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kamikaze-gargoyle
Joined: 16 Feb 2011
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:32 pm Post subject: |
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i don't even know what i want to do anymore. 
there's literally nothing else i want to do with my life at the moment ... i can't stay around here much longer because it's driving me absolutely mental living with my parents (after being away at university for so long) and if i get a job here i'll hate it and urgh.
i mean yeah, you may be right ... and also the fact that i've been depressed lately doesn't help because the question of whether i will go abroad and just be depressed there hasn't been answered - because it might well be that i'm only depressed because i'm at home but i might end up going wherever and hating it there too. argh i dunno.
i just hate this implication that i either have to be rich in the first place or spend ages at a job i hate before i even get the chance to do what i actually want to do.
and yeah, i know you probably get 100 newbies through here every day or something but you know, i thought this might be a good place to come for some encouragement. Never mind.
i've gone and worked in europe before (from the uk btw) at holiday jobs and that's been fine. well, yeah, it's not as far. i dunno. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:32 pm Post subject: |
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| kamikaze-gargoyle wrote: |
.... I'd be getting a job and making money there.
I dunno, clearly you don't seem to want to help me here. |
This is becoming ridiculous.
You need money to fly here.
You need money to set yourself up with an apartment, even if your employer has one waiting for you.
You will need money to live on until your first paycheck, which could be 6-8 weeks after starting your job.
You wrote this:
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| I don't have the money to go abroad without getting a job first. |
What exactly did you mean by not having money? Consider what I just wrote above first and ask yourself whether you can afford to buy a ticket, fly here and set yourself up, and live here without a paycheck for that long.
Oh, and ttompatz's "worst case" in Japan can be more than US$3000. Figure worst case is $5000.
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| the fact that i've been depressed lately doesn't help because the question of whether i will go abroad and just be depressed there hasn't been answered |
Where have you asked this? To be honest and straightforward, don't go anywhere overseas if you are depressed and broke already. Being depressed is not something that living abroad will necessarily cure, and being depressed while abroad is just asking for trouble!
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| i know you probably get 100 newbies through here every day or something but you know, i thought this might be a good place to come for some encouragement. Never mind. |
Yes, we get millions of newbies and wannabes here every day. Trust me when I say that 99% of the time, everyone on this board tries to help.
However, you don't seem to understand the helpful advice we are giving. You only seem to want more than "encouragement". It seems to me that you want someone to tell you it's a big, beautiful world over here and that you will have no problems landing a job that will put money in your pocket immediately and that you will love it here. On the other hand, the encouragement you need is this:
1. Realize the limitations you face, financially and emotionally and vocationally.
2. Get emotional support at home. Don't expect it to happen on a discussion forum or after you land in some foreign land.
3. You are minimally qualified for work as a teacher in Japan. That's the good news. The bad news is that the market here is very tight, so you will need to know how to prepare for it. I strongly suggest reading every FAQ sticky on the Japan forum, and that you lurk a while to read threads about the market and how to job hunt.
You wrote:
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| I'm looking for work teaching abroad from May onwards |
You wrote that on the last day of February. It's practically mid March now. Visas in Japan take 2-8 weeks to process, and this is a very busy time for immigration, so figure on the upper end. Getting hired will take 1-3 months, even if you are physically present in Japan. Do the math. It's going to be late April at the very earliest before you get hired. I predict that even if you have a rapid job hunting experience, you won't get here until late May. Since most jobs are taken by first of April, what you might get in May will not necessarily be the best quality work, so be mentally prepared for that. That goes with item #3 above.
Last edited by Glenski on Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:43 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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kamikaze-gargoyle
Joined: 16 Feb 2011
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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i didn't ask it... only to myself. hypothetical question.
look, yeah, i know you're speaking reason.... but I can't stand it where i am at the moment...........
and thanks. anyway i won't be restricting myself to just Japan |
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mozzar
Joined: 16 May 2009
Posts: 339
Location: France
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| kamikaze-gargoyle wrote: |
i just hate this implication that i either have to be rich in the first place or spend ages at a job i hate before i even get the chance to do what i actually want to do. |
That is the real world though. You suck it up until you can do something better. Working a few months in a pretty bad job could mean spending the rest of your life doing something you actually like. Do the time and you'll be abroad.
The truth is a lot of newbies who come through these boards don't need encouragement but someone to tell them the reality of the situation, if only to save them from being in trouble in some foreign hell hole a couple of months later. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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| mozzar wrote: |
| The truth is a lot of newbies who come through these boards don't need encouragement but someone to tell them the reality of the situation, if only to save them from being in trouble in some foreign hell hole a couple of months later. |
The problem comes when they do tell people the reality, and the newbie chooses to disbelieve it. Name-calling ensues, and the thread escalates into oblivion and a lockout. Been there many times.
"Oh, but there must be a way in my situation...!"
"Oh, you're just a gloom and doom person..."
"Nobody here really understands me..."
"I'll show you all"! |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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"I'll show you all"!
But they never return to the boards in triumph to tell us how they did the impossible, somehow.
Though we do have a few stars around ( nick pellat comes to mind - hope you don't mind me mentioning you, nick! ) who took the advice given on board and were able to make things work out over the long term, with an appropriate level of energy and commitment, even when the beginning wasn't all rosy. |
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wiganer
Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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I have got a linguistics degree and it is worth it's weight in gold as most people in this game have an unrelated degree and a CELTA - the smart ones in that position go and get themselves a MA in TESOL/applied linguistics or become licensed but you are nowhere near that position yet, so...
Don't be too ambitious with your search, now that you have told us about your depression and that you aren't sure this is right for you (and trust me, not many people are cut out for this, the job and the lifestyle isn't as easy or as glamourous as it looks) Japan is nice, I love Japan but look for somewhere nearer home, Spain is a good choice, lots of jobs and a quick hop, skip and a jump on easyjet.
If you like the lifestyle and have a year under your belt then give South Korea a go or if you have the right look and a good photo then try Japan, again, I love Japan but I wouldn't want to teach English there at this moment in time. I wouldn't say the market is flooded rather than waterlogged.
Give Spain a go! There are a load of Americans now reading this gnashing their teeth in envy that you can exercise that right.
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Mesh4321
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:16 am Post subject: |
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I'm new to Korea, and would greatly recommend you come here.
Many Hogwans will pay for your flight over here aswell as accomodation.
You will need $700 at the least. This will get you through the first 4-5 weeks before you are paid. It will mean you are restricted in terms of social activities but you will not go hungry.
I would say if you have minimal funds, Korea is the best place for you and you may well enjoy it. |
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cvmurrieta
Joined: 10 Jul 2008
Posts: 209
Location: Sendai, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 1:50 am Post subject: |
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| mozzar wrote: |
| kamikaze-gargoyle wrote: |
i just hate this implication that i either have to be rich in the first place or spend ages at a job i hate before i even get the chance to do what i actually want to do. |
The truth is a lot of newbies who come through these boards don't need encouragement but someone to tell them the reality of the situation, if only to save them from being in trouble in some foreign hell hole a couple of months later. |
Yes, I wish there had been a message board such as this back in August 1994 when I started work with AEG in Wakayama. I would have been saved from hell  |
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Denizen
Joined: 13 Nov 2009
Posts: 110
Location: Tohoku
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| Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:04 am Post subject: |
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I can only speak for my previous experiences in Japan.
Contact Interac or a similar ALT company to get your feet wet. If I remember correctly, they'll pretty much take you by the hand in the beginning if you score a slot. Work with other teachers to get some tips and tricks.
Before you take the plunge, though, think that you'll need around US$5,000 for flight, initial ryokan (small hotel) stay, transportation, getting into a small apartment, and a little for basic necessities.
Nearly every adventure has some uneasiness, particularly if public speaking or performing is part of it. Just think of yourself as a significantly important contributor to the lives of people around you. |
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think_balance
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 67
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="mozzar"]
| kamikaze-gargoyle wrote: |
Working a few months in a pretty bad job could mean spending the rest of your life doing something you actually like. Do the time and you'll be abroad. |
Quite true - and this applies to all aspects of life. |
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