Job Discussion Forums

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

Okay guys, here are some questions:
1. Is February 2 - 8 too early to interview?

Because I get all those days off for Chinese New Year, and I'm theorizing that maybe I can apply to several dozen different jobs prior to that, stating that I'm "available to interview in Japan" and then schedule all the interviews for that week. Then I can fly to Japan as soon as I get off work on Tuesday night, do a blitzkrieg of interviews (and hopefully snag something), and then head back to Taiwan for work the following Tuesday (when I start working again). Then enter Japan in April with a job!

This would allow me to be physically present in Japan for the interviews without breaking or violating my Taiwan contract, since the job would likely start in April, a few days after my contract in Taiwan ends. Cool

2. Does Japan shut down from February 2 - 8, too? Or does it only shut down for one day (Setsubun)?

If I did that, I guess I'd have to skip the WWOOF stage. Oh well.

Oh, and here's my third question:
3. If I am unable to snag a job in the Spring, how big is the "minor surge" for October hirings?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

Okay, then I'll probably skip the WWOOF phase and send out a load of resumes and apply for a bunch of jobs prior to February 2.

Through talking with you guys, I have come to realize that the Specialist in Humanities is much more stable than I had initially thought, and I can probably skip the WWOOF phase in a pinch and just begin teaching.

Then I'll try to schedule as many interviews as I can from February 2 - 8, during which I can be present in Japan without interfering with/sacrificing my job in Taiwan.

Hopefully I'll get hired then and be able to walk right into a job in April, but if that doesn't happen, I can send out another flurry of applications in early-to-mid-March and schedule another bucket load of interviews from March 26 - 31.

Essentially this plan will give me 12 days in Japan during peak hiring season, at least eight of which are non-holiday business days... Provided I send out a ton of applications for any and every job (at least 50 applications), I bet I can schedule at least a dozen interviews during those two times and probably land something... We'll see...

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

genesis315 · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 116 Location: Japan

Yeah, what gives?

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

@Glenski and genesis315

Ummm...

Am I being cross-examined?

Sometimes I change my mind.

Other times, I don't change my mind, but getting to something really great requires multiple intermediate steps.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Yes, people change their minds. You seem to do it suddenly and without any warning to readers here. We're trying to help, but we give advice based on what you provide. Tell us one week that you just want a food in the door, and then another week that you want to teach for a career, and that's just plain confusing and unhelpful.

Would you at least answer this:

At this point in time, what are your long-term goals for living/working in Japan?

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Thanks for those details. I'm a big one for clarity as you can see.

Let me make a few comments about some of what you wrote. I hope others would chip in, too.

To get your foot in the door in Japan, I think you have realized that you need a visa for starters. The easiest way is usually to be an English teacher, so you would have to shoot for an ALT job (JET or dispatch, and need an Instructor work visa) or an eikaiwa job (requires the Specialist in Humanities/International Relations work visa).

Any "stability" beyond the first 12 months is fluid. Nobody can guarantee a thing unless you get a spouse visa or PR. Visas are usually issued one year at a time, and getting one that is for 3 years is essentially luck of the draw (even a spouse visa). Immigration is pondering a 5-year visa for people who have proven Japanese language fluency, but they have not instituted that yet, and they haven't even described how they will assess such fluency.

I think it's critical that you realize the looseness of the "stability" you seek here. Teachers in particular need (or should) be on the ball for the next opportunity. You've posed hypothetical situations that could or could not adversely affect one's visa situation. I would hope that by now you would have understood from me and others that nobody has a crystal ball on which way things would go. Yes, some people end up going home with the hypotheticals you cited. Probably most EFL teachers here choose to go home after 1-3 years. (There's a link somewhere that supports this, but I can't find it at the moment.)

Once you've got your head around those 2 points, you can comfortably work on transitioning. Work visa status may be an issue, as you know. If you can't get PR, you will need a proper visa, whether it is issued for 1 or 3 years. I would figure that PR is something you would want, but only if you really enjoy living here. So, here's another point to consider even before you deal with transitioning:
Will you like it here enough to stay long-term? Obviously, you don't know until you've had some experience here, so the best advice I can give is to keep your eyes open to what's happening to foreigners and the market place (the EFL one and the one you think you might transition to).

Assuming you have no major problems with how Japan treats you, transitioning to a new field means you have to meet visa requirements. I suspect you won't be here long enough to get PR before you want to change jobs, so the visa issue is a real one. Learn what is needed for the visa you will need. After that, get what you need! It may be experience or more language ability or contacts or any number of things. If you want to set up a business that earns money outside Japan, you are not going to have an easy time unless you have a proper visa for some other sort of situation. Keep this in mind. If you want to earn money on your own in Japan, there is a visa for that.

You wrote about "Constantly shifting immigration regulations", but I don't see that in Japan. Gears of bureaucracy here turn slowly. Nothing much is going to change soon, so there is no "moving target". Just keep apprised of what is happening (by visiting forums like this as well as others), and hope that things don't change for the worse. There is nothing else you can do to ensure security there!

Rooster_2006 · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 984