Job Discussion Forums

[jrwhisky]

Ok, so most of you have gotten a couple to several good years in the teaching position. After a while perhaps many of you are considering new or bigger things, if so what are they?

Of course this is on my mind I'm always wondering what sort of ideas and opportunities are available. I sure would love to crash the market for some token gaijin on an NHK program or something. Or try to find some cheap accredited college in Europe and grab a masters so I can come back and teach English at a college. Some folk I know have started their own Eikaiwa school and some have opened their own bars in their favorite drinking districts. I also thought about just leaving work and volunteering somewhere and try to score a home stay for a short time.

Realistic or not how do you hope to progress from your current status?

[TokyoLiz]

Some people I've met in Tokyo moved on from working in corporate jobs or English teaching at unis and high schools. One guy I know who's been here twenty years left banking to become a professional entertainer and martial arts teacher. Another left uni teaching for broadcasting and journalism. Both look super happy.

My partner (he's Japanese) and I run my home as a guest house for visiting martial arts students. Last week I had four guests from Europe.

Bilingualism or at least solid fluency in the language and culture help a lot. I'm still working on that. And a bit of audacity helps, too.

[rxk22]

I work for a private school, but I want to not teach English at some point. I feel it is not taken seriously here.
Anyhow not to rant. I am not sure what to do. A lot of martial arts don't pay that much, and most instructors in my field only teach PT at night or on weekends.
Eikaiwa, I unless found a great location for a silly low price, I wouldn't bother. Too many around, and too much pandering to kids just looking for a place to play in.
I am looking into perhaps hospitality. As tourism is being taken seriously here now. Perhaps I could do guide work, or work at a hotel. Or even, help large cities make their landmarks and destinations more foreigner friendly.

Anyhow, I need to really get my formal and reading skills up. Otherwise, outside of working at an embassy, there just isn't much out there. Unless you know Japanese

[TokyoLiz]

Martial arts isn't a job, but a calling that ought not to be your main source of income. Don't do it for the money, but the joy of giving and receiving blows to the ego and body

You have to have talent and drive to make it here in the media, not just look cool and be token gaijin. I've done some tv, audio recording and writing for Japanese and international media, and can see there are well-prepared people doing exciting stuff. I like my day job, so I just do little gigs when they come up.

I agree with rx22. Eikaiwa isn't attractive. I've considered running a cooking or bar keeping class in English. It's good value learning a skill in English rather than learning ENSP (English for No Specific Purpose), which is what happens at Eikaiwa. A dojo mate ran a kids martial arts class in English. The kids got authentic martial training and grading plus they were fearless English speakers (and shin kickers) after a few months

[rtm]

[TokyoLiz]

What rtm said. Maybe staying put for a long while helps you develop in aspects of your life besides career - hobbies, family, community.

[nightsintodreams]

[Mothy]

There's an after?

[Maitoshi]

[TokyoLiz]

“no such thing as spare time,
no such thing as free time,
no such thing as down time,
all you got is life time… go!”

—Henry Rollins

[Jagariko]

Doing a master's degree is pretty hard work, jrwhisky, it's not really something that you "grab".

However, seeing as most of the university jobs involve teaching low-level, unmotivated students, a master's really isn't needed for the most part. The salary is getting lower and lower and now many places are asking for PhDs not master's - of course the salary is the same as what the would have paid for a master's degree.

In the future, I think MA/MSc-holding uni teachers teaching standard oral and writing classes will be paid no more than 350,000 and the higher salaries will only be paid to those that teach academic classes in English. The trouble is, the foreign academics that some unis bring in to teach those classes can't speak Japanese and they were expecting fluent students to be taking their SE Asian history 1970-2000 course. Misery all around. Yet the Japanese speaking foreigners waving their MA TESOLs around aren't qualified to teach the academic subjects... what a mess.

[RM1983]

I doubt Ill stay, but if I did then Id be riding the ELT train. I actually dont think it'd be that bad.

[mitsui]

I want to go back to teach in the US.
I want to buy a house.

The yen is at 123 to the dollar and it is harder to save money.

I am tired of limited contracts.
The best work is at universities but it is hard to get.
Schools will have to close in the future since there will be fewer students.

I can get more money, and live in my own culture instead of being a second-class citizen.

[Shakey]

[mitsui]

I could have left last year but then I would have burned through my savings.

I want to have work lined up before I go.
But it is easier to interview in the US, unlike Skype or on the phone.

Certification takes time. I want to move from provisional to standard certification,
but that means at least another test, and another online class.

Maybe I could work in a prison. Those teachers need to be certified as well.