECC staff are at English, and it may sound strange to say this, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are pretty weak.
Just what sort of things did you want to discuss over the phone anyway? Keep in mind that they receive a boatload of applicant mail/email, and their own responses to questions are probably pretty good. |
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im_not_a_violentdrunk
Joined: 18 May 2012
Posts: 59
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| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| By "correspondence", do you mean a phone call or a paper letter? |
I mean calling schools that have job listings', to discuss coming in for a face to face meeting when I get to Japan/to let them know when I will be in the country.
When jobs say "must currently reside in Japan", does that imply that you must possess a particular visa? Or will they work with you to get the right one if they offer you a job? I thought it may be the case that there may be admins with slightly weaker English, hence my thought that it may be easier to rely on e-mails. Thanks again |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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| im_not_a_violentdrunk wrote: |
| Quote: |
| By "correspondence", do you mean a phone call or a paper letter? |
I mean calling schools that have job listings', to discuss coming in for a face to face meeting when I get to Japan/to let them know when I will be in the country. |
As I said above, I don't think that will meet with much communicative success. Getting past the receptionist will be the biggest hurdle, and if you don't know the name of the person you want it could be even more problematic.
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| When jobs say "must currently reside in Japan", does that imply that you must possess a particular visa? Or will they work with you to get the right one if they offer you a job? |
IMO, it usually means the former, not the latter.
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| I thought it may be the case that there may be admins with slightly weaker English, hence my thought that it may be easier to rely on e-mails. Thanks again |
It's far easier for a weak English person to rely on translation software and spend time trying to read than to speak English. Most HS graduates can barely get past "Hi, how are you", and many/most college grads aren't much better. Employers will feel more comfortable dealing with a written correspondence overall. |
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