Job Discussion Forums

[tclowers]

Like a lot of other people here, I'm trying to figure out the best plan for finding decent EFL work in Tokyo next year. I'm 29 years old and currently working at two different companies here in Sichuan, China; teaching both children and adults. I have a B.A. in English, but no certificates and this is my first year as an EFL teacher. As I am now slave to my one-year contract at the kindergarten, I have become fully aware of the drawbacks of working for a company that's willing to do the legwork to bring you into the country. I'm also told that the best work in Japan has to be found in Japan, but without a visa this is of course tricky. What I'm wondering is, should a person with my level of qualifications and experience (more than none, but not quite a veteran) be looking for an Eikaiwa job to get into the country, or risk it and try finding work on a tourist visa and then going on a visa run to Korea after finding work?

[markle]

[Glenski]

[Gypsy Rose Kim]

Also remember that it takes a long time for visas to be processed. My COE took ten weeks! That may be unusual, but it isn't unheard of.

I applied from Korea. I stated in my cover letters when I would be available to start work, and also to interview. I was able to fly to Tokyo for a few days and knock out the interview(s). This is an expensive way to do it, but cheaper than arriving and living off your savings until you get a job, get your visa processed, and wait around for your first paycheck.

I recommend sending out resumes about three to four months before you plan to arrive. Explain that you are willing to fly to Japan for interviews, but that you will only be available at a certain time. This actually worked to my advantage, I think, because potential employers knew I was serious and also they were pressed to set an interview time.

I ended up only attending one interview, because I had some contacts here (lived in Japan before) and it was my first choice and pretty much a sure thing. However, I was offered interviews at every school I applied to (I had quite a bit more experience than you, but I don't think that's sooooo important at eikaiwa level).

In your applications, be sure to stress your overseas experience, your adaptability, the fact that you have taught and enjoy teaching kids, and what you hope to learn from working in Japan. Talk about how you've worked together with local national teachers and what you bring to the team.

You should also stress the strengths and challenges of the Chinese system. For example, when I taught in Korea, there was much more emphasis on progress than there is in Japan. Korean students demand results for their money. I didn't knock the Japanese system, of course, but I did point out that I'd learned a lot working in Korea and that I had to be very sharp to keep up.

Don't sell yourself short. People here love to harp on about how experience outside Japan doesn't really count, a year isn't that long, etc. But I'm sorry. Any exposure to different cultures helps a lot. English is an international language, and if you can sell yourself as a more international person that they guy who just did seven years straight at the same Nova branch, you'll be in good standing.

As for a year not being long enough, there is a lot of truth to that BUT remember, you also have fresher ideas and more energy. You are more open to learning new things. You're also 29, so you must have some non-teaching life experience to bring to the table.

Not to make harsh judgments, but the worst teachers at my (rather large) school now are the ones who came over right after university and have been sitting around teaching the same lessons at the same company for five, ten, twelve years. They are rather inflexible, uncooperative, unenthusiastic. If it were me, I'd hire you over them in the blink of an eye.

One final point (and I know this is already a long post, but I think what I've said so far is quite useful)... I wouldn't say that the big eikaiwas are a bad place to start. You'll often get more support from them then you would from an independent school. You'll probably have more flexibility in terms of schedule, and opportunities to transfer to other branches should you ever desire to do so.

Personally, I would never work for a small school. I want to be as far away from the people worrying about money as possible. I don't want to go into work every day and have my boss pinning all of his or her financial hopes on me. Not because I think I'd let them down, but if I want to be that close to the accounting books, I'll run my OWN eikaiwa. Just MHO.