Job Discussion Forums

[Sunpower]

[guest of Japan]

Sunpower, I don't disagree with the money you mention or your method of making it, but......

What about getting an apartment? Are landlords likely to rent an apartment to you if you don't have a full time job?

[Glenski]

[Sunpower]

I lived in a Guest House.
No guarantor needed.

Berlitz, where I worked, acted as guarantor for their instructors.

[gmat]

Hi Sunpower,
Curious. How much would an average Guest House cost you per month in Tokyo. Could you establish an internet connection from your guest house? Thanks for all your info.

gmat

[Mike L.]

I'm an ex JET currently getting into the more lucrative "Tokyo scene." I will say on JET though the often subsidzed apts and cushy schedule leave you with lots of energy to teach privates. I took advantage of that and paid my student loans off.

Sunpower definitely has a point when he says the new pople need to avoid a full time job. There may be exceptions but it's mostly true. Especially in eikaiwa.

Full time eikaiwa destroys your oppurtunites for making lots of cash because they take you out of operation often a night when you can make the most from privates and or other teaching.

They expect you to spend time doing paper work and attending meetings, etc, etc, that do nothing for your bottom line.

Part time gigs are good since you can usually show up, teach and leave. They also pay hourly for services so that's all you need to worry about.
Some will sponser your visa. It's not that much to ask. If they want you for a special business class or whatever they can do it.

Perhaps the best thing about it that with several PT employers you are behelden to none and can avoid the a lot of the nonesense, from bad mangment, that we read about on this board. It's easy to drop them if they don't behave professionally. they know it too!

However, Glenski has a good point. Many new people don't have much experience and can't get the better PT time jobs.

I did know one person who did manage with PT times at several eikaiwas plus cash privates. She had been in the country about 6 months and was making about 40- something a month. But this was a short term plan as the schedule was gruelling. She only planned to stay for another 6 months.

To all new people reading this thread be patient when finding a job (s). Whatever you don't take a job out of desperation. Eikaiwas specialize in exploiting people who are desperate and don't know any better.

Ask a lot of questions. To your perspective employer and this board. Post your perspective contract on this site.

Bring that cash Glenski is talking about. It will give you time to get set up with a good schedule.

[Sunpower]

I've lived in several guest houses over the last few years in the Tokyo area.

They vary quite a bit in terms of quality, though.

The last one I lived in last Summer/Fall was on the Shinjuku/Shibuya border.

The company that owns it is SAKURA HOUSE.

I paid Y79,000 per month.

Internet access was free.

There was internet access in each room.

If you're interested, you should check them out. The location was pretty good.

You can expect to pay Y50,000 to Y100,000 per month for a guest house in Tokyo

[Glenski]

Here are some links for guest houses (gaijin houses). Most are in Tokyo, I'm sorry to say. If anyone knows links for other cities, please post them, and I'll add them to my already growing list of information.

http://www.metropolis.co.jp
http://www.gaijinhouse.com/
http://mjukis.net/wind/guesthouse/link.htm

Just remember that in a guest/gaijin house, you share the basic utilities of kitchen and bath. Yes, you don't often have to pay the key money that an apartment usually requires, nor do you you have to make a year's contract like an apartment, nor do you need an employer to vouch for your salary, but it's NOT a private apartment unto itself. Think of it as dorm style living.

[Smooth Operator]

OK, so Sunpower was making 350.000 a month in Tokyo but paying 80.000 in rent. Also, deduct taxes of 7% on most but not all of that. Roughly that leaves a take home of around 260,000 a month, the same as many JETs receive after paying rent. Glenski is right, your figures are a little off. You were taking home not much more than the average JET for working longer hours.

As an ex-JET myself I know how easy it is to do privates if one is not living in a rural area. I think JETs can easily take home more than you with a few privates on the side. I used to take home about 330,000 myself after rent....

[Sunpower]

Smooth Operator:

Your wages are good - especially for being after tax/rent.

I don't consider private lessons easy to arrange or manage.

Last year I earned between Y400,000 and a little over Y600,000 every month (depending on when the high school I worked at was in session or not).

I worked at 4 different companies:

- Berliz
- Forum
- Tokyo Metropolitan School Board
- GLOVA

I worked betweeen 25 - 35 hours a week.

As a contract full time Instructor at NOVA, I worked 40 hours a week but often did half day or a day of over time on one of my days off. As well, the secretaries would often ask us to teach extra classes for sick teachers, etc. during the week.

I lived with my girlfriend until about August.
My rent was Y40,000 a month.

JET pay doesn't even come close to what you can earn working multiple jobs in Tokyo.

At Y220,000 per month - a JET's pay is pretty low, compared to what an EFL'er can make working at several part time jobs in Tokyo.

Not even close.

[Smooth Operator]

OK, that is the first time you clarified rent and take home pay! 220,000 is the low end of the JET scale, and that figure is AFTER rent, don't forget. In all your posts you didn't address this major point, until now.

An average JET takes home about 240,000 a month, and in the experience of myself and my friends it is possible to add another 100,000 to that (tax free) by doing classes 3 or 4 evenings a week after school.

But anyway, these figures are academic. The real discussion was for newbies, and how quickly they can make quite good money. You have to admit that JET is a better bet than a full-time contract at a standard eikaiwa, because the base salary is higher, it is tax free, rent is usually lower, and privates are easier to do because one has more time...

BTW, how is Taiwan??

[Sunpower]

I like Taiwan.

Taipei is very dirty, though.

The cost of living is a lot lower than Japan.

I don't make nearly as much money, either. But that's okay for now.

Also, the Taiwanese are much more relaxed and friendlier than the Japanese are - especially towards Westerners.

No key money or unreasonable deposits and you can generally find a place to rent much more easily than in Japan.

I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with how relaxed and friendly the Chinese are compared to the Japanese.

Recently, I've been doing a lot of travelling around South East Asia and I find Taiwan to be in a good location - 1.5 hrs from Phillipines and 3 hours from Thailand. And air fare is reasonable, too.

Taiwan is better than Japan in many ways but also worse in other ways.

Like my girlfriend says about Taiwan, she likes the software but doesn't like the hard ware.