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weigookin74
Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 265
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 Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:31 am Post subject: |
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| I don't know much about Japan. I'm currently in Korea. But what if you go to a smaller academy in a rural area? I assume most of this mad rush is for Tokyo or another larger city? If you accepted a rural area, can you get hired more easily? |
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PO1
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 136
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| Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| ShioriEigoKyoushi wrote: |
P01,
It sounds like you've thought all the variables through and are comfortable with your position even if it's not one everyone would choose. Well done for staying positive.
I definitely agree you shouldn't give up on your dreams. That said, I would certainly question whether "teaching English in Japan" is the dream it is portrayed to be by the combination of training companies, eikaiwa recruiting offices and Japan's own National Tourist Organisation.
Shiori |
I've been an Eikaiwa teacher before, so I know it's not all happiness and sunshine. It's a job I enjoyed doing, but left for personal reasons. Now that the personal reasons have passed, I'd like to do it again. Will it be my career for life? Probably not. But my passion for learning Japanese and being with my girlfriend keeps me motivated to come there.
I may sound overly optimistic, but life is good right now. Just want it to get better. |
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Revenant
Mod Team
Joined: 28 Jul 2005
Posts: 1109
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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Pages of derailing posts and attacks have been removed. Warnings are being issued to more than one person in the thread for it and one person will be discovering they're no longer welcome to post here.
That said, for now, I'll leave the thread open incase the original poster of it needed more information or discussion: something some of you who posted fanning the flames of the derailing lost sight of. |
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Romonofu-kun
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:35 am Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone for your input, and sorry for the late reply. This is very good information and I appreciate the general quality of postings here. It confirms what other people have also told me: work is very hard to find but not impossible.
I think the consensus I have reaching is this: as long as you've got two or more year's experience, TESL certification, an undergrad degree, and working / spousal visa, you've got a strong chance at getting employment. That's kind of lofty, but if you've got it just stay out of central Tokyo and you'll probably be fine.
More than one source has told me that with less income and a big ugly smear on the eikaiwa industry left by Nova and Geos, people neither trust nor want to pay for lessons at large companies. It looks like "cheap" is the word and internet-based lessons and mass group classes might take a significant place in the market. I don't know if people actually like this style of learning, if that's all they can afford, or if they just don't know where else to go.
No clue how business English or TOEIC preparation are doing. I don't know anyone in that area of EFL.
I'm not in Japan myself so I could be WAY off the mark here. If anyone has a comment to make in regards to my conclusions I'd like to hear what you have to say. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 5:39 am Post subject: |
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| Romonofu-kun wrote: |
| I think the consensus I have reaching is this: as long as you've got two or more year's experience, TESL certification, an undergrad degree, and working / spousal visa, you've got a strong chance at getting employment. |
You do realise that the experience needs to be in Japan for it to mean anything to many employers.
And you need a job to get a work visa; you can't simply apply for a visa without an employer to act as sponsor. And I doubt that the majority of people hunt down and marry a Japanese person just to score a spouse visa so that they stand a chance of getting employed in Japan.
The way you've described it, only the people currently working in the Japanese EFL market have a good chance of getting employment. But unless these people are soon to be out of the job or want to change employers, these are not the people who will be applying so the employers will often take on complete newbie candidates who were applying at the right time, and in the case of the many employers unable to recruit overseas, the ones who were in the right place at the right time.
Really all you need to stand a good chance at getting employed as a newbie is a degree, the right personality, persistance, flexibility and to have done your homework well. Sure a TEFL cert and some out of Japan experience can make for some nice CV dressing, but don't think it will give you a big advantage over applicants without these things; if you have these things on your CV and the next applicant has neither but has a great personality and clicks with the employer, guess who will be getting employed? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:13 am Post subject: |
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| Romonofu-kun wrote: |
| I think the consensus I have reaching is this: as long as you've got two or more year's experience, TESL certification, an undergrad degree, and working / spousal visa, you've got a strong chance at getting employment. |
Wait a minute. Do you actually have a work or spouse visa now? You didn't post much on Gaijinpot, either. http://forum.gaijinpot.com/showthread.php?87102-Finding-work-now-how-bad-is-it&highlight=saturated
I suspect you just wrote the above hypothetically, but please confirm.
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| More than one source has told me that with less income and a big ugly smear on the eikaiwa industry left by Nova and Geos, people neither trust nor want to pay for lessons at large companies. |
Let's just say around half feel that way, based on a few employers I know. I wouldn't generalize more than that.
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| No clue how business English or TOEIC preparation are doing. I don't know anyone in that area of EFL. |
Do you have any experience in either? Help us help you.
In that regard, just what is your background?
As seklarwia wrote, a BA degree makes you eligible for a visa. What gets the job, though, is far more, and it will depend on every employer. However, yes, experience may count, as will a certification, but not everyone wants those in their teachers. What will count a lot is showing you won't freak out with culture shock, that you aren't a weirdo manga/anime freak, that you aren't coming here for the women or language lessons, and that you seem to have a personality that matches the staff and students. |
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Romonofu-kun
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:27 am Post subject: |
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| Do you actually have a work or spouse visa now? |
My spouse is Japanese so I can get spousal visa when I arrive.
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| Do you have any experience in either [TOEIC prep or business English]? |
I have dabbled in TOEIC prep and business English but couldn't break into that market before my time in Japan was up. I ask now because I run into more and more ESL students here who are learning English to make themselves more employable. They can't find jobs in Japan so they've gone overseas to learn English.
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| In that regard, just what is your background? |
My education background is in linguistics and my work background is in ESL (formerly) and health & travel insurance sales (currently). Still under 30. I volunteer in ESL classes now.
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| What will count a lot is showing you won't freak out with culture shock, that you aren't a weirdo manga/anime freak, that you aren't coming here for the women or language lessons... |
Trust me, I'm way beyond that!
So that's where I'm coming from. A few factors working for me and a few against me. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:48 am Post subject: |
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| Romonofu-kun wrote: |
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| Do you actually have a work or spouse visa now? |
My spouse is Japanese so I can get spousal visa when I arrive. |
Get it before you come. It will save some down time.
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| Do you have any experience in either [TOEIC prep or business English]? |
I have dabbled in TOEIC prep and business English |
What does that mean exactly?
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| I ask now because I run into more and more ESL students here who are learning English to make themselves more employable. They can't find jobs in Japan so they've gone overseas to learn English. |
But that's likely not who you would be teaching here. Big difference in mindset, as you probably know. Just be aware of that.
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| In that regard, just what is your background? |
My education background is in linguistics and my work background is in ESL (formerly) and health & travel insurance sales (currently). Still under 30. I volunteer in ESL classes now. |
Please don't leave out information here! Just how much teaching experience in Japan did you have?
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| So that's where I'm coming from. A few factors working for me and a few against me. |
What works against you the most is not being here and not having your spouse visa yet. Do you have a location in mind? Without knowing more about your background in Japan, I'd still have to say you were eligible only for entry level work. Help us! |
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Romonofu-kun
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:05 am Post subject: |
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Good call on getting the spousal visa before arrival. I'll do that this week.
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| Please don't leave out information here! Just how much teaching experience in Japan did you have? |
I taught for two years in Japan: 1.5 years at Shane, three months in public schools, three months at university. Have also accumulated two accumulated years experience outside Japan, mostly conversation classes.
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| I have dabbled in TOEIC prep and business English -> What does that mean exactly? |
Tutored a private student in TOEIC prep for two months and taught TOEIC prep at Shane for about another two months. Taught business English for three months once a week. Business classes were mixed into my regular schedule at Shane. Having worked in sales for the last three years I identify a lot more with business English (not that this makes a differnce on the resume).
I plan to live in Tokyo initially because I have family there. Where is live is of secondary importance to finding work. I'll go wherever the jobs are and don't mind starting from the bottom again. In a better job market I would specialise in business English right off the top - something I should have done the first time around. An ideal niche - assuming it exists - would be English for insurance, customer service, or sales... but that's looking ahead to better days and a stronger skillset. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 7:20 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for providing all that info.
I think your dabbling into business English is pretty minimal. A business English agency might see it differently, but who can say? AFAIK, they usually take people with far more experience or at least with non-teaching experience in a field related to their clients.
Otherwise, you have a slight edge over most newbies here, as you probably realize, but you'll still have to hustle to find work, even with a spouse visa. Living in Tokyo at least puts you in the largest market in the country.
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| An ideal niche - assuming it exists - would be English for insurance, customer service, or sales... but that's looking ahead to better days and a stronger skillset. |
Yes, such a niche exists, but you'll have to hunt for employers (or private clients). Some students may come directly from a business English agency (e.g., Sumikin, Simul, Phoenix Associates, etc.), or you might even work directly for the company that wants its employees to learn English. Dig in! |
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Romonofu-kun
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 6:13 am Post subject: |
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| This is all very helpful. Thanks for the advice! |
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