Job Discussion Forums

[galacticmisfit]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning on teaching english in about two years (I'm saving up!) but I can't decide where. I had my heart set on Argentina because I really want to improve on my Spanish and explore South America but I'm having second thoughts because of its economy.

I'm now looking at Japan and the money sounds decent, jobs sound stable and it seems like there are a lot of opportunities for younger people without experience, but from the posts, it doesn't really sound like you guys are having a great time. (Or maybe the people having a great time just aren't posting).

I want to work somewhere where I can save some money to travel around after a year or two of teaching but I don't want to be miserable for two years just saving money, you know? (And I'm pretty sure there are miserable teachers in Argentina as well)

Basically, I'm just wondering a few things...What's your advice? How do you like Japan? Why did you choose Japan? Are you miserable in Japan? Where should I go?

[Sweetsee]

1. Do you have a B.A. degree?
2. How much do you want to save in how much time?
3. Did you proofread your post?

[Brooks]

I am busy, and when I get too busy, I get tired, and then I get cranky.

But I also worked six days a week in Poland, Russia, and Morocco.
So I was used to it.

I chose Japan because I wanted a decent job and I wanted experience teaching teenagers.
I had a plan to go back to the US to teach at a high school.

I also wanted to work at a Japanese school that had an exchange with my graduate school.
I wanted to make money because I had debt from student loans.

[galacticmisfit]

Sweetsee,

1. Yes, two of them.
2. I'm not too sure of how much money I want as I'm already doing everything short of living in a dumpster to put about a grand away every month. It's part of my travel around the world scheme that I haven't figured out yet.
3. No, but I do speak English!

[Glenski]

Answers about why you came to Japan and how happy you are will only serve you well if they come from people in similar situations or of a similar age group.

I'm much older than you. I had visited and worked in Japan twice before I became a teacher here. I'd studied the language for a year in university, too. So, take the following with all of that in mind.

If you want to save money, do as Sweetsee implied and make a financial plan on how much you feel you need. Salaries are dropping for entry level work here, but you can still get what has been offered for over a decade (250,000 yen/month) if you look. With that income and using average expenses, you could save anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 yen/month. Look up my thread on cheapskates to see how people (sometimes outrageously) save money. Realize that you probably won't have a car here, and that your employer will likely pay for local transportation, so after that and basic necessities of food, rent, and phone (perhaps even insurance), what do people spend their money on? Is that the same as you?

Meat is expensive here, so eat less.
Because of earthquakes, people don't leave their kerosene heaters running all day or through the night, which means you have to get used to chilly apartments.
You can use your computer as a phone to make calls for free (aside from your Internet cost, of course).

As for being happy, you probably realize that this is a relative thing. City lovers will have a hard time with a countryside job assignment, and vice versa. Everyone has to learn not to impose their foreign morals on Japanese society, or you will be nothing except shocked and angry. Learn to keep a lifeline back home to avoid some feelings of loneliness, and realize that after you've been here a couple of months, your friends and family will probably not reply to your mail as quickly simply because the thrill for them has worn off, even though they still have the same feelings for you.

Get out. Make friends.

Learn the language. This is hard, and it may mean ditching your coworkers often just to avoid their constant use of English (many times just to complain about work).

Explore your neighborhood. Bicycles allow this for a cheap cost.

How do I like Japan? I like it a lot, but I have my own personal reasons, starting with a Japanese wife and her wonderfully accepting family, and including my previous 2 experiences here which made culture shock very minimum. Do I LOVE Japan? Depends. There are definitely things I hate about it, but I have the same thoughts toward my own homeland. The key is learning to adapt. You will never be assimilated, but you can be somewhat accepted for what you are, and never forget that you will always be a foreigner in the eyes of the locals. This is key.

Some people bail out the moment their plane lands. (really!)
Some call it quits in a year or two.
Some have the time of their lives in that short time, or they last forever.
Some never learn a bit of the language and they refuse to adapt to circumstances.
Some become so engrossed and immersed in the culture that they embarrass fellow foreigners.
Some become successes.
It's what you make of it.

[Sweetsee]

Thanks for that Glenski.

And this is definitely the place for you GM.
You are going to love it!

[Gordon]

I think Japan is a good country to live in for a few years and then move on. I think much of the frustrations people have about Japan is when they live here long term and find they never get accepted or never seem to fit in. As long as you are comfortable with that, then life will be better. I came for 2 years and now am into my 4th and plan to stay longer.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Japan, but I don't place the responsibility entirely on Japan. I just finished my masters degree last week and the stress and time commitment was enough to hate any place. I am hoping things will improve now that I have some free time. My family really likes Japan and perhaps that is one reason we have stayed this long. I can't really complain as I have an excellent set up. I am sure that when I do leave, there will be many things I will miss about Japan.

[denise]

If you have your heart set on South America but are put off by Argentina�s economy, then might I suggest Chile? Culturally, linguistically, and geographically, it�s a lot closer to Argentina than Japan is! I spent a couple of years in Japan before heading to South America, and, well, since I had always been more interested in the culture and language, I am happier down here now. The Chilean economy is, of course, a lot weaker than the Japanese, but you can earn enough money to travel around a bit--no posh four-star hotels or anything, though.

If you�re already saving money now, maybe you won�t need to teach in a place like Japan just for the money.

I chose Japan for the money and the job (I had lined up a good one before I flew over there), and I had a good time--good social life, plenty of disposable income, etc.--but the country itself never really appealed to me. If you go there even though your heart is pulling you to South America, you might be in a similar position. You can enjoy yourself anywhere, depending on your attitude, but I�d recommend going to a country that actually interests you.

d

[Apsara]

I've had 2 very different Japan experiences- once was when I came here determined to pay my student loan off and save x amount of money, and I had myself on a really limited budget for around 2 years to do so, working loads of overtime, still going out once a week or more but constantly watching how much I was spending and beating myself up if I thought I'd spent too much.

I left for 6 months and travelled and then came back, this time I didn't have any real savings goals and I also decided I wasn't a student any more, and at 27 years old didn't want to live like a student any more either. Now another 4 years later I'm still having a great time here- I travel a couple of times a year, if I want to buy something or do something within reason I usually just spend the money, and I'm enjoying life here a lot more than I did the first time around.

I have met people- often couples, who come to Japan determined to save as much as possible in a year for their wedding/ house back home etc, work loads of overtime, never go out, eat spaghetti with meat sauce from a can 4 days a week because it's so cheap, and are counting the days until they leave. Of course they don't enjoy it, they don't give themselves a chance to.

I also agree with the above poster who said to avoid the people who have endless conversations about everything they dislike about Japan/ their job- it's easy to get caught up in this cycle and you end up feeling quite negative after a while. Once I figured out this was happening to me, I always tried to avoid joining these conversations- it doesn't matter how many times you complain about people spitting on the train platforms or whatever, it's unlikely to change any time soon.

The happiest people I know here are those who have some interest outside their job and going out drinking- looking forward to a few overseas trips a year is too long-term, it needs to be something you can look forward to on a daily or weekly basis. I know people who have then managed to turn this interest into a part-time or full-time job- singers, dancers, artists etc.

The Japan experience is very much what you make of it.

[gaijinalways]

Do I LOVE Japan? Depends. There are definitely things I hate about it, but I have the same thoughts toward my own homeland. The key is learning to adapt. You will never be assimilated, but you can be somewhat accepted for what you are, and never forget that you will always be a foreigner in the eyes of the locals. This is key.

Some people bail out the moment their plane lands. (really!) no
Some call it quits in a year or two. no
Some have the time of their lives in that short time, or they last forever. hmm, maybe.
Some never learn a bit of the language and they refuse to adapt to circumstances. not a good option.
Some become so engrossed and immersed in the culture that they embarrass fellow foreigners. I know a few of these.
Some become successes. not yet!
It's what you make of it.

Very well said, I'm still trying to make sense of it all, but that is half the fun !

[Sweetsee]

How's it going GM,

If you are saving a grand a month where you are now, and saving money is your thing, why would you want to come here? Honestly speaking, a grand a month is probably as much as you could hope to save here, probably more. I may be wrong but Glenski can definitely set you straight there, he knows what he is talking about.


Good luck to you,
s

[cornishmuppet]

I think a lot of enjoying Japan depends on whether you like your job, as life here is so closely tied to work, with company appartments and all that.

I came here eighteen months ago and was all wide eyed, but it slowly started to go downhill, and up to a couple of weeks ago when I finally got out of the one room eikawa that had sucked my soul away I hated the place and couldn`t wait to leave. I somehow got a job with the Board of Education at short notice and then moved into an appartment that I rented myself, and suddenly the life I`d grown to hate looks bright again, even though I`ve moved barely a kilometre from where I lived before. I`m back in love (to a certain extent at least!) with Japan and the future seems bright again. Choose your job wisely. And if it does suck, stick it out for the visa and then move, don`t fester like I did. Once you`re in and with a valid work visa, you`re laughing.

[matador]

In comparison to the other countries I have taught English in (Germany and Hong Kong and Shanghai), Japan is clean, efficient, safe and you can earn good money. Its also boring and predictable. If you want open and spontaneous people, go to Spain...but you will not make the money there.

Therefore...work in Japan for a few years...save and invest....then move over to Valencia when you hit 50 years of age. Low cost of living, great food and a stack of cash from your time in Japan!

...assuming you are an EU citizen in the first place.

[Nicedog777]

Been a while since I've popped on this site, good to see Glenski's still giving out sage advice. That post was a thing of beauty.

Consequently, there's not much I can really add to it, other than to say there's some decent opportunity here, for saving cash or burning through it, for comforting security or crazy drunken adventure.

It really is what you make of it.

If you really want to give it a try, do it. I have been here a short time, really (3 months), but I have no complaints. People in big and small cities really go the extra mile to help you out if you need it.

[mrjohndub]

I agree with the other posters to a large extent, but I have one observation to add.

What amazes me about Japan is how many unremarkable people I meet. As another poster claimed, the Japanese seem, by and large, not spontaneous, not very open-minded, and often superficial. They are famed for their courtesy, but I suspect that much of it can be attributed to--for lack of a better phrase--veiled ethnocentrism. I get bored with most Japanese very quickly. My experience with people here has varied greatly from my experience with those in several other countries...Mexico, Argentina and Israel. People I meet here seem to indicate an interest in doing many things, but clearly the social life of many revolves around going out to drink. If you like to go out and drink all the time, you'll have no problem finding company for that. Just don't be expecting any riveting conversation.