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nonsmoker
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Location: Exactly here and now.
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 Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 3:17 am Post subject: Jobs Hiring in the Fall? |
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| When in the fall do a lot more schools hire than throughout the regular year (except for the spring). I'm aiming on going in September, is this a good time to consider? Danke. |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 3:39 am Post subject: |
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No. School starts during the first week of April and second semester starts in the beginning of September.
Think about it. All the hiring for second semester will have been done long ago... If you arrive in September, you'll be hunting after jobs where teachers were either no-shows, were fired right off the bat due to some serious issue or other (rare), or people who bailed in the first few weeks of their job (much more common). Either way, I still maintain that the best time to come to Japan to look for work is February (early end) to March (late end) for a start date of April 1st.
That's not to say that many people don't start/end yearly contracts in any given month, but if you want to play the odds, September ain't it. |
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bearcat
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 367
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 7:19 am Post subject: Re: Jobs Hiring in the Fall? |
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| nonsmoker wrote: |
| I'm aiming on going in September, is this a good time to consider? Danke. |
Dont know why you're asking this because even if we tell you no, you'll do it anyway.
January to the end of March= Peak hiring season accounting for 90% of the jobs.
April- Beginning of June=Sloppy seconds: jobs that didnt get filled before or were filled but quickly vacated.
Mid June-End of August= 1st Dead hiring season period.
September- Mid October= Very small hiring season (less than 7% of the year's hiring). Mostly for part time jobs (over flows of demand for classes or such). Also filling of positions vacated by people who quit in August to time the Obon vacation period.
Mid October-December= 2nd dead hiring season. |
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nonsmoker
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Location: Exactly here and now.
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, as I see it, there are jobs advertising on sites such as this one throughtout the year (eikaiwas, ALTs). I'm consistenly seeing about 10 feasible jobs advertised throughtout the week so the jobs are there. I'm just wondering if the advertising picks up or slows down as we approach the fall. |
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bearcat
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 367
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Again, you're going to do what you want regardless of what anyone says. |
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nonsmoker
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Location: Exactly here and now.
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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| bearcat wrote: |
| Again, you're going to do what you want regardless of what anyone says. |
Actually, no. This why I am here asking for advice. If you would read my other post concerning the Visa in 2 weeks, I turned it down due to your collective suggestions. Believe it or not, your opinions matter! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I'm just wondering if the advertising picks up or slows down as we approach the fall. |
As mentioned earlier, there is a SMALL surge in hiring, either for September or October hires. |
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nonsmoker
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Location: Exactly here and now.
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I'm just wondering if the advertising picks up or slows down as we approach the fall. |
As mentioned earlier, there is a SMALL surge in hiring, either for September or October hires. |
So does that mean they hire in september and advertise earlier in the year or do they advertise in september and expecting you be there before october? The visa thing and working illegally is what troubles me the most, to be honest. |
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AndyH
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 417
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| Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| After March, September is the best time to get an eikaiwa job. |
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bearcat
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 367
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| Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:34 am Post subject: |
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| AndyH wrote: |
| After March, September is the best time to get an eikaiwa job. |
Very misleading.
Yes, after the Jan-Mar hiring season it is the second best... but the percentage of hirings is dramatically less. We're talking less than 10% of the entire year's hiring.
2 types of full time hiring occur around the September area.
1. Pre-Obon Vacation period (so just a bit in August): Known folks who are leaving they positions during the vacation period. Those then are for startups at the beginning of September essentially.
2. Pre-October: These are for the usual advertising campaigns for new students that occur in the late september-most of october season. Its usually an expansion purposes deal. Not all that many are for full time positions as the season doesn't really add "that" many.
Also there's a sliver or full time hirings that go on for people who quit their full time jobs by essentially not showing up for work after the vacation period.
So while there are jobs, it is markedly less than that of the spring.
With regards to NS's seeing "10's of jobs a week currently", this is now the tail end of the sloppy seconds season. Come August and September, you'll start seeing a pattern of certain companies/jobs repeatedly showing up available. W5ss and other "staffing service" ALT groups will be trying to full positions that seem to either not get filled or they are a revolving door.
Im not going to say NS that you're not going to be able to find work. I am saying though that your chances and more importantly your choices, will be extremely limited.
If you do apply and or interview with places, you need to ask why they are hiring during that time frame.
If they know specifically where they are going to place you (school branch or ALT's school) chances are you're fillng the shoes of someone else that for what ever reason didn't stick around. You might want to find out why. But even then, there is no guarantee that you will be given a transparent answer. |
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nonsmoker
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Location: Exactly here and now.
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| Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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| bearcat wrote: |
| AndyH wrote: |
| After March, September is the best time to get an eikaiwa job. |
Very misleading.
Yes, after the Jan-Mar hiring season it is the second best... but the percentage of hirings is dramatically less. We're talking less than 10% of the entire year's hiring.
2 types of full time hiring occur around the September area.
1. Pre-Obon Vacation period (so just a bit in August): Known folks who are leaving they positions during the vacation period. Those then are for startups at the beginning of September essentially.
2. Pre-October: These are for the usual advertising campaigns for new students that occur in the late september-most of october season. Its usually an expansion purposes deal. Not all that many are for full time positions as the season doesn't really add "that" many.
Also there's a sliver or full time hirings that go on for people who quit their full time jobs by essentially not showing up for work after the vacation period.
So while there are jobs, it is markedly less than that of the spring.
With regards to NS's seeing "10's of jobs a week currently", this is now the tail end of the sloppy seconds season. Come August and September, you'll start seeing a pattern of certain companies/jobs repeatedly showing up available. W5ss and other "staffing service" ALT groups will be trying to full positions that seem to either not get filled or they are a revolving door.
Im not going to say NS that you're not going to be able to find work. I am saying though that your chances and more importantly your choices, will be extremely limited.
If you do apply and or interview with places, you need to ask why they are hiring during that time frame.
If they know specifically where they are going to place you (school branch or ALT's school) chances are you're fillng the shoes of someone else that for what ever reason didn't stick around. You might want to find out why. But even then, there is no guarantee that you will be given a transparent answer. |
Aha, so the reason for most of the hirings in August/September is due to the fact that many teachers run off during Obon? That makes sense and it's actually good news for me since that is the time I would like to go to Japan this year. About the transparency thing, I am willing to take my chances and give it a good try because I really want to go there. How bad can the employers be? I mean, if you're a man, you should be able to talk to your employer man to man if he tries to screw you over. If he lies to my face, I will put up with it as long as it's feasible and then I will confront him about it. What's the worst that can happen - he'll fire me? Hah. At least I will be able to say that I worked in Japan and still kept my dignity.
PS: When exactly is Obon week? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| So does that mean they hire in september and advertise earlier in the year or do they advertise in september and expecting you be there before october? |
In my experience, it is the former.
| Quote: |
| Aha, so the reason for most of the hirings in August/September is due to the fact that many teachers run off during Obon? |
Wouldn't know about that. I'd say another strong reason is that some contracts that began in April were only for 6 months. October is the renewal date for the next round.
| Quote: |
| How bad can the employers be? I mean, if you're a man, you should be able to talk to your employer man to man if he tries to screw you over. |
Don't even try thinking like a westerner when dealing with your boss here. It'll only get you in trouble deeper. How bad can some situations be? Bad. Forced (yet illegal) eviction. Money withheld (illegally) from your paycheck as penalties. VERY embarrassing moments in the staff room while you are being shouted at and told how bad you are personally and as a whole nationality. Strongarm tactics to get you to leave. Letters from lawyers. I've seen them all reported on these forums. Fortunately, I'd say the majority of school owners are not bad people. You just have to keep your eyes open going in, and don't let the fact that some employers are foreign fool you about their kindness and understanding. Some can be even more ruthless than the worst Japanese manager. |
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AndyH
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 417
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 1:27 am Post subject: |
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Well, obviously I'm not as knowledgable regarding this issue as Bearcat, as I only worked in Japan for four years, for two companies. I suppose i should have just kept my mouth shut (so to speak), and let her dominate the thread with her advice.
But, according to my experience, for what it's worth, the schools I was familiar with hired about 45% of their teachers in the Spring, 40%in the fall, and the rest in either January or early Summer. And no, those hired for the fall were not replacing teachers who left early, but rather, those who had completed their one-year contracts in full.
PM me for details if you'd like.
Good luck! |
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Khyron
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 291
Location: Tokyo Metro City
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| Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:37 pm Post subject: Re: Jobs Hiring in the Fall? |
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| bearcat wrote: |
January to the end of March= Peak hiring season accounting for 90% of the jobs...
...September- Mid October= ..less than 7% of the year's hiring... |
Source?
Are you talking school jobs, or language school jobs? |
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bearcat
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 367
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| Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:43 pm Post subject: Re: Jobs Hiring in the Fall? |
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| Khyron wrote: |
| bearcat wrote: |
January to the end of March= Peak hiring season accounting for 90% of the jobs...
...September- Mid October= ..less than 7% of the year's hiring... |
Source?
Are you talking school jobs, or language school jobs? |
I've worked close to now 10 years in Japan, having worked for dispatch related, conversation school, and corporate client related work.
Watching sites like gaijinpot, here, ohayo sensei and many other sites, job listings from those decline and increase seasonally and its pretty easy to see if you keep an eye on them. But most people who've been in country a while know that the bulk of positions are hired for April start dates. University and private schools will of course start their searches in some cases as early as the beginning of the fall, others wait until the begining of winter. A few universities do also of course run on a differnet semester system and thus may start hiring in the Spring for say a summer start up (Seen some doing that at the TESOL conference in March).
JET of course is the one of the only other large employing situations that doesn't follow the main seasonal trends.
People who just spot check or just only when they're looking for work tend to not see the seasonal trends or that some places post the same job over and over again due to either not filling it or fast turn over. |
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