Job Discussion Forums

[American English pilot]

Hi all...
I have been teaching ESL for a LONG time...probably before most of the certification courses came into play.
What I'd like to know is, when/how does experience count the same or more than 'qualifications'? Or, at least, offset some or most of the 'usual' listed requirements?
Thanks in advance.

[Glenski]

If all you have is a certificate (no degree), then you can't get a work visa in Japan unless you have 3 or more years of experience.

If you go the route of working holiday visa, then neither a degree nor certification matters. You might have a slight edge with experience, but it all depends on the employer. Before NOVA filed for bankruptcy protection, it wouldn't even hire WHV holders unless they had a year or two of university.

Most entry level jobs in Japan don't care about teachers having certification. Some that do will pay little to nothing more for it.

Why are you worried? You have lots of experience. Don't you have a degree?

[American English pilot]

Thanks Glenski!
No...I don't have a 'degree'. I began university shooting toward electrical engineering with a pre-med 'minor'. In my 3rd year, I hooked up on a killer job (1979) and basically, never looked back-until the telecomm crash of 12/2000!. I've been an ESL teacher for over 11 years, written my own textbooks (pronunciation, American accent/intonation training, among others) and done a whole lot of other stuff too.
What are my chances in Asia outside of the Philippines?
Thanks!

[Glenski]

If you have that much experience and can provide proof of employers for at least 3 of those 11 years, you qualify for a work visa, regardless of lacking a bachelor's degree, as far as Japan is concerned.

Don't know your time frame, but now to February is a bad time to look here traditionally, and with the largest conversation school filing for bankruptcy and putting thousands of teachers on the street, the market is more flooded than usual.

I don't know about visa regulations in other countries, so sniff around and be sure to mention that experience.

[American English pilot]

Hi Glenski!
Thank you very much for the information! I always thought that my experience, which is documented, HAD to be worth something. I've also always thought that the degree requirement was more for new teachers. However, that being said, every advertisement I see and/or responded to has the degree requirement. It seems that they won't look beyond the lack of degree to the amount of experience I have.
Would you recommend that I contact schools directly then? Or, are agencies still an option for me?
Thanks in advance!

[Glenski]

If by "agencies" you mean middlemen, I'd say skip them. Why deal with a middleman anyway? Some will even charge you!

Your cover letter is probably the first thing an employer will look at. Be sure that you write something in the second paragraph about your experience equalling a degree, and that you hope the employer feels the same way, and that you realize such experience makes you eligible for a work visa in any case.

[American English pilot]

Hi Glenski,
Thanks for your great advice! I just knew that the degree requirement HAD to be for new teachers and that experience HAD to count for something. Sounds like it might be a little more difficult to get somewhere, but it DOES sound 'doable'.
I will start contacting schools direct (Japan, Korea and Taiwan) and see what happens. I'll try to let you know how it works out.
Thanks again and hope things are well with you!

[Serious_Fun]