Job Discussion Forums

[elliot_spencer]

Hi everyone. I am a 30 year old British teacher. I have 7 years teaching experience, I have a BA(hons) in Teaching English, Celta grade B and a Delta, I am also a Cambridge ESOL speaking examiner and am also an IELTS examiner . I have been applying to almost every job in Japan for the past 3 years and I have not been able to find anything... am I too qualified/old?

[mitsui]

No, but there are too many teachers here.

You just need to look at different sites for work, like Craigslist.
Although, most jobs listed are not good.
You might have to work for dispatch agencies, and they prefer part-timers so they do not have to pay for pensions and health insurance.

I probably will leave next year.
I think once you get to 40 then age can be an issue.

Seriously, consider China.

[Mr. Leafy]

Where are you applying from? I see your past posts have been in various country forums, including Turkey and Czech, so it's hard to tell.
Some countries are more willing than others to hire from abroad, Japan is one that prefers to hire 'already in the country' (except for language mills, which I suspect you are not going for). If you're not in Japan, it's going to be harder.

[timothypfox]

The CELTA / DELTA qualifications are more highly regarded in Europe than in Japan. An MA in TESOL is more of an industry standard here for more than an entry level job here.

But, having said that I think you should be able to acquire entry level language school type of work or ALT type of work.

While Mitsui is correct in that there are many teachers here, if I recall correctly Mitsui focuses on university work which is a lost cause and temporary adjunct city pretty much unless you are well-published and fluent in Japanese or have great connections.

There are tenure type jobs available at private high schools although they generally require public school experience or public school teaching qualifications from your own country - and very often an MA. This is the route I took.

Private high schools actually may prefer a job candidate in their 40s because they want an employee they can trust with the kids, and someone who may consider staying long term.

Have you done anything Japan related such as teacher Japanese students or at least tutored them? Have you taken any Japanese lessons to at least demonstrate to an employer your interest in Japanese culture? Any Japanese hobbies such as kendo (NOT MANGA!)?

What sites and companies have you been looking at? What kind of jobs are you interested in? What do you like about Japan?

[rtm]

[mitsui]

Without networking you have to take what you can get.

I will go back to teaching at a private high school.
Without my spouse it would not have been possible to get the job.
Frankly the networking of a Japanese spouse trumps everything.

Publications are needed for university work and I can't put them on my resume until accepted for publication.
I am stuck in the peer review purgatory.

Anyway, I got certified in the US (Arizona) for grades 7-12 and will continue the certification process.
People have to keep making their resume look better since there is a lot of competition.

[timothypfox]

I got my private high school job through a rare listing on ESL cafe. It is possible. But, Ohayo Sensei is a better bet for jobs I think...

[mitsui]

IELTS is not common. There are classes at the British Council and some other places.

With no MA, if you were a qualified teacher in the UK you might get work,
especially with IB experience.