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Getting that first job....how?
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senor boogie woogie



Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 676
Location: Beautiful Hangzhou China

PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 6:28 am    Post subject: Looking into Japan, being discouraged. Reply with quote

Hola!

I have been thinking about Japan for several weeks now and have been studying on the internet to see if it can be done. I have looked at the JET program, but they want official transcripts, and I am not going all the way to the USA to get them. Strike one. Second, most schools here want you to be in Japan to talk to you. I'm sorry, I work in China, I am poor. I cannot afford to live in Osaka, Tokyo, Kobe or any of those cities looking for cram school employment. Tokyo is the largest city on Earth. I don't want to wander in such a huge place where I do not know the language and customs.

I don't think that it is hard to get a job in Japan per se, but the start up is expensive and a royal pain in the a s s. The Japanese seem to be more picky about who they want there and as I mentioned before, they like people in country. Since there is probably still a strong American military presence on the island and plenty of foreigners, why look abroad? It is not in their best interest.

If your girl is in Japan, buy a plane ticket and come on over and stay with her. I am an American, they wont give Americans a working holiday visa. I guess they're still mad about losing WWII. Whatever.

I'm not giving up, but I am going to get a TESOL certificate in Hong Kong and probably going to hang out here in China.

SENOR
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Gordon



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 6:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Senor said
Quote:
Since there is probably still a strong American military presence on the island


I have not seen this at all. In fact, I've yet to see any military here. Okinawa has quite a few soldiers from what I've heard, but that's it.

Don't let a few roadblocks deter you from coming.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I have looked at the JET program, but they want official transcripts, and I am not going all the way to the USA to get them.


C'mon, senor. You don't have to fly all the way home for them. I got mine two different ways. One accepted an email (or was it fax?) request as long as I provided a credit card number and a signature. In the other case, I mailed them a letter with a check inside.



Quote:
Second, most schools here want you to be in Japan to talk to you. I'm sorry, I work in China, I am poor. I cannot afford to live in Osaka, Tokyo, Kobe or any of those cities looking for cram school employment.


You sound like a defeatist. Number one, yes, it is expensive to come here and look for work. Number two, yes, many places want you to reside in Japan before they will consider you. However, if this is where you want to come, you will have to make concessions or change your mind about coming here.

Moreover, why are you talking about cram schools (jukus)? Those are probably the least desired of places, and they don't even provide exclusively English classes. Are you confusing them with eikaiwas (language conversation schools)? Depending on your qualifications, you may even be eligible for work in a high school or elementary school or international school.



Quote:
I don't think that it is hard to get a job in Japan per se, but the start up is expensive and a royal pain in the a s s.


It is widely known about the expensive start up, which is one reason the Big Four get most of their teachers from overseas. It avoids the start up costs. (Yes, I know you are in China, so don't rub that in.) As for being royal pain, that's just one cross you will have to bear for the money you can make. No one said life was fair or easy.

Military presence? Yeah, right. It's biggest in Okinawa and near a few military bases, but you make it sound like soldiers are everywhere. They are not. Been here 5 years and never seen one, and I live about an hour from a naval base. Spent 5 months in Tokyo and never saw one serviceman. I hit 21 cities on a tour across Honshu and Shikoku and never ran into a military person. Except for the spouses of military providing lessons in Okinawa, I can't really see why you'd mention the military and a dearth of jobs in the country.


Quote:
they wont give Americans a working holiday visa. I guess they're still mad about losing WWII.


No, silly. It's because of the lack of bilateral agreement between the US and Japan. Such things work in both directions.
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Joe Thanks



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 25
Location: Asia

PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 3:08 pm    Post subject: Re: a quick reply... Reply with quote

JimDunlop2 wrote:
First of all... Good luck... I hope you can pull it off... This is what my wife and I did. We purchased a pre-paid cell phone on day 2 of our arrival in Tokyo, and for the next 2 weeks went to interviews in the area... We were fortunate... In the end we chose from 2 offers.


Hi!

Can you tell me about this cell phone situation? Where can you buy them prepaid, and what was the price? Was it outgoing only or both incoming and outgoing?


Thanks,

Joe
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Mark



Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 500
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:10 am    Post subject: website for language house? Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:

GEOS
NOVA
ECC
AEON
Interac
JET Program
Westgate Corporation
James English School
Language House, Inc.
Altia Central
Peppy Kids Club


Taht's a very helpful list, Glenski. Would you by chance happen to have a website to Language House? I've been unable to find them on the internet.

Thanks,

Mark
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2003 2:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, I don't. I tried finding it, too. They only seem to list an email address.
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BenJ



Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 209
Location: Nagoya

PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2003 12:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i managed to buy a proper japanese mobile phone using a foreign credit card and my passport - generally needed an alien registration card but the english-speaking salesman let me get one without.

Otherwise prepaids I think are around 3000 yen for the phone. Pay for outgoing only I believe.
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Joe Thanks



Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 25
Location: Asia

PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2003 12:22 pm    Post subject: Thanks for your observation Reply with quote

BenJ wrote:
i managed to buy a proper japanese mobile phone using a foreign credit card and my passport - generally needed an alien registration card but the english-speaking salesman let me get one without.

Otherwise prepaids I think are around 3000 yen for the phone. Pay for outgoing only I believe.


Do you need a visa for the prepaid? How much are the cards for extra minutes and where can you pick �em up? At the NTT shop?

Thanks,

Joe
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Smooth Operator



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 140
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2003 1:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't read all the replies so forgive me if this has been said...

For the record, I believe Brits can extend their 3 month tourist visa for another 3 months without leaving Japan. Not aware of any other nationalities being able to do this though...
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