Job Discussion Forums

[aviator1x1]

[TokyoLiz]

[RustyShackleford]

If you need to find yourself a wife...frankly, I'm not sure that a TEFLer in their 40s is going to get much traction, as it were. No idea what you're looking for, but, my only advice on that front is don't settle for the first nice lady to smile your way. I've seen the fallout of too many nasty divorces in Japan from "dekikons" (shotgun marriages) and the story of the foreigner who finds a gorgeous spouse only to find out that it's not what they wanted are many. Not trying to scare anyone, but rather just throw some sobriety on that thought.

Your qualifications sound great, by the way. I would definitely recommend JET. Hopefully you get Saitama, where I think they were really making inroads towards serious professional development and you'll have easy access to where "the action" so to speak. They also set you up really well compared to some of the other outfits. Not to mention that you get your weekends and no evenings.

[TokyoLiz]

Go easy on the dude. Some people just aren't ready to settle down until they are older, and it's possible there are mature Japanese women who don't bat an eye at the language and culture challenge of dating a non-Japanese.

I didn't meet Raito-san until I was over 40. He had never dated a foreign woman before me. The difference with us is that I've lived her a while, and I speak Japanese. BTW, he speaks fairly good English, just not to me.

[TransientTefler]

What about private students?

[TokyoLiz]

See this thread - http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=104357

I have whittled my private students down to just two. I got tired of he anxiety level of my students - they mostly want TOIEC scores or have high pressure at work. Difficult people to deal with. My last two students are both English teachers who come to me for English communication practice and to discuss TESOL topics. It's more rewarding for both me and them.

My rate is ¥3500 an hour, but few people are willing to pay that much.

Once you get established here, you can maybe find private students rough work connections, or tutor high school students for test prep or study abroad.

[TransientTefler]

[TokyoLiz]

just message me once, and then wait.

[marley'sghost]

[TransientTefler]

[kpjf]

[dove]

I'm not in Japan anymore, but my last years (until 2013) in Tokyo were pretty good financially (500,000 yen a month). I was one of those teachers who strung jobs together at companies, at universities, at community centers, along with private students in my apartment. Yes, it was a lot of commuting, but it was all paid by the companies. I found the students much more motivated than teaching at junior high schools or high schools. I really enjoyed it because I was always seeing different students, there was no team-teaching, and I could prepare most of my own materials and not use those horrible books most school force on students. This wouldn't be for everyone--days could sometimes be long. But again, teaching students who wanted to learn, made up for all the disadvantages.

[Lamarr]

As you've got experience teaching at Uni in the UK, if you got an MA in TESOL/Applied Linguistics, you could have a chance of getting a Uni job, though they usually like you to have at least one year of experience at a Uni (often more), and it helps if you have prior experience in Japan, and/or some Japanese language ability. They also like you to have publications.

With a CELTA, you could try the British Council in Tokyo, though they're only advertising for part-timers these days. Again, they like to get people who have experience in Japan (the more the better). They do business and Uni courses, and they like their teachers to have a broad range of types of ESL teaching, including kids.

There are companies and agencies that do Business English, though I get the impression they have moved more towards "casualized" work, where you interview and register with them, then they call you up and dish out classes to you as and when they come up.

JET could be a good option if you still qualify age-wise. Beyond that, there's the "big" eikaiwa and ALT dispatch companies that can at least get you a visa into Japan and a basic wage, from where you could start looking for something better.

I wouldn't worry too much about the age thing. The majority are in their 20s and 30s, but people do come over in their 40s, and there are "old timers" in their 40s and 50s who've settled in Japan.

[TokyoLiz]

[rxk22]