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johnsoba
Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject: trying to get a job in japan, some questions |
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This is my first post, i'm going to thank everyone in advance for reading and responding to my post. Hopefully in the future i can contribute too and not just ask questions.
So I live in the USA, 23 years old, i'm graduating from college on August 8th, and as far as i know it's gonna take about 1.5-2 months to get the visa so i'm setting a goal to get there in October, maybe in November. Before i ask my questions i want to give a little backround that i got a double major in international business (BS) and East Asian Studies (BA), basically fluent in Japanese, and I have already lived in Japan for a year doing study abroad. I have no teaching experience or certificates.
Ok now here are my questions:
Some jobs require an international drivers license, and after searching online i have a hard time understand how it works. From what i read it seems that I can just pay 20$ and get a document, and bring my minnesota drivers license and that will be enough. That seems way too easy, can someone help me with this?
What kind of pay should i be looking for? Should i settle for 220,000 a month, or should i hold out for 250k+?
I have my resume that i've used here in America, is that the one i should be sending? I know Japan has a different style for resumes. Do i need to know something about cover letters/resumes when applying for these jobs, or should I do it like I would do it for a job in America? If I'm going to e-mail the resume/cover letter, i just put everything in the body of the e-mail right?
If i e-mail the resume and I don't get a response, should i e-mail them to ask about it?
If there is an interview (phone or regular) should i send a thank you letter?
I'm trying to avoid companies like NOVA right now and looking on places like ohayo sensei for jobs, but most of the jobs on there are for July/August/September and not October and beyond. Am i just going to need to wait or should i apply to NOVA, GEOS etc? Since i want to go in October what would be the best time to apply?
Am i going to need to apply to many places to find a job? How is the demand and what are my chances with my qualifications? Is there a chance that I could be searching for months, applying everywhere possible and still not find a job?
I've been looking on Dave's site here, ohayo sensei and a couple others for jobs. Is there somewhere else i should be checking?
Is there anything else i should know?
Thank you guys so much, I wouldn't know where else to find this information. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject: Re: trying to get a job in japan, some questions |
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| johnsoba wrote: |
Is there anything else i should know?
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Learning how to search the archives might be a good first step.
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I wouldn't know where else to find this information.
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Evidently.   |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:46 pm Post subject: |
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While I agree with Cthulhu that a search for this information may have provided answers to most of your questions, here's a synopsis of answers.
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| i'm setting a goal to get there in October, maybe in November. |
Pretty dead times of year to be here job hunting. Relax. Japan isn't going anywhere. Rushing to get here won't make the job search any easier.
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| What kind of pay should i be looking for? Should i settle for 220,000 a month, or should i hold out for 250k+? |
Where do you plan to live -- big city or smaller one or fishing village? I wouldn't settle for anything less than 250K no matter where I lived, but you can make your money stretch a little further in the smaller cities and towns, as long as you don't make lots of trips to the bigger cities or spend needlessly.
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I have my resume that i've used here in America, is that the one i should be sending? I know Japan has a different style for resumes. Do i need to know something about cover letters/resumes when applying for these jobs, or should I do it like I would do it for a job in America? If I'm going to e-mail the resume/cover letter, i just put everything in the body of the e-mail right?
If i e-mail the resume and I don't get a response, should i e-mail them to ask about it? |
You can get by with a standard western style resume. Look around here to see what tips people have provided on tuning one to the Japanese way of thinking. It's not as deep as one might imagine, but at least you'll have everything on it and in a format that saves time. As far as cover letters go, don't brag much. Tell employers what you can do for them. Many employers prefer the resume and cover letter in the body of the email, yes, to avoid viruses, but it's up to you. No response? Wait 2-3 weeks, then send a letter asking if they got your first one, nothing more.
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| If there is an interview (phone or regular) should i send a thank you letter? |
Yes, whether you are looking for work in Japan, Minnesota, or Antarctica.
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| Am i going to need to apply to many places to find a job? How is the demand and what are my chances with my qualifications? Is there a chance that I could be searching for months, applying everywhere possible and still not find a job? |
As we say in Japan, case by case.
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| I've been looking on Dave's site here, ohayo sensei and a couple others for jobs. Is there somewhere else i should be checking? |
There are tons of sites out there. Have you read the sticky that is called the FAQ yet? (not the FAQ at the top of this page, but the sticky that is listed with the other messages)
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| Is there anything else i should know? |
Tons. But you'll have to ask specific questions to get the answers. |
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MrCAPiTUL
Joined: 06 Feb 2006
Posts: 232
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| 250k is an entry level wage. Personally, I would be hard pressed to accept something lower than that. Without any teaching experience, you are looking at the big language companies. That would be your best bet to get into the country. Regarding the resume, CVs are pretty much accepted world wide. If you send the resume/CV and don't hear anything in a week or so, why not follow up? What is the worst that will happen - they won't respond? At best - you learn they never received your first e-mail, they would like you to resend it, and you end up with a job. |
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johnsoba
Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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everybody who answered thank you, I guess the only question i have left is about the international drivers license. I have been searching about these but i am still hazy on the details.
From what i understand i can get a international drivers permit online for something like 20$, and if I hold that and my USA drivers license I will be ok for 1 year. It said there is a list of countries that Japan accepts, but i can't find that list. Anyway I just want to make sure this is ok, because I don't want to find out the hard way if I am pulled over in Japan. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Some jobs require an international drivers license, and after searching online i have a hard time understand how it works. From what i read it seems that I can just pay 20$ and get a document, and bring my minnesota drivers license and that will be enough. That seems way too easy, can someone help me with this? |
Get it from AAA in your area. It is the most reliable source. Be aware and beware that there are a lot of international drivers permit scam artists out there! http://www.drivers.com/article/209/ |
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Gypsy Rose Kim
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 151
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| Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:27 pm Post subject: Re: trying to get a job in japan, some questions |
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| johnsoba wrote: |
| I'm trying to avoid companies like NOVA right now and looking on places like ohayo sensei for jobs |
Just a couple of points you may want to consider.
I am just guessing here, but you might be thinking, you've already lived in Japan, speak Japanese, and aren't interested in hanging around with a bunch of people who work for the Big 4. If so, you might want to think about the advantages of working in a big company where you have a certain degree of anonymity.
I found a nice variety of people at Nova. Are you looking to be a teacher long-term? I am, but I still liked working with people who had lots of other things going on in their lives. If you were using it as a stepping stone to get to Japan (I usually don't advocate that, but you have a bit going for you), you might find it refreshing to be around different kinds of people with different aspirations and backgrounds.
Personally, I'd scratch my eyes out if I had to work at some little school where all people talked about was the awesome kindergarten lesson they just came up with.
Back to the anonymity thing, another reason I wouldn't want to work at a small school is that there could be a lot of pressure to socialize with coworkers. I mean, I like the people I work with, but I don't want to run around Japan in a gang of five or six teachers from the same school. I've seen those types out A LOT, even in Tokyo. You speak Japanese, probably know quite a few people in Japan already, and could probably live without your coworkers thinking you were a snob because you didn't want to go to karaoke and nomihodai with them 5 nights a week including (gasp! it makes me want to crawl in hole just thinking about it) Saturday night.
If you want to leave a school like Nova, you're not going to get any guilt trips. You're not going to have to deal with the owner of the school having a breakdown when you put in your resignation. Now, I don't blame small school owners for expecting teachers to fulfill their contracts, but if I was looking to get out of teaching or even considering breaking my contract early, I'd work at a big chain. Not just for ethical reasons, but for my own sanity, as well.
I could be totally off base with what you're looking for. I just thought I'd put these ideas out there. If I spoke fluent Japanese, I might be able to put in six months to a year at Nova, but you'd never, ever catch me at a small, independently owned place unless I knew for certain it was an awesome school. |
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