Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 7:14 pm Post subject: University jobs
Greetings,
Is anyone out there currently teaching at a university in Japan? And/or have some good info on how to go about finding a university job?
Here's my background: M.A in German, one year university esl experience (in Kazakhstan) and I'll be getting my CELTA in January. Think I have a chance of landing a university gig for the Spring semester 2013?
Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 9:38 pm Post subject:
Been working for a uni since 2006. I strongly suggest you read the FAQ stickies on the subject. Some of the links need updating, but if you just take the titles and put them into a Google search, you can find them. The source seems to have changed its original filing system.
Since August, uni jobs for next spring have started to be advertised. If you aren't physically present for an interview, you cut down the odds of passing the first round quite a bit. Your experience is not much, and the location may not even be taken as equivalent to that of a Japan uni or Japanese students. Keep that in mind. Basically, apply NOW.
Thanks Glenski, I appreciate you feedback very much!
What's your view on Westgate? Maybe a good way to get a foot in the door for future university positions?
Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 1:47 am Post subject:
Yes, it's a way, but only if you have the time to schmooze with the other teachers on campus. I suspect the work load for Westgate will preclude that.
You could cite such work at a university on your resume, but I'd be careful in describing it as working for the uni, because technically you are not. You are merely teaching at the uni.
Also, you might want to look at what generalunion.org has to say about the legality of Westgate's operations at unis. They've been taken to task for it in the past.
Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 6:54 am Post subject: Re: University jobs
Rachcat wrote:
Greetings,
Is anyone out there currently teaching at a university in Japan? And/or have some good info on how to go about finding a university job?
Here's my background: M.A in German, one year university esl experience (in Kazakhstan) and I'll be getting my CELTA in January. Think I have a chance of landing a university gig for the Spring semester 2013?
Thanks in advance!!
Peace
I'm teaching at one now.
You'll be under-qualified, as there is a lot of competition out there. Basically you'll have to have a MA specifically in tesol, linguistics, english, etc. Something that says you have the educational background to teach English to Japanese students at the university level. You'll have to write your cover letter very well to prove that an MA in German with a year teaching ESL in Central Asia subsititutes for that.
Additionally, Japanese is often required. Not always, but it's important for the majority of jobs. They also like it if you have at least 3 publications and some presentations. Some people will get hired without those things, but you should compensate in some other ways, if you are lacking 1 or 2 of those.
Generally speaking, most university teachers are on contract limits. We move around every few years to a new university. In the process, we keep presenting, publishing, working on Japanese, and so forth, to make sure we are qualified for when our current contract is up.
It's not unusual to be competing with 100 applicants for the same job. Plenty of the applicants are just shifting around to other nearby universities and signing another contract limit position. Most universities only hire someone for 2-3 years. Than, it's into the applicant pool to compete with the others again. Because of that, most of us are building quite a resume of presentations, publications, job experience, and and so forth for the next job. So, you'll have to compete against all of that as well.
In short, it's not completely impossible that you might land something. But, being that what you have falls short of minimum expectations, it's highly unlikely you can get one.
Looking at what you have now, you just qualify with the bare mimumum to basically get a uni job in a nearby country that starts with a S.K. But even over there, they'd like you to have what you have now plus at least a year in S.K. They don't require people to know their language though, or to have publications or presentations, so you'd be good for those categories. (Any questions about that other country though, should be directed in their forum, we can't discuss it here).
Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 8:16 am Post subject: Re: University jobs
Tiger Beer wrote:
You'll be under-qualified, as there is a lot of competition out there. Basically you'll have to have a MA specifically in tesol, linguistics, english, etc. Something that says you have the educational background to teach English to Japanese students at the university level.
Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong
Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2012 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: University jobs
Glenski wrote:
Tiger Beer wrote:
You'll be under-qualified, as there is a lot of competition out there. Basically you'll have to have a MA specifically in tesol, linguistics, english, etc. Something that says you have the educational background to teach English to Japanese students at the university level.
Are you interested in teaching German?
No.
Rethinking this, is the OP asking about teaching German as a Foreign Language? That would change things a bit.
I wouldn't know anything about that. I have met a German national who teaches German parttime. He's married to a Japanese woman. Parttime implies his visa is good for Japan, and the uni doesn't have to sponsor him, etc.
Met a few full-time Spanish uni teachers, don't know their backgrounds though.
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:39 am Post subject: Re: University jobs
Tiger Beer wrote:
I wouldn't know anything about that. I have met a German national who teaches German parttime. He's married to a Japanese woman. Parttime implies his visa is good for Japan, and the uni doesn't have to sponsor him, etc.
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