Job Discussion Forums

[corinl]

Hi, I've read lots of the great information on here, but am still undecided as to my best option right now for work.

Recently GEOS in Japan fell, so many teachers experienced in Japan are in the market looking. There are not many jobs advertised on the forums now - when I looked back in jan-mar there were 3 a day!

I have recently completed a CELTA and done about 2 months teaching in New Zealand, so I'm still new to the game!

I'm a British Citizen so have a UK passport, as well as NZ residency.

There don't appear to be many jobs in Japan advertised at the moment and I read a long article by an experienced teacher on the "Jobs in Japan" website where he recommends just flying to japan on a tourist visa and then sorting work out when you're there...said immigration don't really care as long as you have onward ticket and don't say you are planning to work...then if you get caught he said most of the time its no biggie from what he's seen in ten years teaching..

What are people recommending at the moment?

I heard in Japan that it's not easy finding accomodation, and so with no job to go to, maybe its even harder to find a place to live! I worked in Switzerland and also landlords there don't really like non-swiss!

I am also wondering where would be best to place myself if I didn't have a job pre-arranged - Tokyo is big, many opportunities, but maybe expensive if no work and running around all over this big city trying to arrange things.

I have seen jobs advertised in Fukuoka, Hiroshima and other areas - would basing myself here for a couple of months to find work be easier...and could I find an apartment here more easily?

I heard about 'key money'...do you always need to pay this if not sponsered by a school, or can you just find a houseshare or flatshare (like at uni) to start with and then look later on ?

Oh one more question. I'm getting degree transcripts signed and sealed and sent from u.k. to n.z. ready to leave. Also I'm getting police check from the U.K sent over - do I need this 'apostilled' in the u.k. before being sent over or does Japanese immigration not require this apostilling to be done?

Thanks in advance for your help with my many questions!

[Glenski]

[corinl]

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply.

So as I've missed the peak hiring time, what's the likelyhood of finding a job if I come over now on a tourist visa - I have no experience working in Japan.

Would you say there is a good chance to find work now in Japan or is it better to wait until start of next year...which also means I have to slug it out to find a job year and competition is tough in N.Z. at the moment.

I want to work with young adults or at the after school (2pm to 10pm kind of thing) really, but to get a start I'll look at anything with school kids as well...I applied to JET the other week and am waiting to hear back.

I notice Gaba seems to advertise a lot online but I'm not sure exactly what they are offering from the adverts and their website, it doesn't look a good deal...not guaranteed hours and the working conditions I'm sceptical of.

Basically I am a confident enough person in my own skills and ability to try anything once. I have worked in many jobs and worked out how to get what I want out of a position...but that's in the uk or nz...I don't speak Japanese and apart from having a girlfriend who went back in March, I really know little about the work culture and way of hiring there.

Another option is to head up to Auckland and study Japanese for 6 months, then try heading over in January...would that help? or are these all just small advantages?

Thanks again.

[corinl]

Oh and a further question - part time work. My girlfriend is at uni and is signed up with a couple of agencies to teach kids for an hour a time in the evenings.

She seems to get quite a lot of this work, but I think they like the fact she can teach English by speaking Japanese, if you know what I mean.

It's not focussing so much on English speaking but helping the students with the grammar side of things and reading/writing.

[seklarwia]

[corinl]

Sorry I have been looking at quite a lot this week and had brain overload - it wasn't Jet, as you said that involves quite a lot!

It was an application for the AEON selection which takes place soon.

The question I meant to ask was with regard to my gf working part-time, you have pre-empted it, but you misunderstand me. I am not talking about working under visa in this way, rather the opportunity to work on a tourist visa doing part-time.

You say this is not possible, I know this 'officially' is not possible, but I've been reading that half the Japanese job market is 'unofficial' work by people on tourist visas funding their stay until such time as they get a sponsor to give them full-time paid work and sort their work visa.

Do you think there is a lot of work out there for people on tourists visas or have you experienced difficulty yourself or with others trying to get work with no working visa?

[seklarwia]

No. I received my visa before arriving.

Where are you getting this information that working illegally on a tourist visa in this manner is common?

I've heard of and know people who have been hired by an employer and started working before they actually receive their visa since the COE app processing can take upto 2 months and that is a long time to wait especially when you don't normally get paid for your first month of work until the end of the 2nd. This is quite a common occurance amongst people who come here to find work rather than applying from abroad and although technically not legal is more frowned upon by immigration.

I haven't heard or seen much of what you are describing. And I'd seriously advise against it.
Firstly, any employer willing to hire you for work knowing you have no visa and with no intention of getting you one is extremely bad news. I'd say they are almost definately planning to screw you over.
Secondly and possibly more importantly, have you checked out the penalties for being caught working so outright illegally? If you are lucky, you'll get slapped on the next flight out with a ban on coming back for a very long time.

You're from the UK. How old are you? Can you not apply for a WHV? This would solve all your problems. You'd be able to go over and do any FT or PT jobs of your choosing as long as they weren't part of the "entertainment industry". You would then have ample to time to find an employer who could then sponser your first work visa.

[Glenski]

[corinl]

35 end of this month - working holiday unfortunately not an option or i'd have jumped at it!

i got this idea from jobs in japan website, very long posting from a teacher who says everyone comes to japan on tourist visa, tries to sort a job and work visa sponsorship, but in the meantime working illegally is common whilst you are waiting for the 2 months or so for immigration to grant said visa...

I guess if you get a bad employer you don't get paid as you suggest. I'm just trying to suss out the situation and what you and other experienced teachers in japan feel or know is what happens.

I don't want to work illegally, but it looks like arriving on a tourist visa gives little option if need cash and can get privates with students from leaving teachers, or some opportunity comes up in the short term whilst you are searching...

I'm still wondering about the whole hiring cycle and if there is indeed still work around now or if it's a case of no, come back in jan-mar.

i'm sure many newbies have the same worries - if i wait for 6 months will i get nothing, or if i spend money on flights and shared accom for two months, will i still end up with nothing!

As always everyones help is very much appreciate in these matters!

[seklarwia]

[corinl]

Ah ok thanks for the correction there. Again I apologise as I've had so much to try to get my head around this week with Korea and Japan and all this fun!

So people work when on tourist, but just for the employer that is processing their Certificate of Eligibility.

So getting a job arranged is still the main issue...

It was mentioned earlier from someone about not being able to guess what my prospects of work would be without knowing my knowledge and skills etc..

Well I would think that I'm in the same position as many who have that same question and are wondering - should i jump on a plan with a tourist visa and try to sort something, or wait potentially months back home trying to get the few job applications which are available to me from outside japan.

1. I have a degree in non English subject - computer science.

2. I have a CELTA from one of the best language schools in New Zealand

3. I have a couple of months teaching experience - nothing in japan so worthless from what i understand.

4. I am not 18 with no life experience, I have worked in I.T. companies for 10 years, small local government to large financial institutions. while this is nothing for teaching experience, it enables me to be smarter than a recent graduate in working the interview process to my advantage.

So I would ask, what are my chances to get a job within 2weeks to 2months if i hop on a plane tomorrow with all the necessary documents in hand?

If you answer - not a chance, then that's good to hear as it will probably put off not just me, but many other newcomers...and we'll see you from a jet program or other such next year instead!

thanks again guys, invaluable advice )

[seklarwia]

The details you have supplied allow us to tell you that you are eligible for a visa but not entitled to much more than entry-level eikawa or ALT work.

Your personality and how you present/sell yourself is going to count alot more when it comes to getting hired. We don't know you, don't know how well you interview, don't know whether you speak really fast or have what here could be considered a strong accent...etc, etc, etc.

There is really no way anyone on some forum can tell you what your chances are of getting hired ever let alone within your specified time frame are.

The other problem is that at 35, you really are a lot older than the majority of newbies in entry-level jobs. Many employers complain about how their new foreigner knows nothing about teaching and has no idea how to conduct themself in a professional manner since they are still in party uni mode. Guess what they do? They go and employ yet another of the same newly grads next time round because they believe young, beautiful and bouncy foreigners sell well to customers. And it can be hard to boss around an employee who is older than you, too.
Some employers will appreciate your life experience but many will not. You are only damaging your chances further by coming over at a time of the year when job pickings are so entirely slim.
But saying that, you could come over tomorrow, be in the right place at the right time and land a job in the first couple of days. Nobody can guess your chances at anything.

But if you want a suggestion; wait until the peak hiring time. Many of the big overseas recruiters will be interviewing in the winter for jobs starting next March/April. If none of them seem interested. Start contacting the smaller schools that can't hirer from abroad, let them know you are willing to interview in person, do some serious research beforehand, arrive next Feb and pound the pavements.

[Apsara]

[Kionon]

I back up most of what the others have said. I worked on a landing permit (that's essentially what you have, you're actually visa exempt) while I waited for the CoE. I didn't know it was illegal initially, but I knew it was illegal soon after. In retrospect, I would not do it again. I was also in one of those "right time, right place" sort of situations.

Three years ago, I was in a lot of financial trouble. I was an early casualty of the recession. It had started, but people really didn't yet recognise how bad it was going to be. I was a low level political staffer, had tried to be a journalist, and did not succeed in finding work teaching. One of my coworkers talked about her experiences in Korea. She loved it, made a lot of money. I would have rather gone to Japan, as I was already familiar with the culture and had studied Japanese. Unfortunately, Korea offered what seemed like a better deal, so I took it.

I hated Korea, but I don't regret starting there. I basically did nothing for the entire time I was there except work and send money to my parents. I not only paid off my school loans, but I managed to actually see my bank account go the opposite direction. Yet I was miserable. I met some great people, who remain my friends. Those people? Some of them are still in Korea love it. One is married to a Korean. Good for them. Korea did not fit me.

I got a nice note from the Korean Revenue Service telling me my taxes hadn't been paid, and after a conversation with them at the office in Seoul, we determined that my school (hagwon, which is korean for eikaiwa) was defrauding us both. Siphoning off my money and not giving it to the RoK government. I posted my resume here, was offered my current position, and I got the hell out of Korea.

If you have NO financial ability right now (I had $30K in debt), then Korea might be your best shot. You may be miserable, but at least you can keep telling yourself that you will feel a world of difference when your financial burden is lifted. That's how I kept chugging through. Day after day. When I negotiated with my bank and got rid of my student loan that night in April 2008, it was one of the greatest feelings I have ever experienced.

If you are not in such horrid shape and can afford to hold on until next hiring season and pay your own way to Japan, I wouldn't bother with Korea. Not even for GEPIK or EPIK. And if you were going to go to Korea, than I would recommend you do GEPIK because actually Gyonggi-do (where I lived) was actually a pretty nice place to live (if you can avoid the cultural cabin fever I suffered from). EPIK is in Busan, and I can't stand Busan.

Japan fit. Korea did not. Maybe Korea will fit for you, and Japan won't. But my experiences are my own. Your mileage will vary. Etc.

[Glenski]