Job Discussion Forums

[GreenEyes]

How to begin ...

I`ve been in Japan for mere months. I ended up in a really bad situation ... living with the director, thinking that it would be a challenging but worthwhile experience but finding myself in a rather nightmarish house with rude people. I was required to give three months notice, but I cut it short and am leaving the end of this week.

I`ve got a few employment possibilities, but nothing firm. And the 25,000 yen (for two weeks) LeoPalace21 apartment I was told about? Doesn`t exist, despite what I read on this board and elsewhere. I just spoke with them to make my reservation and was told that the information I was given was false. Lovely.

So my dream of teaching English in Japan is crashing before my eyes. I`m sending out resumes and considered doing privates. But after three months of living in an uncomfortable situation and working for a really unprofessional school, I`m feeling tired. My finances are way down, employers are leery of me because of having ended my contract, and I`m wondering what to do.

About me (forgive me the horn toot): I`m kind, friendly, polite, mature, professional, and I really love teaching. I sold everything I own last year to do this. First I started in Korea and found myself in a filthy school with teachers who would search my personal belongings when they thought I wasn`t around. Then, like many people, I left for Japan ... and warmed to the idea of having an instant family. I`ll spare you the gory details, but it`s been awful. I love Japan, but I had to quit my job.

My students have been emotional in their goodbyes, some of them telling me that I`m one of the best teachers they`ve had in a long time. I don`t want to go through the goodbyes again. It`s heartbreaking.

Why I`m writing this email to a bunch of people I don`t know ...

Maybe I`m holding out hope that there`s a glimmer of possibility of being able to stay in Japan and find a tolerable school to work for. My standards aren`t exactly through the roof, but I do require respect, a clean home, and people that I can trust. Should you have any suggestions - anything, even telling me to lose myself in a gallon of chocolate ice-cream (did strawberry, haven`t tried chocolate yet) - please write. I`m in my thirties but these days feel like a wayward teenager.

Surely many of you have had rought starts to your teaching careers, right? But you`ve probably also had a home to return to and something to fall back on. I`m feeling really down, overwhelmed and sad. Yes, I stupidly gave notice without concrete plans, but don`t hold it against me too much. When things are bad and you`ve tried your best to make them work, often the only choice left is to let go and move on.

God forbid I`m left with no choice but Taiwan. That strikes me as being Korea - Part Two. Suggestions, words of encouragement, knock-knock jokes, smiley emoticons? Send them my way.

Signed,

Green Eyes and Ham

[furiousmilksheikali]

[GreenEyes]

... admittedly no particular question. Just venting and hoping for some shared experiences that might give me some direction. That`s all.

[furiousmilksheikali]

[midnightpariah]

Is it possible for you to try and get a job with one of the big 4? I don't know if they will hire from within the country, but its worth a try. Also, if you don't mind me asking, what school were you with? Have you tried getting your own apartment and still keeping the job?

[wabisabi365]

I was just about to recommend the same thing. Do a resume blitz of the big 4 (and any others in the neighbourhood). By a stroke of luck, perhaps one of them may be in a bind and in need of a teacher ASAP. Dress up nice, paste a smile on your face (even in this heat!) and make the rounds. This is how I got a teaching job at a language school back home. Someone had simply not shown up for their first day of work, and that happened to be the day I was dropping off resumes. I was interviewed the same day, references checked the next, and on the third day... I had a job.

I was curious about something when I read your post; what were some of the rude behaviours going on at your homestay? Was the family unkind, uncommunicative? I used to help out ESL students at my previous job back home, and one of the major complaints was that the host family was rude or insensitive. After a bit of digging, it would turn out to be a communication problem, or a bit of ignorance on both sides regarding culture. What were some of the things going on where you were staying?

Anyway, best of luck with your search. (btw, what city are you in?)

ws365

[GreenEyes]

Some of the big companies only hire from outside of Japan. About an apartment, I did ask about it. But she is very controlling and insists that it`s best if her teachers live with her, and not because of the move-in expenses.

I hate writing negatively of her. She`s not a monsterous person. But ... it`s been unbearable from the first day. Some of it is cultural and would have been semi-tolerable had I been living in my own apartment. I`ll provide some details later. No time right now.

I won`t list the school`s name, though.

For those of you familiar with Leopalace21 (there are a few threads on them) ... any suspicions that I`m being discriminated against? They immediately asked why I want to stay there, and I told them. It says right there in my passport why I`m in Japan, so why complicate things? He wanted to know specifics of my stay, which seemed too personal. Maybe they were burned by foreign teachers and only rent to business professionals anymore?

Wondering if I can squeeze in a climb up Mt. Fuji before I leave.

[J.]

One of the biggest mistakes people may make is to accept this kind of living situation. It really is a BAD idea to stay with your boss. The cultural adaptation problems are bad enough that most want a bit of down time to escape from work and everyone at work. And a Japanese family's way of living can be very restrictive, not to mention lacking in privacy, for someone coming from North America.

If you say what city you are in it may just be possible someone will come to the rescue and put you up for a few weeks. Or there are the so-called "gaijin" houses where a single room can be rented. You could apply to schools and simply tell them that while your students loved you, you prefer to have a job with your own apartment. They will be able to imagine why. The main thing is to seem stable and presentable, and polite. Don't complain about your previous employers. You could also think of moving cities and saying that you prefer to live in X city "because of all the culture" or some such acceptable excuse. You could also just say you finished one job and have been staying with friends or taking a break to see the sights when you saw their job ad and it sounded good. Do what you need to to find a job. As long as you are going to be an asset to them,(which you sound as if you will be as a teacher) they will be lucky to get you.

The best of luck!

Just thought of one more thing. You could locate the nearest International Centre and put up a notice asking for a place to stay. It wouldn't hurt to put the word "Help!" somewhere on the paper.If you don't have a cell phone then leave your email. You'd be surprised how quickly these kinds of notices can get a response.

[Glenski]