| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
JennG17
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
Posts: 8
|
 Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: are the odds against me? |
 |
|
Hi everyone,
I'm a newbie and would love to pick your well versed brains!
My partner (who is a UK citizen) and I (a US citizen) are currently living and working in London, but we are thinking about taking a career break for 6 months to teach English in Japan.
We both have at least a BA and are in our late 20s. We're both planning to take a TOEFL course in the near future as well. The goal is to find a placement in the same city in Japan (it's ok if not the same apartment or school). We'd like to start in Jan 2010 and go till June 2010.
From the basic research I've done, I can see that most intake in Japan is in March or Sept and it seems unlikely to be placed in the same city with a partner. Is it possible to do a Jan start and go to Japan with a partner on a 6 mo contract?
Any and all advice welcome! Thanks everyone!
Jenn |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 9:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Odds are definitely not in your favor.
My suggestions:
Your partner goes on a working holiday visa or try Westgate Corporation for a work visa. You try for a Westgate position.
Couples in the same city for short-term work beginning in January --> a combination of 4 factors that will not be very compatible, plus the market here is pretty saturated.
You are going to have to search very hard to find anything if Westgate is not hiring for that time frame. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JennG17
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for your honest reply. I'm wondering if a March timeframe would make much of a difference?
We really would like to stay in Japan because we've both always wanted to spend time there- such a fascinating culture! But as a back-up plan, we are also considering China. I'm going to start researching that to see if we would have a better chance of getting a position within our parameters... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
slowdive606
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Posts: 15
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| There are a few jobs for couples that pop up from time to time, quite often in small schools. When me and my partner were in Korea and looking to come back to Japan, we got interviewed for about five "couple" jobs . Have a good look around websites and subscribe to the Ohayo Sensei newsletter. You could even ask employers if they would accept couples. In the end, we took a job with Altia Central with a March start. There are quite a few couples who work for them. Good luck. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 3:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
| JennG17 wrote: |
| Thanks for your honest reply. I'm wondering if a March timeframe would make much of a difference? |
Probably lots of difference, and in your favor.
| Quote: |
| We really would like to stay in Japan because we've both always wanted to spend time there- such a fascinating culture! |
If you only want to experience the culture, you don't have to work here. Americans get 90 days as tourists... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jerkytheturkey
Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 38
|
| Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:26 am Post subject: Re: are the odds against me? |
|
|
| JennG17 wrote: |
Is it possible to do a Jan start and go to Japan with a partner on a 6 mo contract?
|
I'm no expert but aren't most jobs a minimum of 12 months? I think this may be one of your biggest problems. I've seen a few ads for temp jobs but getting two in the same area might be hard, have a look on jobsinjapan and ohayosensei.
It might be an idea to send your resume off to a few companies and see what kind of responses you get. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
