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What are Japanese universities loolking for?
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PAULH

Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 8:06 am Post subject:

japanbound wrote:

Gordon wrote:

PAULH wrote:

You can leave at the end of each year, but I would think after you have supped at the university teaching trough for a year or two you will find it hard to break free at the end of two years, no matter what your ultimate plans might be.

This is true.

Don't get me wrong, I would like nothing better than to teach at a Japanese university for the next two years, but unless the salary can beat $55k and/or hot Japanese women are clamoring for my time Wink

, I think it won't be so tought to leave. What's so special about that 'trough'? Let's be frank here, is this about access to hot young Japanese university women?

Those kinds of salaries are available, but remember you are competing for jobs with people who have Masters degrees, PhDs numerous publications and in the trenches experience. You have nothing much more than a freshly minted M.Ed degree.

Salaries will vary depending on whether you work at a private or a national university and pay is actually going down as many jobs get farmed out to the private sector. The perks however can be quite attractive, including free or cheap housing, funds for attending overseas conferences, research allowances and Internet facilities.

IF you teach at a womens university or a junior college there will be more lovely young women around than you can shake a stick at, but most universities have strict sexual harassment policies and will even include it in their orientation for new teachers. A flippant or innocent comment can be taken the wrong way here, especially when you are crossing linguistic and cultural boundaries.

University teachers who tend to use their positions to satisfy their libido or baser needs and try it on with students of the opposite sex dont tend to last very long in a university setting, and I might just add that it makes it very hard for people who come in after you.

japanbound

Joined: 25 Mar 2004
Posts: 17

Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:14 am Post subject:

PAULH wrote:

University teachers who tend to use their positions to satisfy their libido or baser needs and try it on with students of the opposite sex dont tend to last very long in a university setting, and I might just add that it makes it very hard for people who come in after you.

Point well-taken. Please excuse the cavalier comment. I am sincerely interested in why people go to Japan intending to stay for 2 or 3 years and end up staying. The pay is good, but it;s not the greatest. Is it because of the long vacation breaks?

Gordon

Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan

Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 4:18 am Post subject:

japanbound wrote:

I think it is the whole package. Long holidays, short work week, few teaching hours, and research and travel budgets. When you put it all together, you can't beat it anywhere else. Not even on the middle east can you get 4-5 months off in holidays.

PAULH

Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan

Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 5:12 am Post subject:

japanbound wrote:

Of course the pay is not that great if you are working as a lawyer or have 'professional' non-teaching qualifications or you plan to get into something else back home etc but if you compare apples with apples, a teacher with a Masters degree working in Japan will likely have trouble finding an equivalent paying position in a foreign university with tenure and research allowances. Most overseas jobs I have heard of (in australia at least) are 3-6 month contracts and part time. As Gordon pointed out, in places like the Middle East you get good pay but there is no alcohol, very little nightlife and women are not allowed to drive.

For the average person who is qualified and is serious about teaching at a university here- the pay is twice what one will get at a conversation school or on the JET program and its possible to support a family on a teaching income, something not really possible back home. If you want to teach here for a year or two and then go back home and get a 'real' job- that really just makes you a temporary 'backpacker' working at a university for a couple of years, and not a bona-fide educator.

For my part, I stay here not only becuase I enjoy the culture and teaching (not to mention overseas travel every year) but I have dependents to support.

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