Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Korea and Japan
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Japan
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Hokie21



Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 4:11 am    Post subject: Korea and Japan Reply with quote

So I'll be finishing up my 2nd year teaching in Korea and I have to admit....this country is starting to really bore me. I've always been interested in visiting Japan, but now that my contract is running out I'm considering the possibility of teaching there.

For those of you who made the jump across the sea.....how does Japan rate compared to the land of Kimchi and Dokdo? Is it more difficult to find a job over there? Is it tough finding a sponsor? Do you have to be wary of "hagwons" like you do here in Korea? What is the best way I can go around to looking at finding work in Japan? Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

Thanks a bunch and enjoy your weekend.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can't compare. No hagwons here, and mostly Japanese would work at jukus.

It is a tight job market here. If you are not picky it is ok, but the better paying jobs are tough to get.
Networking is everything here.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Hokie21



Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 5:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers. Thanks Mitsui.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RM1983



Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I worked in Korea in my mid 20s and am now in Japan (early 30s).

First of all, know that if you are looking to find a job before you come you need to be recruited by a big name company, these will either be eikaiwas (private schools) or dispatch companies (who send people to public schools).
There are like 5 or 6 of these that have chains that operate across Japan.

It is a lot harder to get hired from abroad than Korea because the market is flooded here. If you go for the big company route you might not get a lot of input into where you live and work.

Do not expect to get any airfare paid, and be aware that if an employer offers you housing it might well be a rip-off or a means of making it difficult for you to leave the company.

On the other hand, it is not like Kore as if you are really unhappy in your job you can quit without losing your visa.

The smaller, better places to work do not need to recruit abroad as there are already experienced people here who will approach them. I came on a working holiday visa and got it changed after finding a job when I was here.

In terms of working conditions/atmosphere, in eikaiwa the classes are smaller and the kids much more manageable than in Korea, but many places will have a set method and style that you need to follow. Not all but many and especially the big companies. They expect you dressed in business attire and to act very professionally. I say this because in Korea I would often wear shorts to work and we were encouraged to take our adult students out drinking after classes on Friday. Smaller private schools here might do the same but the big companies very much discourage contact with students beyond the scripted lesson. After teaching kids in Korea though, I have to say even the worst classes I have had in Japan seem mild.


Also, if you go for eikaiwa you will more likely than not be working one day at the weekend, usually Saturday. This made a big difference for me from Korea. In Korea, after a year I had been to all the major cities and had traveled extensively, whereas in Japan I have hardly been outside of Tokyo.

Japan is also a little bit more difficult in terms of getting things done. My bosses in Korea all sorted everything out for me, all the visa-related trips I did were accompanied etc. My bills, phone, internet, a lot of stuff like that, my school took care of. In Japan, you can get help for this stuff but you just cant expect to be looked after like in Korea. If I were you and serious about coming Id start learning Japanese right now.

In terms of personal stuff, I'd say Japan is a massively more interesting place to live. You will never run out of things to do and see. The people are far less friendly but still reasonably friendly and very nice. You wont get harassed as much as in Korea and can keep yourself to yourself much more easily (although it is easy to get a little lonely and/or bored if you dont plan your weekends beforehand).
There is a superb variety of food here (you can find Korean food super easily), and the nightlife is more sophisticated. It is also a lot more expensive and taxis home cost an absolute bomb. There are a lot of very cool places to go though and some very good bars around.

In Tokyo at least though the foreigners dont tend to congregate like in Korea. When I lived in Korea I would usually head to a combini downtown where all the foreigners would gather to drink, then head to a bar filled with foreigners. It's much rarer for this kind of thing to happen in Japan. I live in Tokyo and rarely meet other foreigners beyond the times I head to Shibuya or Roppongi.
Also, you are not allowed to dance in most places in Japan, by law, so all in all it is definitely less of party place than Korea


Overall I find Japan a more rewarding and fun place to be, but I do wish I could take the cheapness of Korea and the rough n ready parts of it. I also very much appreciate that no one bothers me for being foreign here, but also quite miss that friendliness that Koreans have.

I must've bored the living shit out of you by now, but I'll just say that just being bored of Korea isn't a great reason to come here, the job market is quite tough and you definitely will not save as much money. If you have a specific reason to come here (language, love the culture, want a Japanese wife/husband) then that is going to make the problems a lot easier to deal with than if you are simply bored of Korea
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You will have to try more here. Probably no free flat, and you will find that you will need to learn the language, and cannot just make excuses for being a foreigner.

Weekends would be more boring. I have been here 13 years and things are tougher. I have to work harder and smarter.

One question: can I get British beer at Homeplus?


Last edited by mitsui on Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:20 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RM1983



Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mitsui wrote:
You will have to try more here. Probably no free flat, and you will find that you will need to learn the language, and cannot just make excuses for being a foreigner.

Weekends would be more boring. I have been here 13 years and things are tougher. I have to work harder and smarter.

One question: can I get British beer at Hemeplus?


Pretty much what I said in a few sentences hahaha Wink. You can get Magners at homeplus now
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beer shopping is better over there since they have a free trade agreement with the EU.
I was surprised to find Smithwick`s at a 7/11 in Gangnam, so of course I bought it and my Irish colleague was naturally jealous.
Can`t find that beer in Japan.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Hokie21



Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 6

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not bored at all. Thanks very much for the responses guys.

You can find a few British beers over here in Homeplus including Magners. I'd say in the past year or so the craft beer scene has really started to take off. The Korean beer is still pretty crap and there is nothing that stacks up to an Asahi, Sapporo or Hitachino, but if you know where to look you can find some decent microbrews in Seoul.

A story just came out in the news saying that imported beer is at an all time high. Up almost 30% from last year.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 10:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, Hitachino is made in Ibaraki, which is north of Narita airport.
It is a bit pricey in a bottle, just less than 400 yen.

After a while beer gets boring here but Yebisu put out a different beer in a blue can. That is pretty good. They have the limited edition in a red can for the fall.

Japanese craft beer is decent. Some people like Baird, which is made down in Numazu, in Shizuoka.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RM1983



Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360

PostPosted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually I was in Busan during Golden Week and in the Seomyeon area was a small bar selling Hitachino beers. Good stuff, went there before we had that Gemiji octopus stuff - good night!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jkcm25



Joined: 26 Apr 2013
Posts: 13
Location: Canuckistan

PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 1:46 am    Post subject: Re: Korea and Japan Reply with quote

Hokie21 wrote:
So I'll be finishing up my 2nd year teaching in Korea and I have to admit....this country is starting to really bore me. I've always been interested in visiting Japan, but now that my contract is running out I'm considering the possibility of teaching there.

For those of you who made the jump across the sea.....how does Japan rate compared to the land of Kimchi and Dokdo? Is it more difficult to find a job over there? Is it tough finding a sponsor? Do you have to be wary of "hagwons" like you do here in Korea? What is the best way I can go around to looking at finding work in Japan? Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

Thanks a bunch and enjoy your weekend.


What RM1983 said is pretty much bang on. I did my time in South Korea as an ALT teacher in the Gyeonggi-do province from 2011-2013 and after 2 years there, I decided to have a scenery change and make a jump here in Japan.
I anticipated that Japan will be much more expensive but I was unprepared for the adjustment of the cost of living here. I miss the financial benefits of living in Korea and the ability to have high savings after tax. To move here you need to be able to sink at least between 3000 and 5000 dollars to live comfortably in your first few months (Flight + Deposit + 1 month of no paycheque + apt. furnishing cost (depends) ). Once you get adjusted to the cost of living, you'll find that it is culturally satisfying to live here than it is in Korea. I find that expats here are actually more interested in the Japanese culture and learning the language which is very motivating enough to learn the local culture here. Most (based from my experience) expats I've met in Korea were just there to make money and "to do there time" there and move on after a few years.
Do your research if you want to work for an Eikaiwa (Hogwon version) or to work as an ALT for a dispatch company. Although I'm working for a small Eikaiwa these days, I couldn't be lucky enough to work for such an amazing independent school even though I work longer hours these days. Be flexible with your placement as it's tough to get a job directly in Tokyo or Osaka. It's definitely tougher to get a job here than it is in South Korea. Good luck in all of your future endeavours!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Black_Beer_Man



Joined: 26 Mar 2013
Posts: 453
Location: Yokohama

PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

RM1983 pretty much covered most differences between K & J. I'll add two more.

1.) Japanese people are less willing to hire you for private lessons than Koreans. Brand reputation is everything here, so most people prefer to go to a language school than to hire you directly. If you want to supplement your day job, the best thing is to work part-time teaching company classes.

2.) Unlike Koreans who express their emotions freely, the Japanese often show "whatever emotion causes the fewest ripples" in any given situation. They don't want to embarrass you or bring down everybody's mood. I've never been able to get used to this even after years and years of being in Japan. It's often very difficult to get a clear opinion from a Japanese person especially if it's a negative one. I often feel like I am being deceived (if not intentionally).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Black_Beer_Man



Joined: 26 Mar 2013
Posts: 453
Location: Yokohama

PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 10:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another thing you may miss from Korea is your special status as a foreigner. Koreans have the attitude that foreigners are guests in their country, so quite often they will treat you to lunch or businesses like city tours (Daegu city) and amusement parks like Seoul Land will give discounts to foreigners. http://eng.seoulland.co.kr/eng/index.asp

In Japan, foreigners are just weird and don't get any preferential treatment (as is the case in most western countries).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To those who've lived in both countries, how would you compare the level of English of Koreans vs. Japanese?

I must admit, I expected most people (especially younger ones) in Tokyo to speak at least some English. No dice. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.

Is it any better in Korea?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
RM1983



Joined: 03 Jan 2007
Posts: 360

PostPosted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Master Shake wrote:
To those who've lived in both countries, how would you compare the level of English of Koreans vs. Japanese?

I must admit, I expected most people (especially younger ones) in Tokyo to speak at least some English. No dice. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.

Is it any better in Korea?


A good deal better yes. Not everyone speaks it and a great deal dont speak it well but they are definitely more prolific speakers than the Japanese. There are a lot of reasons for this but in a word, yes.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Japan All times are GMT
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  Next
Page 1 of 7

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China