Job Discussion Forums

[wailing_imam]

Hi,

Does anyone know anything about this place?

I have an MA, Dip TESOL and loads of experience and would like to experience Japan for a few years. Are they likely to offer educational allowance for children? What kind of salary and teaching load can one expect at a Japanese uni?

[timothypfox]

Do you have a job offer? If so, you can communicate directly with the university person in charge of hiring you. Given the questions you have, you probably don't...

Just to let you know, it's a tough market although not an impossible one. I've heard and seen online (see for yourself at http://jrecin.jst.go.jp/ and occasionally at www.tesol.org) that there are jobs at universities in Japan, but namely 3 kinds:

1) Teaching at a university but being employed by a dispatch agency such as INTERAC. This kind of work will put you in a university setting teaching university kids ESL, but will not provide a salary that's enough to support a family.

2) Teaching at a university as a part-time instructor. This would be working as an adjunct. In this situation, you might be scrambling to get other work or work at more than one university.

3) Terminal 3 or 4 year full time contracts. These type of jobs end after 3 to 4 years and then you must look for work again.

* Occasionally I see a tenured position job come up - but my feeling is that publications (3 or so), Japanese language ability, and connections - do a lot to increase your chances for these jobs.

Be aware of a slowing Japanese economy, aging population, unchanging ESL salaries for several years in Japan, and many qualified applicants. I'm not trying to scare you away - but I took about 4 years to find a solo-teaching job at a high school I liked in Japan without compromising on my career and becoming an assistant language teacher, or language school teacher. These are all fine kinds of employment particularly if you are young, but I was researching a lateral move from working in a high school in NYC to working in a high school in Japan.

My trick in doing this was to accept the fact that I would get a huge wage cut, but find a way to do it so I would increase my overall standard of living. I did so by finding working in a smaller city where costs are cheaper and commute to work is a 10 minute drive or a 30 minute walk.

And then, I needed to wade out another 3 years working there to finally secure tenure.

I think you will find something, but it may take research and time. I am no expert on universities, but this is information I've read here on the forums, or from people I've talked to in Japan.

[mitsui]

Their reputation is not good.
Look up the Black List on Debito`s website.

[Solar Strength]

[rtm]