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TheGoldenKiwi
Joined: 12 Oct 2011
Posts: 8
Location: New York, NY
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 Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:12 am Post subject: Getting a position in Tokyo or other major city? |
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I recently finished a 15-month stint in Seoul at a hagwon, and have now been unemployed with no prospects for anything in NYC for about 6 weeks, and am strongly considering teaching in Japan or going back to Korea.
I was initially looking into JET, but after having read that 90% of placements were in rural areas I canned that idea. Having experienced the difference between Seoul and the rest of Korea, my main requirement is to be placed in Tokyo or at the very least another major city somewhat similar and/or close to Tokyo. Is this an unrealistic requirement for trying to get a job with an eikaiwa? How likely is getting placement in Tokyo or another major city?
I remember when I was looking for jobs in Seoul last year all the recruiters were telling me it was extremely difficult to get placement in Seoul and tried pushing me towards Gyeonggi-do and rural areas. I told them no and ended up landing a decent hagwon job in a great part of Seoul no problem.
Since JET is out of the question for me, as are any jobs that require being in Japan to get hired, AFAIK my only option is trying my luck with Aeon and ECC. If anyone knows of any other reputable places I should be applying to please let me know. I do not have a CELTA or certification of any kind; just my 15 months experience in Korea. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:13 am Post subject: Re: Getting a position in Tokyo or other major city? |
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| TheGoldenKiwi wrote: |
| am strongly considering teaching in Japan or going back to Korea. |
May I ask why Japan?
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| I was initially looking into JET, but after having read that 90% of placements were in rural areas I canned that idea. |
What do you have against a steady job in the countryside in Japan? If you've never been here, you have no idea what it's like.
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| my main requirement is to be placed in Tokyo or at the very least another major city somewhat similar and/or close to Tokyo. |
Why? It's not that small a country. Even though Tokyo has more jobs than any other city, you are going to face steep competition, too. Everyone wants Tokyo. 
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| Is this an unrealistic requirement for trying to get a job with an eikaiwa? How likely is getting placement in Tokyo or another major city? |
It's not unrealistic in general terms, but look at it like this:
You are limiting yourself to one city or narrow region.
You haven't said when you want to start. This is the beginning of the doldrums in terms of hiring.
Competition is steep here, even for entry level jobs, and your experience in Korea may not be looked upon favorably at all, so you are on the bottom rung like everyone else.
If you stay at home to job hunt, you are seriously limited to a handful, maybe a dozen employers.
| Quote: |
| Since JET is out of the question for me, as are any jobs that require being in Japan to get hired, AFAIK my only option is trying my luck with Aeon and ECC. If anyone knows of any other reputable places I should be applying to please let me know. |
You and half a million other newbies. Please understand that first and foremost. Who on this site is going to offer you a shot at a job when everyone here is looking, too?
As for "reputable", have you done any research on Japan yet? It doesn't sound like it. Aside from avoiding the more flagrant of bad employers, you are not really in much of a position to pick and choose, especially if you stay in NYC to look.
Have you looked at any of the FAQ stickies yet? |
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TheGoldenKiwi
Joined: 12 Oct 2011
Posts: 8
Location: New York, NY
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 2:07 am Post subject: Re: Getting a position in Tokyo or other major city? |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| May I ask why Japan? |
Aside from the typical Western fascination with Japan, I had a great time in Korea and the general consensus seems to be that Japan > Korea.
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| What do you have against a steady job in the countryside in Japan? If you've never been here, you have no idea what it's like. |
Because I've been outside of Seoul, and it's boring as hell. In my experience, most foreigners who live outside of Seoul have negative experiences. I wouldn't live in the countryside in my home country, so why would I want to do it in a country where I don't speak the language?
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| Why? It's not that small a country. Even though Tokyo has more jobs than any other city, you are going to face steep competition, too. Everyone wants Tokyo. |
Not surprising, but in all likelihood most of the other job candidates are probably fresh out of college, whereas I've got over a year experience. I understand it's very competitive, but that's got to count for something.
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It's not unrealistic in general terms, but look at it like this:
You are limiting yourself to one city or narrow region.
You haven't said when you want to start. This is the beginning of the doldrums in terms of hiring.
Competition is steep here, even for entry level jobs, and your experience in Korea may not be looked upon favorably at all, so you are on the bottom rung like everyone else.
If you stay at home to job hunt, you are seriously limited to a handful, maybe a dozen employers. |
I'm looking to start sometime around January-February. Why would my experience not count against people who are fresh out of college without related work experience?
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| You and half a million other newbies. Please understand that first and foremost. Who on this site is going to offer you a shot at a job when everyone here is looking, too? |
Well hey, the economy sucks, so why not just give up looking for a job altogether? I hear Diablo 3 is coming out soon.
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| As for "reputable", have you done any research on Japan yet? It doesn't sound like it. Aside from avoiding the more flagrant of bad employers, you are not really in much of a position to pick and choose, especially if you stay in NYC to look. |
Yes. I'm not going to move to a country I've never been to and try to find work if I'm not able to do it in my own country.
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| Have you looked at any of the FAQ stickies yet? |
Yes. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Is this an unrealistic requirement for trying to get a job with an eikaiwa? How likely is getting placement in Tokyo or another major city? |
A lot of people come to this forum and say they're only interested in Tokyo so, yes, I think you have a lot of competition. I think you Tokyo fans lack perspective:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiheiy%C5%8D_Belt
Here are a couple of alternatives that will greatly increase your chances of finding something:
1. Settle for one of the satellite cities within commuting distance of Tokyo. E.g. Saitama (population 1.2 million), Chiba (1 million) or Funabashi (0.6 million).
2. Try Osaka (2.7 million). Osaka is some way out of Tokyo's orbit, and has a strong identity and culture all of its own. |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| Pitarou is right. There's a lot of other cool places in Japan that aren't Tokyo. Osaka, Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama are all great places. I feel like there's tons of stuff to do in Tokyo but the people are cold and it's crowded everywhere. Apply to some eikaiwas, you never know until you try. |
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Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009
Posts: 458
Location: Saigon, Vietnam
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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| move wrote: |
| Pitarou is right. There's a lot of other cool places in Japan that aren't Tokyo. Osaka, Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama are all great places. I feel like there's tons of stuff to do in Tokyo but the people are cold and it's crowded everywhere. Apply to some eikaiwas, you never know until you try. |
This is BAD advice.
Regardless of the discussion above, Tokyo is the best place for someone to be.
Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Nagoya - not comparable to Tokyo in anyway.
Totally different.
Osaka would be the next best thing if the OP can't get himself into Tokyo. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Shimokitazawa wrote: |
| move wrote: |
| Pitarou is right. There's a lot of other cool places in Japan that aren't Tokyo. Osaka, Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama are all great places. I feel like there's tons of stuff to do in Tokyo but the people are cold and it's crowded everywhere. Apply to some eikaiwas, you never know until you try. |
This is BAD advice.
Regardless of the discussion above, Tokyo is the best place for someone to be.
Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Nagoya - not comparable to Tokyo in anyway.
Totally different.
Osaka would be the next best thing if the OP can't get himself into Tokyo. |
Tokyo is over rated, and outside of clubs lacks culture. Osaka is by far more interesting than Tokyo. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 9:54 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a position in Tokyo or other major city? |
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| TheGoldenKiwi wrote: |
| Quote: |
| What do you have against a steady job in the countryside in Japan? If you've never been here, you have no idea what it's like. |
Because I've been outside of Seoul, and it's boring as hell. In my experience, most foreigners who live outside of Seoul have negative experiences. I wouldn't live in the countryside in my home country, so why would I want to do it in a country where I don't speak the language? |
Plenty of reasons. Number one is that being exposed to the language like that, with far less chance for the crutch of seeing/hearing English so much, will enhance your ability to learn Japanese.
Number two is that you will have a better chance of seeing the "real Japan", not some westernization of it.
What is it about the country that is so "boring"? I suspect that you want to go to nightclubs and buy electronic good and see the current fashions, when actually your needs should come second to the fact that the country needs you to teach.
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| Quote: |
| Why? It's not that small a country. Even though Tokyo has more jobs than any other city, you are going to face steep competition, too. Everyone wants Tokyo. |
Not surprising, but in all likelihood most of the other job candidates are probably fresh out of college, whereas I've got over a year experience. I understand it's very competitive, but that's got to count for something. |
No, not really. A paltry year outside Japan probably in some hagwon is pretty much the same as zero experience to Japanese employers. Besides, they base their hiring a lot on the candidate's personality, sometimes over experience.
| TheGoldenKiwi wrote: |
| I'm looking to start sometime around January-February. Why would my experience not count against people who are fresh out of college without related work experience? |
See above.
| TheGoldenKiwi wrote: |
| Well hey, the economy sucks, so why not just give up looking for a job altogether? I hear Diablo 3 is coming out soon. |
So, you are an anime enthusiast after all! Not a good sign to most employers (or to discussion forum members who try to help). But do you really need to live in Tokyo to be able to play it? |
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move
Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Shimokitazawa wrote: |
| move wrote: |
| Pitarou is right. There's a lot of other cool places in Japan that aren't Tokyo. Osaka, Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama are all great places. I feel like there's tons of stuff to do in Tokyo but the people are cold and it's crowded everywhere. Apply to some eikaiwas, you never know until you try. |
This is BAD advice.
Regardless of the discussion above, Tokyo is the best place for someone to be.
Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Nagoya - not comparable to Tokyo in anyway.
Totally different.
Osaka would be the next best thing if the OP can't get himself into Tokyo. |
How exactly is advising somebody to consider other locations bad advice? OK, so Nagasaki isn't a very big city, but the people are cool and there's lots going on. All those places have tons of things to do. It sounds to me like the OP hasn't been to Japan at all, and those places are definitely worth checking out.
Then you go on to say "Regardless of the discussion above, Tokyo is the best place for someone to be." So everybody should be in Tokyo? I don't think so. |
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TheGoldenKiwi
Joined: 12 Oct 2011
Posts: 8
Location: New York, NY
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject: Re: Getting a position in Tokyo or other major city? |
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| Shimokitazawa wrote: |
| move wrote: |
| Pitarou is right. There's a lot of other cool places in Japan that aren't Tokyo. Osaka, Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama are all great places. I feel like there's tons of stuff to do in Tokyo but the people are cold and it's crowded everywhere. Apply to some eikaiwas, you never know until you try. |
This is BAD advice.
Regardless of the discussion above, Tokyo is the best place for someone to be.
Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Nagoya - not comparable to Tokyo in anyway.
Totally different.
Osaka would be the next best thing if the OP can't get himself into Tokyo. |
I haven't been to Japan outside the hotel I stayed at for one night near the Narita airport, but I have a feeling I'd probably agree with you. I remember when I was researching Korea people on these forums said that Seoul was overrated and that cities in Gyeonggi-do were just as good. Having been to those cities and all over Korea, I wouldn't live anywhere outside Seoul.
But would potential employers not bother with me if I told them I only would accept a position in Tokyo or Osaka?
| Glenski wrote: |
| What is it about the country that is so "boring"? I suspect that you want to go to nightclubs and buy electronic good and see the current fashions, when actually your needs should come second to the fact that the country needs you to teach. |
Just my opinion, but big cities are always more fun. I grew up in a boring, predominately white upper-middle class suburb so it's nice to have a change.
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| No, not really. A paltry year outside Japan probably in some hagwon is pretty much the same as zero experience to Japanese employers. Besides, they base their hiring a lot on the candidate's personality, sometimes over experience. |
A year of relevant experience is useless...OK. Does anyone else believe this to be true or is this just your negative outlook? I believe I have a good personality, but I guess that's up for the interviewers to decide.
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| So, you are an anime enthusiast after all! Not a good sign to most employers (or to discussion forum members who try to help). But do you really need to live in Tokyo to be able to play it? |
1) I was mocking you for your negative outlook, not being serious.
2) Diablo 3 isn't anime, nor do I have any interest in anime. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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| would potential employers not bother with me if I told them I only would accept a position in Tokyo or Osaka? |
Not necessarily. Large employers like AEON and ECC and JET will ask where you want to go, but in the end, unless you can prove some really valid reason for being posted where you like, it seems like you go where they have the openings.
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| Just my opinion, but big cities are always more fun. I grew up in a boring, predominately white upper-middle class suburb so it's nice to have a change. |
I grew up in a town of 800, and since then have lived in cities of 10,000 and 50,000 and 250,000 and 2 million. You make your fun where you find it, is my feeling.
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| A year of relevant experience is useless...OK. Does anyone else believe this to be true or is this just your negative outlook? |
I'll wait for others to respond, but I don't particularly care for the words "negative outlook". Makes it sound personal. Please understand that my appraisal of your Korean work experience is not how I personally feel, but how many employers here perceive things, ok?
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| I believe I have a good personality, but I guess that's up for the interviewers to decide. |
Everyone thinks their personality is good. What you have no control over is whether it seems to match that of the employers' desires, whether for his students (the paying clients) or the staff, or both.
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1) I was mocking you for your negative outlook, not being serious.
2) Diablo 3 isn't anime, nor do I have any interest in anime. |
Please stay with serious posts. People on forums cannot always distinguish sarcasm from real feelings/intent. |
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rich45
Joined: 26 Jan 2006
Posts: 127
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| It is not true that Japanese employers only take into account Japanese experience. I worked in Korea for 18 months before I started applying for jobs in Japan online, and within a week I had found a position, with my employer clearly impressed that I wasn't a complete newbie. Good luck to the OP. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 1:00 am Post subject: |
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| Shimokitazawa wrote: |
This is BAD advice.
Regardless of the discussion above, Tokyo is the best place for someone to be.
Sendai, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Nagoya - not comparable to Tokyo in anyway.
Totally different.
Osaka would be the next best thing if the OP can't get himself into Tokyo. |
Can you articulate for us exactly what it is that the other places are lacking? What does a city of, say, 3-4 million lack that Tokyo has?
Certainly some cities have a particular "feel" and if you're after that feel then only that place will do. Tokyo doesn't have any sort of real "feel" simply because it's so large. The west is very different from the coast, etc., etc. But "I happen to like it" is not the same as "it's the best place to be." |
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barbaricyip
Joined: 13 Oct 2011
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| Chiming in as a successful job applicant who had just one year of experience in Korea. I'll be working at a private junior high school - admittedly, in a smallish satellite city near Osaka, not in Tokyo - but obviously, it can be done. |
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Jalapeter
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| I landed a job as a teacher in a school just outside of Tokyo. No real teaching experience or teaching qualifications - just a degree and a great deal of perseverance. |
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