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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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 Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2010 3:56 am Post subject: |
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One of the main reasons why it becomes more difficult to get an ALT job after say, 35 or so, is mainly due to the average age of the teachers at the schools. This is not commonly discussed on the forums, and is usually summed up as "X company is bad, A company took my money" and other garbage.
Your age may make it quite difficult to get a position as an ALT, especially if you are applying from outside of the country. As the name "ALT" implies, we are supposed to be "assistants." (whether this actually be the case or not depends on the schools/teachers) As assistants, depending on the type of contract (Haken/Itaku), the teachers may or may not have the legal right to ask us to do things when teaching, or while at work. Since the average age of the teachers at the schools will be much younger than you, they will find it difficult to "order you around" in a sense. This is one main reason why many of the BOEs tend to prefer younger teachers. Additionally, as is the case when hiring people for Japanese companies, the general idea is that younger people tend to be more obedient and flexible whereas older, more experienced people tend to be set in their ways making them more difficult to deal with when ideas/opinions differ. |
Hi Englishbear! I don't think it is necessarily "garbage" to say that dispatch companies are generally taking/making money unfairly - I mean, how else would you define 'intermediate exploitation'? (That's not to say however that the money would necessarily be better spent hiring directly - a lot of so-called AETs wouldn't deliver much more for the increased bucks, or rather, yen).
You raise a good point though regarding the perceived seniority of older AETs versus younger JTEs (aside from general issues of genkiness, health, attractiveness etc - gotta make English as appealing as possible, haven't we, even if we lose a lot of potentially helpful knowledge and experience in the process!  ). The flip side of that same coin however is that there are plenty of gnarly old inflexible JTEs who have few qualms about ordering (the comparatively younger majority of) AETs around no end (even when it comes to requested facts concerning English usage!).
I quit AETing at 37, and my decision was more to do with the generally deteriorating pay and conditions than with any problems in getting hired (though I rather suspect that too would have become an issue eventually). Now I am looking for some sort of "proper" career that is reasonably secure, but won't cost taxpayers (back in the UK) the earth! |
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japantimes
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 3:43 am Post subject: |
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| Go for it, I'm 48 and had no problems getting a job here as an ALT in a junior high school...Although I have a degree it's not connected to education but I'm ex military as was the principal of the school interviewing me, instant connection, job was mine in 5 minutes. You just never know what it is that will get you in the door. |
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Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009
Posts: 458
Location: Saigon, Vietnam
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| Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 1:20 am Post subject: |
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I know a guy that came over at 50 for a university teaching position. Didn't know anyone at the school either.
If you don't try, you don't get. |
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klis
Joined: 20 May 2010
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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i am sure you can do it. Go for it !
I had a question for Glenski, How would you label teaching positions in Japan. Such as first Eikawa being the least best & University being the pinnacle.
This regards to making it a career . personal suggestions welcomed. You are probably the only with the most experienced person here and also honest.
THANK YOU ! |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:36 am Post subject: |
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How would you label teaching positions in Japan. Such as first Eikawa being the least best & University being the pinnacle.
This regards to making it a career . personal suggestions welcomed. |
If we are talking about these things, I want to make it clear that my viewpoint will be from that of a person who wants to teach, not just come here and fill time. I'm not going to list any salaries here; too much variation, and people can see general salary trends with internet searches of their own.
Eikaiwa is an entry-level position. Gets one's feet wet, or can be used as a stepping stone. There are some who stay in it for many years, but by far it is pretty dead-end in terms of career development. One might rise to the ranks of a manager, but that's not saying much if you go by what many people have to say about managers. That statement will probably attract fire, so let me qualify by saying that I don't personally know any foreigners who are managers of eikaiwas, and that I welcome hearing stories about how some can be successful and well-liked.
ALTs fall into 2 or 3 categories: dispatch, JET programme, and long-term (perhaps lumped with AETs). JET is a transient thing with a cap of 5 years, usually only 3. Dispatch jobs are fairly transient, too, and I don't know of too many people who stay with any one outfit for a long time. I do know some long-term AETs in my area (10-15 years of service). I consider this job harder than eikaiwa. You have more students, and they are not choosing to take the classes, so the older (HS) ones are often disinterested in the lessons, especially oral communication, because they are looking only for what will help them to pass college entrance tests. ALTs often have problems working with their JTEs (for many reasons). That can have a strong effect on how one views the job, because some are actually given free reign in the class. One good thing is that a person learns a lot about the public school system here. ALTs may have to deal with exams or courses other than oral comm, so that is another double-edged sword.
Business English teacher. I know only of three personally. One has moved on to being a FT uni teacher; another got married to a Japanese and started his own business, and another has a J wife and lives with several types of PT work. This type of job could be more long-term, but it would probably be advantageous to have some sort of non-teaching experience in order to be accepted by the agency to suit its clients. People might look upon a business English teacher more favorably than an eikaiwa instructor or ALT. Depends.
Universities.
Many people see these jobs as the top level, but that's a matter of perspective. Most uni jobs now are PT work, so it takes special visa circumstances to keep them, and the mindset of a PT teacher is often/usually different than that of a FTer. FT teachers are usually contracted for 3-5 years or so, then let go, so you have only a few rare tenured ones around. Quite a bit of variation here, and if one is FT, it might seem glorious to outsiders, because of private office & phone, research funds, paid vacation (lots!), title, etc., but there are many down sides, too (meetings, proofreading, entrance exam prep and correcting, etc.). FT teachers may also be treated as just glorified eikaiwa types by the J staff/admin, while others have roles of responsibility and respectability (including reaching the ranks of dean, like someone who post here). A lot depends on one's attitude, and on how you are perceived by J coworkers, and whether the uni has a strong "publish or perish" mentality.
Private school or franchise owner.
These are probably jobs meant for people here for the long run, but they do not have to be. I'm not talking about teaching out of one's spare bedroom. I refer to official recognized businesses. They have their own headaches, of course (no paid vacation time, labor issues, customer issues, etc.), but at least one can set one's own time and standards and teaching format, and perhaps even choose who to teach. It means getting into Japanese taxation and business laws, of course, too.
If one has the right circumstances with visas or permanent residence, there's also the opportunity to do what some of my friends have done: live entirely on PT work. The people I know who do this are all married to Japanese and do various types of PT work, or are in unis. Three guys have PT jobs at schools plus run their own.
Teacher trainer.
Don't know a heckuva lot here. It's a position some aspire to, and one would probably have to be pretty well-trained (certified).
Publishing or Materials Developing.
Some teachers move on into various realms of publishing, whether as salespeople, managers, editors, proofreaders, etc. Could be long or short term, and IMO it takes a certain marketing-like mentality to deal with such a life. Developing software or writing textbooks is not something I would imagine could initially pay all of one's bills, but some get into it. Many uni teachers write textbooks, but that's not to say all textbooks are used or useful. One fairly close Internet acquaintance of mine who worked at a uni wrote me once to say, "Oh, by the way, I just finished a textbook on XYZ. Would you like a copy? It's a piece of cr@p, but just thought I'd ask."
Move laterally abroad.
Some take their skills, experience, etc. and change countries. How long one can do this is entirely up to the individual. Many say "I can't go home anymore" after a certain period of time. They certainly show more globalized thinking and wider scope about cultures and such.
Return home.
Yup, some take whatever knowledge and experience they have here and go home to continue teaching or move into any of the above categories. I have no idea whether there is any trend about their success or longevity.
So, did this give you the perspective you wanted? These are just my views, and I hope others add to this with their own. |
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