Job Discussion Forums

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Hello,

I am currently teaching in Korea. Very sweet deal. Great school. Good apartment provided. Nice living situation. Able to spend and spend and have fun. Never have to be frugal with money.....and after that...still SAVE over 20 grand US a year.

My girlfriend is in Kitakyushu, next to Fukuoka city in Fukuoka prefecture. Next year I plan to get a job in Fukuoka city or Kitakyushu city.

By then I'll already have had one year's solid experience in Korea and a CELTA (teaching certificate) behind me.....I'm Aussie/British citizen. Never even set foot anywhere in Europe though.

What are my chances of getting a job? Will I get a good one? Any ideas....will it take a while?....is it terribly difficult...?

How's the job situation these days?...especially in that Fukuoka area.

Bloody lots of thanks if u can help me out by letting me know.

Cheers

-JezzaYouBeauty!![/i]

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

1. If you live alone, you will have to sacrifice one of two things: partying or frugal living for savings.

2. As far as hearsay goes, your experience in Korea is moot. You need experience in Japan for it to count. Celta will help you, though.

3. Finding a job will not be a walk in the park. Fukuoka is a competetive location.

But, don't give up. Keep on the job hunt, keep your spirit high, and you can find yourself a job in no time. If you don't already have a sponser, though, you will need to leave Japan and re-enter once you land a position in order to activate your new work visa.

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

You will never save that kind of coin in a year in Japan unless you are a tenured prof with a PhD, or you'd have to have a ton of rich privates. It is easier to save money in Korea because of the higher cost of living here. Fukuoka is also one of the most sought after locations in Japan, so there is an abundance of foreigners there.

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Yes....I sort of wasn't surprised by your insights. Korea really is......excellent in terms of renumeration...and even lifestyle, it seems.......compared to Japan. I don't know for others here in Korea.....but even my working hours here are less than half of a normal working day back in Australia. I do work 6 days a week though. It's a VERY relaxed work environment as well.....

I'm guessing those good points could be the opposite in Japan as well.

hmm.......I suppose people just wouldn't come to Korea or stay here if they weren't getting the great benefits. Japan still is a far greater attraction for far more people to go and work in, just for what it is.

Looking on the surface in a very easy way, I can see why.

Ah well, what me worry.

See ya.....

-JezzaYouBeauty!!

BlueSky · Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 13 Location: FUKUOKA

The job market in Fukuoka is really terrible at the moment. Most jobs are part time and offering low wages. I actually saw one for 1000yen a day a month ago (I hope it was a misprint). The good jobs are held by people that have been here for ages and when (if) they leave, more often than not it will pass on to one of their friends. Fukuoka is a great city to live in though.

You don't have to leave Japan to get your visa if you are in Fukuoka. You can get it at the Fukuoka Immigration office at the airport. Check out the Fukuoka Now website for jobs. You might be lucky if you are in the right place at the right time. You may have better luck in Kita-Kyushu with jobs. Hope you manage to find something.

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Yes, I've heard Fukuoka is a tough job market. I'm not sure about Kitakyushu. Even though they are part of the one conurbation......i think they're pretty different parts of the one area...kind of thing. Don't know if there are more jobs there or not.

About the visa, BlueSky....so...if you're in Fukuoka....and land a job....r u saying u don't have to do the visa run out of the country to get a work visa? U can can just go to the airport and arrange it?

I thought u would've had to leave and re-enter when a full-time work visa gets sponsored.

Oh well....great if that is the case. Is it?

Cheers...

-JezzaYouBeauty!!

lou lou · Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 37 Location: England

JezzaYouBeauty,

Would you be so kind as to tell me where you are currently working so I can pinch your job when you leave! Rolling Eyes

observer · Joined: 15 Nov 2004 Posts: 27

Who do you work for in Korea?
Where is your school located?

If you're working eikaiwa, you'll probably earn between �250,000 and �320,000 - though working a reasonable number of hours. Teaching business English in Japan is better in terms of hours worked - (after talking with others) between 12-20 on average, the amount per hour is higher �3500 - �5000.

Developing/gaining/buying private students is another option, but takes time and patience.

If you can keep rental expenses down, and/or share living costs, then you can save the same amount of money.

But I have no idea about Fukuoka.

Apart from the girl, why do you want to come to Japan?
What are your expectations of Japan?

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

I work in Daegu. I'm in one of the two top schools here (....possibly considered so, by some)

They're called Yale and Moon Kong. But even though.....they are still not FAR better than other schools in terms of salary. Across the board, Korea's a very good deal.

The things that can really vary that might effect your happiness here are location, quality of school and apartment.

......Korea's interesting. To me, I feel like it would be the most opposite country to Japan....in Asia. In an economical and on-the-surface sense it may appear the most like Japan, however.

hmm....

Yup....

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Actually....besides.....my lady 'chingu' (chingu is friend in Korean)

....I probably wouldn't be thinking of going to Japan.

BUT....i've lived in Thailand before....and now in Korea.....and i have to appreciate that Japan is a pretty developed, advanced, modern nation. That's a good point.

Western teachers in korea who reside in korea and visit Japan on holidays seem to rave over Japan and say wonderful things about it....often using a comparison to korea that's not flattering of Korea.

I would probably have to agree with those comparisons as well. Still, I don't have any romantic, misty-eyed feeling towards Japan either.

Hmm.....gotta go now....it's showtime. (class)

lou lou · Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 37 Location: England

Jezza,

I think I'd better go to Korea first and get rid of some of my student debt before moving on to Japan. You seem to be very nostalgic about Korea so it can't be that bad after all. (Some bad stories on the boards here.)

I hope you are very happy with your "chungu," and in Japan.

P.S. Thanx for the job tips.