Job Discussion Forums

skarp · Joined: 30 May 2004 Posts: 50

Just saw a job advertised on Daves. Wesatern Tokyo, 1700 yen an hour.

This has got to be a joke? Surely?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Here is another ad.

skarp · Joined: 30 May 2004 Posts: 50

Is it illegal in Japan to specify gender? I hope so.

But without some monitoring in some ways if they want a woman, then I'd rather know. It saves time.

But I've never applied for a job where they say a man is required either. If they are going to be like that right up front, it's a major red flag.

I notice OhayoSensei doesn't print ads asking for a specific gender. Does Dave's?

The job I'm talking about is aimed at working holiday or spouse visa job hunters. No experience or qualifications are even wanted, let alone required. Yet they want someone to 'teach' TOEIC. Not easy and certainly not fun.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

......there are hotel jobs advertised here (ie Japan) that pay more......says it all, really

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

I have seen jobs that specify that the applicant must be a woman or be under 40. I thought it was somewhat common in Japan.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Lots of university jobs specify that you must be under a certain age. They say "masters required" and "must be under 35 or 40". Pretty small window of opportunity I'd say.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

It gets better, sorry lower; from Jobs in Japan

Laura C · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Saitama

I saw that Harajuku one too. I wonder if they will get any applicants?

I was under the impression that specifying gender is legal in Japan. It is in certain cases in the UK too, e.g. for a men's health project or women's centre.

What does annoy me is the emphasis on certain accents. My junior high school told my company they want an American teacher next term, even though I was supposed to be contracted there until next March. So I'm now unemployed for not having a standard accent... I am really self-conscious about my accent now when I go for interviews. Evil or Very Mad

L

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

Laura, how can they terminate your contract; does it say in writing it ends in March? That is very bad form on their part.

I am here on a spouse visa on an Aussie passport. The thing is I don`t have an Aussie accent as I spent most of my life outside of Aussie. I just arrived here on my Aussie passport ,not my `other` one, because that was where I had been living, and therefore where I received the visa. I couldn`t believe the comments I had in interviews when I arrived; lots of `Gudies` (their attempt at `Good Day`) etc. Then, after I started speaking, "but I can understand you even though you are Australian"; very patronising.

The good news is that there are plenty of jobs for non-American English speakers. I have a fair mix of work business, ALT and solo teaching; my accent is almost non-existent.

Incidentally, I have friends here who are American English teachers and say they have difficulty with other American`s accents but not mine.

Good luck, you deserve better Wink

Laura C · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Saitama

Thank you. Very Happy

I wasn't employed by the junior high but by a company who 'leases' ALTs to schools. They offered to find me something else but also said I could look for something here if I preferred (I've just moved to Tokyo), so I opted for that. But I would have preferred to stay where I was even though there was a commute.

What annoys me more than anything was that it was such a low level school, and I know it was more to do with the teachers' (lack of) ability in English than my having a strong accent. Plus I was contracted to visit elementary schools in that area too, which I really enjoyed. They had no problem with me, in fact said many times what a good teacher they thought I was -- yet I have to finish there too as it's the same BofE.

I'm sure some of you remember my asking for advice on dealing with the kids at that junior high. Kids would ignore me, one boy almost hit me, I got told to 'F**k off' (their English is truly awful but they know that), and I got handed a test paper that said 'F**k' repeatedly all over it. That is just a small selection of what that school was like -- in literally every class there was a major discipline probem that the Japanese teachers did nothing about (I did try when it was my turn to do my human tape recorder bit, but apparently the school had a problem with that too, as they said they were 'worried' a student might hit me. So their answer to that, Get rid of the teacher for her non-standard accent). So I'm trying to feel better by telling myself that I'm well out of it.

I'm still really angry and upset by it, though. As no doubt everyone can tell by the rant... Laughing

L

Celeste · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:35 am Post subject:

Laura-

In someone's screwed up sense of honour and saving face, they probably thought they were doing you a favour. (ie. It's better to say that they prefer someone with a different accent rather than embarrass you by saying we want a 900 lb gorilla to come and work as an ALT because we are afraid what hte kids might do to that nice little Australian lady.) At any rate, good riddance to that school!!!!!

Laura C · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Saitama

Thanks Celeste.

Just as well I'm not a 900 lb gorilla, cos I'm sure if I was bigger one of those kids might have got a smack!

L

Laura C · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Saitama

And another dodgy job...

DMA is currently looking for several teaching staff both full-time and part-time for its West Shinjuku location. If you are looking to find a Job at a school that REALLY DOES CARE about its staff, then DMA is the place for you. We truly know and understand that the teacher is the key to our success and our compensation package reflects that.

They pay 'from' 1,600 an hour...