Job Discussion Forums

[peachy and danny]

Hello. I guess you could say that I�ve been a bit of a lurker until now, but I thought I would join the �community� today. As for my background, I used to be stationed in Japan. When I got out of the military nine years ago, I decided to stay in Japan to teach English. I met and married a National while I was there, and we stayed in Tokyo until 2002. I was doing fairly well, but the jobs I found arrived with a glass ceiling that I could never break, since I had no Bachelor�s degree at the time. I decided to go back to the States to get one, planning all along to return to Tokyo upon completion. Seven years later, I finally have my degree, but am unemployed. My wife has fared better than me, as she has hung on to the same state job for the past six years or so, but money is tight. She is pregnant now, and so I guess we will wait until the baby is born until getting the hell out of here. Every day for the past seven years, I have thought about my decision to leave Tokyo, and every day my regret deepens. I just loved the place so much. If I am lucky enough to get the chance to work in Tokyo again, I will never come back here to the United States. However, I have no relevant work experience to speak of, save for three under-the-table conversational teaching jobs seven long years ago. My present resume consists of a random list of clerical and warehouse temp jobs. I am 32 years old today. Do I have a chance at coming back to Tokyo?

[Glenski]

Your vanilla bachelor's degree makes you equivalent to most newcomers in the teaching biz. Don't let that get you down. The fact that you've lived here before and even done some minor teaching is somewhat a plus, although a minor one.

How much Japanese do you know? Not necessary for teaching jobs, but it wouldn't hurt, and some employers might expect you to know some considering the fact that you lived here before, albeit in the military.

Do you have a spouse visa yet? This will show employers you are more serious about staying. Plus, it makes you eligible for any sort of job, not just teaching ones.

[peachy and danny]

Thanks for the reply, Glenski. Actually, I think I forget more Japanese the longer I'm here. Never knew much to begin with, though. I've always planned on taking a class when my life quieted down a bit. As for a spouse visa, I used to have one when I lived there as a civilian. It has long since expired, however. My wife would have to hold onto a job over there for a year or so for me to get another one. I would much rather sponsor her (via employment in Japan), though. Christ, she's sponsoring me here. It sure is nice to talk about this, though. Again, I appreciate the comments, Glenski. Nice to know, between interviews at Wal Mart and trips to the unemployment office, that I didn't just dream up this whole English teaching community.

[Deep Thirteen]

You've got a slight edge on many people since you've lived overseas before. Plus if you stuck out the military life, then an employer might view that as someone not going to jump ship easily.

I've had some pretty random and pedestrian jobs myself. Nothing special on my resume and my last two jobs were contract (aka temp) work. No overseas experience either. I'm someone close to your age also. I was able to get an interview recently, so at least I know that researching on here and re-writing the resume/cover letter has most likely helped. I'm pretty sure the same would help in your situation.

[peachy and danny]

Should I tell potential employers that I want to make a career in Tokyo? Should I mention that my wife is Japanese? Will that scare some employers away? This might just be my imagination, but there always seems to be some underlying implication that companies want people that are interested in Japan, but not interested enough to stay. This is suggested by all of the year-long contracts that are given the option "to be extended," as well as the JET program's explicit statement that you are only able to extend their contract for up to three years. Personally, I would think that I would be a good investment for a company, as I would be around long enough for their students to get used to. But should I downplay my plans on being a long-term resident of Tokyo?

[Glenski]

You might want to get some terminology straight before dealing with any employer or immigration official. "Sponsoring" is probably not what you meant. I suspect you meant "supporting". She is supporting you now, and you want to support her in the future. "Sponsor" is what either of you does for the other's visa status.

[Noor]

[RollingStone]

[guty]

[seklarwia]