Job Discussion Forums

[SpencerDowling]

Hello,

I am enrolling in a CELTA course in April, but in the meantime I've been looking into the AEON schools, that say they hire all ages - I'm 49 with a Honours Bachelor of Arts (2013) and seek input from similar aged teachers.

What's the reality of getting hired (... or anywhere for that matter) at my age?

Thank you in advance.

[Rooster.]

It's definitely possible to get hired. If you don't get hired by Aeon look at other schools.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Note: the school year starts in April. With an undergraduate degree you are already able to work for Interac etc. (the higher-paying dispatch companies require a TESOL certificate- especially in Kanto. Interac does not require this). Honestly, in your situation, I would look at trying to be here for this coming April, because the vast majority of jobs for the entire country and for the entire year start April 1st. You might want to think about changing your plan from a CELTA to something less time consuming, that you could do in-person ASAP (over a few days). This type of company often advertising in small-place ads in newspapers. (I'm thinking Global TESOL, Oxford, etc). Not the best. But fast and give an introduction to the area.

A lot of jobs for ALTs and eikaiwa look at the TESOL certificate as a checkmark on their human resources checklist. Then, during the summer break, you could do a CELTA in Vietnam for example.

The reason I suggest this in you situation is that there is a psychological difference between looking at a resume of someone in their forties and someone in their fifties, especially someone just starting out in the country, and a CELTA really isn't well understood in this country. Starting your first job here before you turn fifty and studying Japanese like mad (speaking is far more important than reading) while doing it will help you here more than the difference between a CELTA and a kind of no-name brand TESOL certificate.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Studying Japanese and getting books on language teaching so you can speak intelligently about it in future interviews would be even better- do an amazon.ca or amazon.com check- there are many, many books on different subjects. I would start with a methodology book- maybe the one by Jeremy Harmer (The Practice of English Language Teaching [with DVD]) or Jim Scrivener (Learning Teaching: The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching [with DVD]) , plus a book on language teaching that is in some way related to your past experience or education (this will likely be an academic book).

[aaaronr]

Shane English School offers a Trinity program here in Japan. It's very similar to CELTA. You could do it during the August break.

[dove]

I was an older teacher in Japan. I had a lot of luck being hired for in-house company classes (business English, usually taught in the morning or in the evening). The companies that employed me didn't like the perky, fresh-off-the-boat type of teachers because they were often flaky, had no business experience, students didn't trust them, etc. Also, Japan's population is ageing.

[SpencerDowling]

Thank you for all the helpful replies so far. It means a lot. It's been both encouraging and discouraging as I currently navigate my way through a midlife career change. I know from some of my experienced EFL teacher friends, that they are already facing some ageism despite 20 years in the field, but I'm going to go for it anyway. I have nothing to lose, considering the lack of new grad options for my age (50 in June) at home. My undergrad was a double major from University of Toronto in Human Geography and Urban Studies, with a Professional Postgraduate Certificate in Fundraising Management (2014). The nonprofit sector is mostly short-term contacts and focused on hiring people in their 20s. I have had a few short-term contracts, including an annual 4-month contract in event operations, but have had to rely on my bartending background and part-time painting to survive. Thanks again.

[SpencerDowling]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[SpencerDowling]

Thanks for the other book options, by the way, the EFL books that I mentioned borrowing earlier (i.e. Scrivener et al) are for CELTA preparation - not for AEON.

I submitted my application to AEON yesterday and will know shortly whether they are interested or not. Otherwise it's hustling side gigs, and if AEON says no, then it's the full-time CELTA course in April.

Cheers

[urbanadventurer]

Yup! There is significant age discrimination here in Japan, equal to that of South Korea.

If you are male and holding up well for 50 and have solid experience, along with the usual certifications then there is a chance, but it will take a while. If you fit this description with blond hair and blue eyes - your chances are better. Add a teaching credential from the motherland to the above, and I'd say you're in there !

I find it interesting that some major Japanese chain schools now require you to apply through gaijinpot. The first thing they see when they pull up your profile is your age. They cut right to the chase. Makes it much easier for them.

Do an experiment here on Dave's: Post your resume with your age in the headline one week, and then the following week without your age in the headline. You'll see the difference in the number of hits you recieve.

Sure, since Japan is such a desired destination for ESL teachers - companies probably don't have to look through resumes on sites like this one. But try it anyway for Asia in general - just for sh*ts and giggles! Ha!

Cheers!

[The Transformer]

I know a couple of mid-life career changers that came over to Japan in their early-40s and made a success of switching over to English teaching. One guy worked in eikaiwa for a few years, got married and set up his own school which he ran for 10 years before eventually going home. Another friend did a similar thing, then got into more "lucrative" ALT work, and did a TESOL MA.

Companies may like older applicants in some ways because they'll be more mature, disciplined and reliable than younger applicants. The ones who come over in their 20s are less reliable and tend to be more into partying and living it up, with the increased risk of them screwing up. The main priority for eikaiwa is to have instructors that turn up on time, dress tidily, behave in an orderly way and don't annoy the customers and put them off coming back. Teaching isn't a priority for them, if it features at all. Eikaiwa are just money rackets looking to rip their customers off and keep their overheads and wage bill as low as possible.

[SpencerDowling]

I didn't get a bite from AEON. It was a shot in the dark, and maybe that's better in the long run because now I can focus on completing a TEFL/CELTA certification.

[mcsilks]