Job Discussion Forums

talkgabchat · Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 43 Location: Shanghai

I know there are posts about this, but we were hoping we could get some feedback for our specific situation.

My gf and I are hoping to leave for Japan to teach next week. We are leaving China as ESL teachers, and are going to just show up in Japan and hope to find work.

In all honesty, we are willing to take whatever job in whatever location. So my question is where are the most likely places we'll have a chance?

Our qualifications :
She has a MA in geography, PGCE (a teacher ceritication) and a Tefl certificate with about 6 years of teaching experience - she is from the UK

I have TEFL certificate, about 1.5 years of teaching experience and a BA In English and I am from the US

We will only have about 3,000USD to survive on until we find a job

Or have we just missed the boat since everything started in April?

Any advice on where to go when we arrive and what to do would be extremely helpful.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:07 pm Post subject:

A week out from arriving and now you ask? That's going to get an interesting reaction from most people here.

From what you've written yr gf is good to look at eikaiwa monkey work, international schools, and university conversation classes. You're probably good for the same, except the international schools.

Troll through the archives and you'll get lots of pointers for places to look (could of helped out by telling us where you're flying in to) and what-not. The larger dispatch agencies are worth a lok if you're just after a visa and income at this point because this is when they're filling odd spots around the place, although the fact they'd (presumably) have to sponsor you to change visa drops you down the list of desireableness quite a bit.

timothypfox · Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 492

You will have to hit the ground running the day you arrive...

Get busy at an Internet cafe, and you better have a phone, so prospective employers can contact you this way too.

Any working credit cards? Should have them just in case...

Good luck! .... Surprised

Cool Teacher · Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:20 pm Post subject:

Well, hello there! Cool

Its going to be tough. and I mean tough Shocked

, to get a great job right now but mayeb you can pickup a kind of stopgap job if you start looking now.

Have you tried GaijinPot? Gaijin is a racist word for foreigner but it still has some good jobs going and is a good place to start;

https://jobs.gaijinpot.com/

Also Ohayo sensei too. Ohayo is Japanese for good morning and sensei is Japanese for teacher (maybe you know that one but did you know that a teacher never calls themselves sensei Cool

)

As the others have said your GF can get a job in an international school but I very much doubt she can get one immediately because of positions and availability. The hiring season was before April. Now Japanese schools have started a new school year! Shocked

Remember there is the issue of visa procesing time. Some schools will not want to hire you as a tourist and some schools could be put off. try applying before you arrive and fire as many arrows as you can. I don't know if you can be successful but it is worth a try. Cool

Try applying to agencies. I know I know I know that many people go like, "Oh my God! Those agencies are rubbish!" but the thing is that if there are beggers and choosers in this world then you best put your cap on the floor and dance a little jig! Cool

Try Interact, Nichii Gakkai, Gaba, Aeon, NOVA, ECC, Jibun Mirai Holdings, Berlitz EVERYONE!!! Shocked

(I'm not kidding. Don't wait to get here before you start looking that money WILL spend itself!!!! Shocked

)

Well, I think you must be careful that some people will say, "Look just don't do it! Stay in China!" or something but if you are careful you can still maybe do it. But think of these problems:

Where will you stay?

How will you earn money?

CAn yo ustretch 3000 dollars between two? Shocked

Good luck!!!! Wink

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

It sounds like your girlfriend has good qualifications anywhere. She ought to apply to international schools. See http://www.internationalschoolsguidebook.com/

That guide book is meant for prospective parents and children, but you'll find all the contact information for schools on that site.

Good luck!

talkgabchat · Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 43 Location: Shanghai

Thanks for the kind replies everyone!

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I beg to differ with Cthulhu on what a BA will offer a person in the way of teaching opportunities. You can forget university work. All you are really qualified for is ALT work and eikaiwa.

As for international schools, most start in the fall like their western counterparts. So your gf will not be able to start right away here. Was her 6 years of experience in her home country after she got her license? I ask because it often/usually seems that international schools want people with the license and then 2 years of experience in their home country.

Yes, you both missed the peak hiring. What you will probably find right now is sloppy seconds -- jobs that people took but gave up because they realized how bad they were -- and rare openings that could be anyone's guess at the quality. I will agree with Cthulhu's sentiments about announcing your entry to Japan at such a late point in time. You really should have said something much sooner, because my first piece of advice would have been to contact people who are advertising and tell them you are coming so they can arrange interviews and you can minimize down time. Best of luck with that now.

3000 dollars for 2 people is going to be very tough. Go for the cheapest guest house you can find and live very frugally.

And, to correct someone's spelling just so you look up the right place, it's spelled Interac (no second T).

talkgabchat · Joined: 11 Dec 2011 Posts: 43 Location: Shanghai

To be fair, we haven't bought our tickets yet. We can stay here another couple of weeks. We just would have liked to leave next week.

It's cheapest to fly into Tokyo, but I imagine it's probably most expensive to stay there. We are willing to take a bus /train to a different part of the country. Do you think we'd have our best luck in Tokyo?

At this point we just need a job, any will do. Is it possible that we get there and we won't find anything ? We have an emergency fund, but would ideally like to survive on the 3,000.

Are we being unrealistic? Better to stay in China and try to find work for August?

Cool Teacher · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:27 pm Post subject:

G Cthulhu · Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 12:59 pm Post subject:

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Cthulhu,
I honestly do not know what you mean by "conversation classes" in a university setting, unless you mean Westgate Corporation dispatch jobs. Most full-time direct-hire jobs require teaching more than just oral communication courses.

Tenured positions are few and far between. The other types of full-time jobs almost always require a minimum of a master's degree. "talkgabchat" doesn't have one. It's possible to land part-time work at a uni with only a BA, but very unlikely, and such work won't provide a work visa.

Not all university work is "conversation monkey" work, either, even for PTers. There is no guarantee that unis will have only conversation courses available for FT workers. Besides, the school year has already started for unis, and I seriously doubt talkgabchat can land any at this point.