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University jobs for August 2017
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goodEnglishes



Joined: 19 May 2016
Posts: 30

PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 3:42 pm    Post subject: University jobs for August 2017 Reply with quote

Hello friends! I have an MA TESOL and six years of teaching experience in the field. Do you know of any Japanese universities hiring beyond what the typical job boards on tesol.org, dave's, highered, curriculumvitae, or Ohaiyo sensei (most positions seem to require you to be in Japan already) show? I have not published yet so part of me knows I might have to wait until publishing to get a solid university job in Japan, but I have also seen several positions pop up over the past few months that don't mention publishing under job requirements so I have a small degree of hope!
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rtm



Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US

PostPosted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 6:42 pm    Post subject: Re: University jobs for August 2017 Reply with quote

goodEnglishes wrote:
Do you know of any Japanese universities hiring beyond what the typical job boards on tesol.org, dave's, highered, curriculumvitae, or Ohaiyo sensei

The main sites for Japanese university positions are JREC-IN (a government-sponsored site) and JACET (the Japanese Association of College English Teachers).

JREC-IN has a Japanese version and an English version. They are not translations of each other; institutions can choose which to post ads on. There are many more ads posted on the Japanese language version.
MOD EDIT

I think you'll find that most universities want people who have at least one of: Japanese language ability, previous experience teaching in a Japanese university, publications, and/or a PhD (all of which you seem to lack). You may find some that do not require these, but there probably won't be many.
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Schools are on vacation in August. Some will need teachers for September but most want teachers for April and want teachers to not break their contract.
It is harder, but not impossible, to get a full-time job for September.
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GambateBingBangBOOM



Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most non-entry level positions in Japan require you to be in Japan (both university positions and direct hire junior and/or senior high school positions).

You might want to think about going with Westgate to get a foot in the door of both Japan and university teaching. It's a dispatch company and you won't be able to say you worked FOR a university (your employer would be Westgate- a dispatch company) but rather that you have experience teaching AT a university or TO university students.

Contracts with them are short. You would be looking for another job for the following April (though you could work for them again). They won't allow you to stay in their apartment between contracts, though. That could be a deal breaker for some (many) people.

Part-time university jobs often do not require publications, but do require you to be in the country and require you to have an appropriate visa (one you would have through having worked at Westgate). You would then need to find a few part-time jobs. Some people build up their part-time positions at several universities and just do that for the majority of their career in Japan. Part-time jobs hire much closer to the start of the term than full-time jobs.
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kzjohn



Joined: 30 Apr 2014
Posts: 277

PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There is almost zero hiring in aug/sept for the fall/2nd term.

Emergency situations only.

You'd need a miracle, wrapped in a generous amount of good luck, surrounded by the gods of good fortune.
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Maitoshi



Joined: 04 May 2014
Posts: 718
Location: 何処でも

PostPosted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kzjohn wrote:
There is almost zero hiring in aug/sept for the fall/2nd term.

Emergency situations only.

You'd need a miracle, wrapped in a generous amount of good luck, surrounded by the gods of good fortune.


And there are a number of us who are already here making offerings to Yebisu, that he grant his blessings on their families Smile
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timothypfox



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 492

PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

goodEnglishes,

It's a great dream to try for a permanent full-time teaching position at a university in Japan. I think others have told you you need to improve your qualifications. Although I am not employed at a university (I work at a private high school), I have been around these boards awhile and in Japan for awhile. What I keep hearing is that many who get work in universities get a decent salary, but often need to string together a few adjunct positions - often at more than one university - but only get hired for 3 or 4 year contracts. At the end of their contracts, they look for other work at different institutions and this may mean moving. What I'm saying is that it is tough. From what is advertised and what I hear, full-time tenure track positions do exist and indeed are advertised, but are hard to secure or find. Others have mentioned a great value in getting jobs through someone you know - word of mouth. Finally, if you are not aware of the problems yet, please be aware that Japan's population is decreasing rapidly. This might mean some university closures in the future and more protectionism against employing foreign teachers. But that said, if you are up for a chance - go for it. Never say never.
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GambateBingBangBOOM



Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 2:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

timothypfox wrote:
goodEnglishes,

It's a great dream to try for a permanent full-time teaching position at a university in Japan. I think others have told you you need to improve your qualifications. Although I am not employed at a university (I work at a private high school), I have been around these boards awhile and in Japan for awhile. What I keep hearing is that many who get work in universities get a decent salary, but often need to string together a few adjunct positions - often at more than one university - but only get hired for 3 or 4 year contracts. At the end of their contracts, they look for other work at different institutions and this may mean moving. What I'm saying is that it is tough. From what is advertised and what I hear, full-time tenure track positions do exist and indeed are advertised, but are hard to secure or find. Others have mentioned a great value in getting jobs through someone you know - word of mouth. Finally, if you are not aware of the problems yet, please be aware that Japan's population is decreasing rapidly. This might mean some university closures in the future and more protectionism against employing foreign teachers. But that said, if you are up for a chance - go for it. Never say never.


If you work PART-TIME you may be there for a long, long time. But part-time. And you could lose your job at the end of any year (or term, for universities that hire by the term- some do). Many people work at getting contracts and filling a schedule, and then do their best to keep it for years on end. It can pay more to do it this way than by working a single full-time job.

If you work FULL-TIME, then you will likely only be there for a maximum of 3,4,or 5 years. Some of them have five year contracts, renewable ONCE, for ten years total. There seems to be more and more one year contracts renewable 3, 4 or 5 times. And then you're out. Salaries for these types of jobs a creeping downwards. A direct-hire junior/senior high may pay more than a university job these days (just as an eikaiwa may pay more than a dispatch ALT position these days).

More and more people are doing PhDs to keep what they already have at the university level.
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Shakey



Joined: 29 Aug 2014
Posts: 199

PostPosted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

GambateBingBangBOOM wrote:
timothypfox wrote:
goodEnglishes,

It's a great dream to try for a permanent full-time teaching position at a university in Japan...What I keep hearing is that many who get work in universities get a decent salary, but often need to string together a few adjunct positions - often at more than one university - but only get hired for 3 or 4 year contracts. At the end of their contracts, they look for other work at different institutions and this may mean moving. What I'm saying is that it is tough.

From what is advertised and what I hear, full-time tenure track positions do exist and indeed are advertised, but are hard to secure or find.


If you work PART-TIME you may be there for a long, long time. But part-time. And you could lose your job at the end of any year (or term, for universities that hire by the term- some do). Many people work at getting contracts and filling a schedule, and then do their best to keep it for years on end. It can pay more to do it this way than by working a single full-time job.

If you work FULL-TIME, then you will likely only be there for a maximum of 3,4,or 5 years... And then you're out. .

More and more people are doing PhDs to keep what they already have at the university level.


I agree. Part-time positions are usually long-term, universities do not cut part-time teacher loose after 5 years like they do to full time contract instructors. Also, part-time teachers are always needed to fill classes at universities. So in this regard, part-time jobs are probably more stable than contract full time university TEFL jobs since most universities cut teachers loose after 5 years. Full time contracts for university EFL jobs are normally non-renewable beyond 5 years, as mentioned above. So there's no job security for full time university EFL teachers in Japan, either.

The future looks bleak in terms of Japanese universities hiring tenured gaijin EFL teachers. I would never recommend that someone pursue a doctoral degree just so that they have a chance at staying longer at a Japanese university. Invest that money and do something more important with your time. Getting a tenured university TEFL position in Japan is like winning the lottery. It just doesn't happen for most people and even those who are tenured, it probably would not happen again for them. Most of them just stepped in it and got lucky. And many of them have good qualifications.

Japanese universities are a full of chaos at the moment with the Ministry of Education always messing with them regarding funding and telling them how many teachers they can have in a department, and what kinds of departments they should form and maintain. I think most people here know that the Abe government has forced universities to trim the fat off of humanities departments or even close them down in some cases. Finally, there are just not that many 18 year olds anymore in Japan. Enrollments are falling at many colleges.

Maybe if a teacher lived in Tokyo (Kanto Region) or the Kansai Region (Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto), they could do very well teaching EFL part-time at universities. There must be hundreds of colleges and universities in each of those regions that require part-time native speaking EFL teachers. So if someone lives in those regions, it might be better to teach part-time.
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taikibansei



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's some misinformation here, along with the conflation of what really are separate issues.

1) Tenured foreigners

I've posted on this before, with links. Thanks to a huge hiring boom (especially over the last ten years), the number of foreign university faculty with tenure has tripled since 2000. Currently, well over 3,000 foreigners are working with tenure here.

2) Non renewals for contract workers

I've posted on this before, with links. The 2013 law (労働契約法の改正) was a catastrophe for all contract workers in Japan--though particularly foreign workers. Before this law, things were so ambiguous that contract workers working without renewal caps (and sometimes even with caps) actually had more protection. The new law removed the ambiguity...but was poorly thought out and poorly written. E.g., while superficially giving "protections" to contract hires, it includes no incentive at all for companies or schools to hire anybody permanently. None. All it does is set in stone a "must-fire-by" number. Furthermore, to be on the "safe" side, some universities are even considering capping renewals for part-timers. Why? Because yet again, schools have no incentive to keep foreigners past the "must-fire-by" date, so have no incentive to learn the finer points of the law.

3) Prospects for foreign university faculty without tenure

Foreigners in Japan used to be able to make an often great living doing just renewable contract and/or multiple part-time university positions. Often, they made more than the tenured folk! (I've known multiple people who have bought houses here doing this.) Given that tenure for foreigners didn't exist at most universities until the mid-1980s, and that the number of foreigners with tenure didn't reach triple digits until the mid-1990s, the renewable contract/part-time route used to be the norm...and often the only path available. Times have changed. MEXT has made it clear that it wants the reliance on contract and part-time teachers lessened. In combination with the 2013 law, this means that it will become increasingly difficult to find/keep/survive on renewable contracts or multiple part-time positions--especially once you get over, say, 40. Accordingly, as I've written repeatedly on these boards, I would not recommend coming to Japan if you are over 40 unless you have a written offer of tenure (or at least tenure track) or are supremely qualified (and/or independently wealthy).

4) How to get a tenured university position

On the thread at this link, I describe the typical hiring criteria for tenured positions at Japanese universities:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=113291&start=30

I have been hired from overseas twice. Usually, Japanese universities interested in overseas applicants will advertise at The Chronicle of Higher Education:

https://chroniclevitae.com/job_search/new?cid=chenav

However, sometimes you'll find ads open to overseas applicants on the English-language side of JRECIN:

https://jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekTop?ln=1

That said, as I've written before, the number and quality (salaries, workloads, employment status) of jobs offered tend to be far better on the Japanese-language side here.

https://jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekTop

5) Pros and Cons to Getting a PhD

Regardless of whether you are in Japan or not, you should never get a PhD in the Humanities (or in Education really). These links help explain why:

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/04/bad-job-market-phds/479205/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/07/14/humanities_ph_d_employment_the_longstanding_horror_of_the_job_market_in.html
https://mlaresearch.mla.hcommons.org/2014/02/26/our-phd-employment-problem/

If, after reading those links, you continue to consider the possibility...you should only get a PhD if you either:

A) have a job already and getting a PhD will lead to promotion/higher salary.

B) have such a love of researching your chosen subject matter that you wish to continue on despite the extremely high possibility you will never find permanent work in your field.

And even then, I would not recommend getting a PhD in either Education or the Humanities unless it is from a relatively top program (increases your employment chances) and you are getting a TA-ship, a fellowship, a scholarship or some other sort of funding support. Going into major debt for such a degree can be ruinous.
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Even part-time is tough. My hours will be cut in the fall but I know a teacher who will have all his classes cut.
There was a desire where I work to get the full-timers to teach 13 koma in the spring. It is currently the schedule.
Depends on the school, but saving money is the priority now.
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kzjohn



Joined: 30 Apr 2014
Posts: 277

PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 11:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mitsui wrote:
Even part-time is tough. My hours will be cut in the fall but I know a teacher who will have all his classes cut.
There was a desire where I work to get the full-timers to teach 13 koma in the spring. It is currently the schedule.
Depends on the school, but saving money is the priority now.


Yeah. Work is one of those unappreciated four-letter words.
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taikibansei



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Posts: 811
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kzjohn wrote:


Yeah. Work is one of those unappreciated four-letter words.


Life being another one. Wink
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goodEnglishes



Joined: 19 May 2016
Posts: 30

PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 10:54 pm    Post subject: Thank you everyone! Reply with quote

Thank you everyone! Your comments are immensely helpful and well-received. I will keep up the never ending job search!
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Jagariko



Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Posts: 40

PostPosted: Sat Jul 29, 2017 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
"...universities do not cut part-time teacher loose after 5 years like they do to full time contract instructors."


Oh yes they do.

As Taikibansensei says, the 2013 law is kicking in for me at one of my part-time jobs now. I have worked there for four and a half years since the law was passed. I was only given a contract for the first term this year as if I had worked for five years, in theory, they would have to offer my a permanent contract - even though I really don't want one!

The same situation will happen at another job next year. They have said they will try and off-set it by offering me double classes in the term following my six-month unpaid absence. How can they when classes may not be available or on days when I'm already working elsewhere?

If you like the freedom of working at different places part-time and have several part-time jobs, it is unsustainable to be searching for replacement jobs every year to fill in the unpaid gaps.

I guess it is full-time job or leave time...
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