Job Discussion Forums

[jamhead]

I have a M.Ed. in TESOL and a couple years of experience teaching kids in Korea. Now I have my heart set on going to Japan. What's my best bet for teaching an older audience (high school, college, adults)?
I've sent a resume out to a few language schools and haven't found anything too inviting. One limitation I have is I'm not in Japan, and have to depart from the U.S. Am I underestimating my qualifications?
I'm curious about what kinds of jobs people with similar backgrounds are getting.
Any ideas? Thanks much.

[6810]

If you have a valid degree in anything you can get work at just about any eikaiwa in Japan.

That said, if you're well qualified, you might find the majority of these positions under-paid.

You might want to investigate university contracts, but even they have more competition now.

That said, in my experience, regardless of qualifications, competence can take you a long way here.

[Glenski]

Without experience in Japan, you are probably limited to entry level work (eikaiwa, ALT). Perhaps with some good marketing, you could land something like a direct hire at a high school, but...
1) you don't seem to want kids, and
2) public school direct hires are pretty rare, so you'll have to focus on the private schools, and
3) not being in Japan will limit you severely for most jobs, not just HS.

Get over here and contact employers. Set yourself up first with some research online to see who may be hiring, make contact before you come, and let them know your schedule. A few rare places may do phone interviews, but I wouldn't count on them.

University jobs require a master's degree, but also publications, experience, and Japanese in most cases. Once you're here with a year or 2 under your belt (preferably in something more than eikaiwa), you could work on PT or FT university jobs, but bear in mind the following:

1) They are extremely competitive (20-120 applicants per position).
2) They are mostly non-tenured, so you will be out in 3-5 years.
3) A lot of time, it's more a matter of who you know, not what.

[jamhead]

Thanks for the information.
I'd heard that public schools and colleges were a hard find. I only meant that I wanted to teach older students, not necessarily at a public school or college. I'm fine with working at a company or an English academy, as long as it's a solid place with a good reputation.

[matador]

Off topic but....damn good pic of Zissou! If you havent yet seen The Life Aquatic...do so now! ...if off-beat, dry humor is your thing, that is.

[Kilgore Trout]