Job Discussion Forums

[Kibara]

Hey everyone!

So, I will finally be graduating in May, and receive my BA in Journalism. I am planning to apply for an ALT position with Interac and Aclipse. I would like to apply to more, but I haven�t found much else outside of JET for those of us without prior teaching experience. Anyways, my question is, should I apply to them now, or wait until I actually graduate? My goal is to secure a job as soon after graduation as possible. I know I will have to be patient in my quest for a job in Japan, but I want to do everything I can to have an edge and speed up the process.

What do you guys think? Should I apply now, or would it be better for me to wait? Also if you guys have any other suggestions for staffing agencies like Interac here in the US to apply to, that would be great!

Thank you very much everyone. As always, I greatly appreciate any help you guys could give me.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

Being available in May is not really to your benefit. Jobs start April 1st, and end March 31. So, realistically, you would be loking at jobs (at least as far as school [as opposed to private language institutes and cram schools] jobs go) that are the ones where someone quit almost imeditately. If it were a case of someone forgot to hire for a position, it would be filled in the beginning of April.

Eikaiwa (conversation schools) hire all year round, though.

[Glenski]

Interac is the biggest dispatch ALT agency around.
JET is the biggest non-dispatch ALT program.

If you want much else, you're going to have to come here. As "Gambate" wrote, timing is important.

[fhsieh]

First post, but having just completed the employment process with Interac (will be beginning my position later this month) I thought I might try to offer some extra info.

I was in your position since I graduated May of last year. JET's timing works a little better since they send you off to Japan in June, but you've already missed this year's application cycle (the application deadline was around Thanksgiving, and interviews are pretty much all finished by now).

Interac does offer takeover positions throughout the year, due to ALTs that decide to (or have to) leave their position early. But those are far and few between so you can't rely on them for employment, and you hardly get any good options for placement (after all, some ALTs may be leaving because their position is terrible).

Keep in mind Interac strongly suggests that you have ￥500,000 available for startup costs, so you may be better off finding an interim job at home to shore up the funds in the first place. Plus, you may find it more beneficial in the long run to establish some connections at home, because realistically speaking, working as an ALT probably isn't going to help your career, and you certainly cannot count on it as a long-term job.

You will probably find the same suggestions for other dispatch or eikaiwa companies, so you should take the "delay" as a chance to really do your homework and find out which of the catches/pitfalls you're willing to accept, and if ALT is even an appropriate option for you.

[Kibara]

Thank you all for your responses.

I see where you all are coming from. I guess all I can do is apply and hope against hope something comes along.

I actually have over the necessary amount they suggest for start up funds saved up already. I have been planning on doing this for almost 2 years. The only thing I have been waiting on is my impending graduation. So, that's why I want to get this started as soon as I can.

So from what I'm hearing, I guess I should just apply now, huh?

[bearcat]

Most applications now though are for jobs starting in April. A desire to be here in June to work means you're coming in the tail end of the sloppy seconds job offers season and going into one of the dead periods through the year for hiring.

What that means is its going to be slim pickings comprising of undesirable jobs that couldnt be filled during the spring main hiring season. Other possibilities would be last minute new openings due to demand(unlikely in this years economic climate), or people who quit, didnt accept positions due to their own problems and not that of the company/school they were to work/were working for.

You're also going to maybe run into some issues if you are accepted but are required to give copies of your degree for the purposes of getting your work visa. Whether immigration would accept a notarized transcript and letter stating you will be graduating with no problems come may I cannot say. Since many JET applicants do the May graduation I'd assume there might be a precident already there but also since JET is an official Japanese government entity, they may allow only JETs as an exception. Something you'll need to research more on.

So its not impossible for you to get work and get a job you would be happy with, but its also less likely than other times of the year.

[fhsieh]

I don't see a problem in applying now, the very least is you'll get some experience with the application process and will have a chance to ask questions and learn more about the companies you might potentially work for. Just don't make any hard and fast decisions right away, because you're more likely to get burned that way.

Like I said earlier, it might not be fun to delay going to Japan until next year, but it can certainly pay of in the long run with better placement availability as well as time to make contacts back home.

[bearcat]