Job Discussion Forums

[AimeeCate]

Hi everyone,

My fiance and I are planning on going to Japan within the couple months, he just got his BA and I have my BSc. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advise about how we might get jobs together. We'd like to arrange it so that we live together and possibly work at the same school or at least in the same area.

I'm sure this may have been covered in other parts of the forum so my main questions is, since we want to go together and live in the same place should we mention this in our cover letters or how does one accomplish this.

I know it would be easier if we got married but we're just not prepared to do that right now.

Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks

[PAULH]

[Glenski]

The places that I have found which allow couples to live together, and sometimes even advertise for couples, include NOVA, MIL, ECC, Peppy Kids Club, Fifth Wings, Unitas Language Academy, and JET Programme. Bear in mind that NOVA, ECC, and JET hire thousands of people every year and therefore have just as many possible locations to place each of you. They all promise that they will "do their best" to take your requests to heart, but in the end, you go where they have the vacancies. JET has an upper age limit of about 40, but in some rare instances they hire people older than that. Pretty much all of these employers have been discussed on this forum and others, so if anyone is interested, I'd suggest doing a search (use the Search function at the top of the page).

[Apsara]

PaulH, totally disagree that Japanese don't have "moral hang-ups" about people living together before getting married. Before we got married, my Japanese mother-in-law would not have us staying overnight at her house- she was worried about what the neighbours might think, and this in not-so-rural Kanagawa.

When I lived in Nova accom a few years back, the building I lived in had several Nova apartments and originally they were mixed- one guy, 2 girls etc. The landlord and neighbours soon kicked up a fuss and insisted they all re-shuffle so the apartments were single sex.

Compared to NZ, what percentage of couples here live together before getting married? Increasing these days, but relatively few.

Having said that, OP, I know of at least three unmarried couples who worked for Nova- they were put into their own apartment, but sent to work at different schools in the same area (a few stations apart)- that's Nova's policy, for the reasons PaulH mentioned, they don't want you working together.

[kdynamic]

I think you will have a much easier time if you get married before coming to Japan. If you're alreayd engaged, why not get married first and then come over here?

And if you can't do that, and you are placed together as a couple, Just tell everyone you ARE married (students, neighbors, etc. not advocating you lie to your employers).

[Jawful]

[trina]

I`m currently in Japan with my boyfriend and working for Nova. We had the interview on the same day in Australia, so the interviewers all knew we were going together, one of them even told me that she worked for Nova with her boyfreind too. I think we did mention it in our cover letter. We were automatically given a couples apartment which is pretty sweet as you don`t have to share with strangers and we`re moving to Tokyo this week and are getting a couple`s apartment there too. Another Nova couple live in our apartment block. They have the same days off, but my boyfriend and I only have one day off together. Just depends on your branches I guess. As other posters have said though, there`s no way I could live and work with someone - we tend to talk shop too much as it is, it would be even worse if we had common students!! Nova pretty much always places couples in different branches.

Sorry my writing is not particularly coherent, had a late one

[AimeeCate]

Thanks alot guyz I appreciate the information. I agree maybe working at the same school would be difficult but for the same company but different branches would be ideal.