Job Discussion Forums

[Glenski]

[flyer]

in reference to my chonaikai info above

maybe I should say that I am rural Hokkaido, not city. Maybe the chonaikai thing has fallen down in cities? I know we never paid it when I was living in Sapporo (I was never asked to pay)

[JL]

[Glenski]

[saloc]

I too pay these neighbourhood fees - about 12,000 a year. The money goes towards neighbourhood cleaning expenses, community events, safety drills and, in our neighbourhood an annual community outing or dinner. However, if you choose not to go to that event you get the per capita price refunded. Our neighbourhood now has a surplus of several hundred thousand yen which has built up over the years, and all the money used is carefully accounted for. That surplus money is to be used in the case of a major emergency such as an earthquake.

As far as I know these fees are just a common part of the culture here. It's how things are done and there's not much point resenting it. What do you think about people who come to your country and object to conforming to local conventions? Absolutely, object to the lack of courtesy, but as others have pointed out, I think cafebleu has just had unfortunate experiences which are not the norm.

Incidentally, I too have to pay towards funerals for people I have barely known, and even had to help out at one such funeral. Well, I suppose I didn't have to but I'd be the only one who didn't. I might not like it much, but then I wouldn't like to be the only one not to be asked, either.

[Apsara]

I've never had to pay these fees, but I have always lived in fairly urban/inner suburban areas where I didn't know any of my neighbours anyway. I think they would have a hard time collecting in the area I live in now, so they probably don't bother.

[starteacher]

Going back to the original theme, it is not finding the job in recession that has changed, but the way jobs are being advertised and recruited.

Companies and owners tend to scurry for lots of resumes during this time of year (Jan to March) since April is the start of the school season. The schools will be happy to hold onto all the resumes and offer contracts left right and centre, but at any time can turn you down at the last moment, since a contract is not enforceable until the starting date. You take the risk.

The reason for this is precaution is because there are also a lot of unfaithful teachers who do not turn up and change their mind, unprofessional, unskilled, unexperienced, only in Japan for a buzz, and not taking full responsbility and no commitment, thus resulting in negative attitudes towards gaijin teachers in Japan. The Japanese are not racists (another thread perhaps), it is the gaijins who give a poor image as a large majority of visible gaijins in Japan are English teachers.

The English teaching system is very unstructured in Japan. there is no standard curriculum and everything is up for grabs. Each BOE does it own. ALTs can sometimes be lost robots (have a look at some of the youtube videos and you'll see why), the Japanese teachers at schools just have to put up with ALT teachers because of the intercultural relationships between countries being enforced upon them, they know ALTs only have "perfect" English accents on offer (the number of times Japanese people would mention "are Aussies really speaking English ? How are you toDIE " and will leave the schools leaving the Japanese teachers to pick up the mess each year.

So recruitment is under more scrutiny than before, and that is thanks to those gaijins who have left Japan now that caused problems and bad experiences for enduring owners and students and parents and company business folks who have had to put up with you all in the past 20 years. You know who you are.

But there is one consolation. If you are well prepared and professional, you will always have the right karma and things will work out for you. Those who give bad karma will have it coming for them later. What comes round.

[carl0s]

[Apsara]

Australians do not actually say "todie", it's more subtle than that, but that is often how the vowel is heard by non-Australians. I have heard Australian teachers having students repeat words with the sound "ay" in them somewhere and the students picking up on that slight inflection and coming out with the "ie" sound even though it wasn't that strong in the Aussie teacher's accent. It does happen.

[gaijinalways]

aspara posted

[gaijinalways]

I think it's geting harder, but we'll have to see if the job ads pick up in the spring. Right now there is a literal dearth of them.

[starteacher]

[GIR]

[fluffyhamster]

[anne_o]

wait......what was the title of this thread...hmmmm.....i'm amazed yet again by the useless arguing back and forth here here.

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET A JOB AT THE MOMENT....ahhhh yes, that was what the posters Q was.

I was out of Tokyo for 3 months teaching in Seoul (horrible city in my opinion) and came back 3 weeks ago to begin looking for work. I had 3 interviews and now have a job....it took a week. I have about 3 years experience with kids and adults; 10 months in Japan
I really feel that, after my interview experiences this time around, getting a job simply depends on luck and timing......such is life in my opinion!
I browsed all job sites daily and applied to anything that looked ok to me.
Also, while experience does count here, personality and being well presented work wonders.
I was really lucky that the owner of my school is a Japanese woman who lived in New York for 17 years. I couldn't believe it when she said, 'i like you, you're a strong woman'! ha ha ha.....i mean my husband appreciates that, but many others here don't....including foreign males whom i've had interviews with.
Also, many of the jobs seem to be part-time and the majority listed were not in Tokyo.