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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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 Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:21 am Post subject: |
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It seems that to get TO Japan, I will need to be sponsored by a firm I don't even want to work for and then the expectation is that I stay with that firm and complete the contract. Is that it works?
All the opportunities I have seen online looked pretty shiddy to me.
In the UK, I have been teaching EAP at universities and worked the British Council and the like. However, I don't have a Masters degree or DELTA. Although I am very keen indeed to come to Japan, it doesn't seem like there are any real job opportunities.
Can you give me any more advice? |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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hagiwaramai
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 119
Location: Marines Stadium
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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JerkyBoy, have you tried Shane? I think you'd have a good chance with them, and 90% of their jobs are in Tokyo.
How long are you thinking of staying in Japan? If it was only for a year I think you could pretty much take any job and make the most of it for a year. If it was for the longer term what are you looking at job-wise further down the line? University gig, or something completely different, non-teaching? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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Don't even try comparing quality of jobs here with British Council. Apples and oranges.
| Quote: |
| I don't have a Masters degree or DELTA |
What do you have? Experience outside Japan may not be seen by Japanese employers as equivalent, and if all you have is a bachelor's degree (related or unrelated to teaching), don't expect more than entry level jobs in eikaiwa or ALT positions.
What were you actually looking for? |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:48 am Post subject: |
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| hagiwaramai wrote: |
| JerkyBoy, have you tried Shane? I think you'd have a good chance with them, and 90% of their jobs are in Tokyo. How long are you thinking of staying in Japan? If it was only for a year I think you could pretty much take any job and make the most of it for a year. If it was for the longer term what are you looking at job-wise further down the line? University gig, or something completely different, non-teaching? |
I don't want to sound like an ass but I feel that working for an outfit like Shane would be soul-destroying.
How long? Who knows. I guess just a year initially. Beggars can't be choosers but if I were that desperate I would have gone to work for Disney English in China 
Long term, I am in two minds. Sure, university sounds nice but I don't have a Masters. I would like to update my quals but it is not easy. I am working towards teacher certification and it is never the right time/ place to start the DELTA. I have reached the point where I am over qualified for many jobs and not qualified enough for the jobs I want.
I wouldn't mind a career break and then possibly returning to teaching when I am in a better position. Doing something completely different is also an option, although probably not in Japan as my Japanese is still only low level. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Don't even try comparing quality of jobs here with British Council. Apples and oranges. What were you actually looking for? |
Why not? They have a British Council in Japan. I wouldn't go to Egypt and work in a bog standard school so why would I want to do that in Japan? Of course, I wouldn't WANT to.
I would like to work in a meaningful job, as opposed to the type of job I could have had ten year ago.
Last edited by JerkyBoy on Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:05 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| What do you have? Experience outside Japan may not be seen by Japanese employers as equivalent, and if all you have is a bachelor's degree (related or unrelated to teaching), don't expect more than entry level jobs in eikaiwa or ALT positions. |
My last four jobs were: a mid-low ranked UK university, a mid-low ranked UK university, the EFL department of one of the colleges of Oxford University, a high-ranked UK university (the international college, at least).
There were only EAP/ TEFL jobs but they were very interesting/ involved/ stimulating - worthwhile (from my point of view).
That is why I would find it hard to work for someone like GABA or doing an ALT job. It wouldn't be challenging and would not make sense in terms of career progression. However, I am unemployed at the moment, nearly went to Beijing, just fluffed an interview at the BC in Bangkok and wondering what to do next. I have always wanted to go to Japan ... for about 15 years but things didn't work out how I expected. So from that point of view, I would find it fulfilling, but at the same time I might feel disappointed doing a job I don't think is right for me and doing a job I might not enjoy. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:09 am Post subject: |
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| I got my CELTA in 1996 and my BA (Modern Languages) in 2002. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Trust me. You would find it neither fulfilling nor interesting. Don't come here. |
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hagiwaramai
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 119
Location: Marines Stadium
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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| JerkyBoy wrote: |
| hagiwaramai wrote: |
| JerkyBoy, have you tried Shane? I think you'd have a good chance with them, and 90% of their jobs are in Tokyo. How long are you thinking of staying in Japan? If it was only for a year I think you could pretty much take any job and make the most of it for a year. If it was for the longer term what are you looking at job-wise further down the line? University gig, or something completely different, non-teaching? |
I don't want to sound like an ass but I feel that working for an outfit like Shane would be soul-destroying.
How long? Who knows. I guess just a year initially. Beggars can't be choosers but if I were that desperate I would have gone to work for Disney English in China
Long term, I am in two minds. Sure, university sounds nice but I don't have a Masters. I would like to update my quals but it is not easy. I am working towards teacher certification and it is never the right time/ place to start the DELTA. I have reached the point where I am over qualified for many jobs and not qualified enough for the jobs I want.
I wouldn't mind a career break and then possibly returning to teaching when I am in a better position. Doing something completely different is also an option, although probably not in Japan as my Japanese is still only low level. |
I don't know, I know a lot of people who work/have worked for Shane and no-one has complained at all. There's some stuff on the net like there is for everywhere but I haven't heard much in the flesh. Also, while eikaiwa gets a bad press I think it can actually be the most satisfying of all jobs in Japan, depending on the students. ALT is of course teaching with another teacher, and teaching something that often does not really deserve to be called the English language, and University can be glorified eikaiwa with a little more prestige for some reason, and more money, but less motivated students. Shane does actually have some kind of career progression possible, which is not the case in most companies you could end up with, either on a special business course, company program, or DoS (which I don't think you need a DELTA for). Tbh the most important thing is just getting here. Almost no jobs in Japan are scams or overly taxing so so long as you can get here and get the visa you can take stock of your surroundings, see how the job goes and move on (quite easily) if you have to/want to. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Trust me. You would find it neither fulfilling nor interesting. Don't come here. |
Too late. I've already booked the ticket. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| hagiwaramai wrote: |
| Also, while eikaiwa gets a bad press I think it can actually be the most satisfying of all jobs in Japan, depending on the students. ALT is of course teaching with another teacher, and teaching something that often does not really deserve to be called the English language, and University can be glorified eikaiwa. Tbh the most important thing is just getting here. Almost no jobs in Japan are scams or overly taxing so so long as you can get here and get the visa you can take stock of your surroundings, see how the job goes and move on (quite easily) if you have to/want to. |
I find teaching TEFL to be inconsequential low stakes trivia, to be honest. I was very idealistic once but I think if you do anything for too long it becomes a chore. Like many, I never set out to teach TEFL long-term, but a job is a job, I canne just sit on my fat behind.
What about just turning up on a tourist, finding a job, going to China to get the visa and then taking stock of my surroundings?
Moving from job to job in Japan is easy? That goes against perceived wisdom but it's not the first time I've heard it said - please elaborate. |
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hagiwaramai
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 119
Location: Marines Stadium
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| JerkyBoy wrote: |
| hagiwaramai wrote: |
| Also, while eikaiwa gets a bad press I think it can actually be the most satisfying of all jobs in Japan, depending on the students. ALT is of course teaching with another teacher, and teaching something that often does not really deserve to be called the English language, and University can be glorified eikaiwa. Tbh the most important thing is just getting here. Almost no jobs in Japan are scams or overly taxing so so long as you can get here and get the visa you can take stock of your surroundings, see how the job goes and move on (quite easily) if you have to/want to. |
I find teaching TEFL to be inconsequential low stakes trivia, to be honest. I was very idealistic once but I think if you do anything for too long it becomes a chore. Like many, I never set out to teach TEFL long-term, but a job is a job, I canne just sit on my fat behind.
What about just turning up on a tourist, finding a job, going to China to get the visa and then taking stock of my surroundings?
Moving from job to job in Japan is easy? That goes against perceived wisdom but it's not the first time I've heard it said - please elaborate. |
Ha, yeah I agree about TEFL..
I was in a bit of a discussion on another thread about this that you might have seen, but I think the odds are you could score a job within the 3 months you'd get on a tourist visa. You wouldn't have to go to China to get the visa, you can change it here. Of course the risk if you don't is there though, and I'm not sure how strict they are about people coming back so soon after the 3 months is up, but it's not illegal so as long as you show no signs of working I don't know why it should be a problem. I'm assuming, although not sure, that you can stay in the country while the first visa is being processed if it overruns that 3 month cut-off, but again that should just necessitate a trip to China/Korea. The main problem would be cash, supporting yourself for what could easily be 6 months before you get a paycheck.
As for changing jobs, yeah nothing to it. Why would there be? Especially around Tokyo. Check gaijinpot, Ohayosensei, The Japan Times, Jobs in Japan.. loads of jobs around. |
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HLJHLJ
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: Ecuador
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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| JerkyBoy wrote: |
I don't want to sound like an ass but I feel that working for an outfit like Shane would be soul-destroying.
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| JerkyBoy wrote: |
I would like to work in a meaningful job, as opposed to the type of job I could have had ten year ago. |
| JerkyBoy wrote: |
I find teaching TEFL to be inconsequential low stakes trivia, to be honest. I was very idealistic once but I think if you do anything for too long it becomes a chore. |
You've got me totally confused, I've got no idea what you are looking for now.
| JerkyBoy wrote: |
Moving from job to job in Japan is easy? That goes against perceived wisdom but it's not the first time I've heard it said - please elaborate. |
You can move from one eikaiwa to another, but if you'd find Shane soul destroying it's unlikely that you'd find Gaba, Aeon, etc fulfilling and worth your while.
You can't easily change from eikaiwa to university work, it's a different visa. You can apply for permission to do some other work (other than what your visa permits) but you can't just change jobs. Though as you've already said, you aren't really qualified for university work so you'd struggle to find one willing to sponsor your visa. If your aim is to get a university teaching visa, you'd have been better off going for Westgate. I don't know if they will consider you from an in-country tourist visa though. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| HLJHLJ wrote: |
| You've got me totally confused, I've got no idea what you are looking for now. |
I want a magic job! |
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