Job Discussion Forums

suley25 · Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Posts: 2

Japan, To go or not to go?

Hello one and all,

I am an ESL/Business teacher in Beijing right now and after my contract at my current school is completed I am hoping to cross the water to Japan to continue my teaching interests there.

I have done some research from this website and others about various schools and found some worthwhile advice. However it seems there is a protocol put in place by schools e.g. Nova and AEON that requires the applicant to go back to their home country in order to make an application.
I am from the U.K. and I am simply not going to travel back home from Beijing to come to Japan when I can fly in two and half hours from here.

What I would like to know; is there any way around this rule?

By this I mean is it just the companies that are enforcing this rule? Or is it actual government legislation?

Is there anybody out there that has come to Japan from a location that is not their home country?

If so how did you do it? Did you just go over and find employment then or is there a company that does not enforce this rule?

I would be grateful for any replies, thank you.

Guest · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2003 10:35 am Post subject:

There is some truth in what you're saying. The big schools which you are referring to (Aeon, Nova, GEOS) are not going to hire you without having met you and I doubt very much any of them have hiring offices in China. GEOS does not hire in Japan, I believe however that NOVA does and so you could interview for NOVA in Japan. Going back to the UK is not essential as the big schools hire in many native speaking countries and it may be possible to interview say in Australia. There is nothing to stop you applying while you are in China, but you will have to go to an interview at some point which is unlikely to happen in China. As I said I'm pretty sure NOVA hires inside and out of Japan, but they will not come to you. Aeon might be the same I'm not sure. And for GEOS you just need to be in a "native speaker" country. Of course there are plenty of other schools besides the big ones which will definitely hire in Japan.

Good luck.

homersimpson · Joined: 14 Feb 2003 Posts: 569 Location: Kagoshima

There are some schools that will hire you based on a telephone interview (ALS, WinBe, Global Village,Nagano, GABA, etc.). AEON will not. NOVA hires inside and outside Japan. GEOS claims it doesn't hire in Japan, yet in the latest edition of The Japan Times, it has an ad looking for teachers - so much for that little "rule." In any event, if you apply to several schools I think you will find that some are willing to interview over the phone.

Guest · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2003 11:28 am Post subject:

GEOS interviews last for three days and also pre-departure training is another four. As far as I know this always takes place outside Japan or certainly has done in the past. If they've changed the rule they must've also employed new staff to hire and train. I guess it's possible.

Ange · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 23 Location: F U K U O K A

I came from travelling through SE Asia and found a job when I got here. If you want to work at one of the big schools you may have to go back home but there are thousands of smaller language schools that will hire you in Japan. Make sure you bring plenty of money though to last until you find the job and start working. First pay could be two months after you arrive and you may have to pay key money for an apartment - no small amount. I assume you have a degree because you will need one to get visa sponsorship here.

Good luck!