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nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558
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 Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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OK Glenski, im guessing from the date you created your profile you are a bit older than me and left unvierity a fair while ago.
The people leaving university right now (at least in England) are a generation of young people unable to find a decent job in their field, or even a decent job in any field. I have friends back in the UK with better grades from better universities than the one i attended, working as hotel porters or making coffees all day for posh gits. Two of my best friends just accepted a job in the army because they cant find a decent job anywhere.
Now compared to that my work experience will look better.
Compared to their wage mine is a lot better.
Compared to their job mine is a lot easier and more fun.
I look at my friend's Facebook pages and think "what have they done in the last year?". I dont regret for a second coming to Japan. Its honestly been the best year of my life.
I started studying Japanese one year ago when i came here and i am already at JLPT 4 ability (thats the new level 4, so level 3 going by the old system). So i see no reason why in two more years of studing i cannot get to JLPT 2 and leave with a pretty impressive qualification (probably hgher ability than the average Japanese major graduate). Unless i decide to stay longer which is indeed a possiblity.
But even if it was easy to find a job in my home country i would still have come out to Japan for a year or two. I came because Japan has always been of interest to me. Its been a place ive dreamt of living since i first played Shenmue when i was 14/15 years old) so all these other benefits i mention are an extra bonus to me.
Ive had a great time in my first year and im sure if you guys look back to your first year, you have very fond memories too. This thread was created by a guy who i assume is planning to visit for a year or two then go back home. I have no reason to think he wont have a great time.
PS easy to pull (easy to hook up with girls)  |
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nightsintodreams
Joined: 18 May 2010
Posts: 558
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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@Seklarwia. Sorry what i can i say?
I had so many other things on that list and you had to focus on that one thing. The list was in no way ordered from best to worst, but even if it was there were quite a few things above it.
Dont get me wrong though, i dont mean its just easier to get a "one night stand", as i think you are refering to, I just mean its easier in general to meet/date women. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Stuck both feet in it there, didn't you? |
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ghostrider
Joined: 30 May 2006
Posts: 147
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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| nightsintodreams wrote: |
| The people leaving university right now (at least in England) are a generation of young people unable to find a decent job in their field, or even a decent job in any field. I have friends back in the UK with better grades from better universities than the one i attended, working as hotel porters or making coffees all day for posh gits. Two of my best friends just accepted a job in the army because they cant find a decent job anywhere. |
Right. It's fun for the short term. If you plan on being long term (anything over 3 years) you have to start making some big decisions about what direction you want to go in and if you can deal with the negatives of life, that will be more apparent after you're past your late twenties. It's not a country, or industry, where you will advance due simply to years worked. You'll need more qualifications, meaning more time and money spent getting them. I think the problem many foreigners have is not wanting to commit to that, and they find themselves stuck at the bottom hoping for some big break that never comes. Then they are afraid to leave because the work in Japan does not really add much to their resume, unless they plan on being teachers back home, and they get hooked on the women.
Also, hate to break it to you, but scoring JLPT 1 is not going to open the doors to employment at any Japanese company you wish. You're still going to have to have the skills they're looking for and employers are going to favor the Japanese candidate over the foreigner. The laws in Japan are not favorable towards foreigners at all. Additionally, even the Japanese have difficulty finding good career jobs as Glenski mentioned (low paying retail work is abundant though, just like the US). They have a ridiculous hiring system where the major employers primarily hire recruits directly from college (and hence fewer and fewer Japanese study abroad now). Low unemployment rate doesn't mean they're employed at decent jobs at a higher percentage than western workers. That said, I wish the US and western governments put as much effort into keeping unemployment low.
The US is having similar jobs with employment as the UK, but by being there a person has more options about what they can do to improve their job chances and can move to a location where they will have a larger variety of job opportunities. You don't have that opportunity in Japan. In the short term you may have a better paying job ($35,000-$45,000 USD) due to the exchange rate, but you're not going to make much more than that no longer how long you're there (until you really commit to teaching as mentioned above), it doesn't really buy you more in Japan due to the high cost of living, the exchange rate can easily change back to the way it was 3 years ago ($30,000-$36,000 for the same work), you're not going to have a secure job (always on 1 yr contracts that can be cut at any time), and the women will lose interest as you age, especially if you're teaching English and aren't making big bucks doing it. |
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Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| the4th2001 wrote: |
| [H]ow many teachers are actually qualified? Why should a company pay extra for a teacher with no work experience and/or with an unrelated degree? |
This. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| nightsintodreams wrote: |
| OK Glenski, im guessing from the date you created your profile you are a bit older than me and left unvierity a fair while ago. |
Much. In fact, the site has undergone a major change in 2002-2003 which reset the clock on everyone's start date. I've been on this site since 1998-1997, actually. I am guessing I'm old enough to be your father. Just guessing.
| Quote: |
| I look at my friend's Facebook pages and think "what have they done in the last year?". I dont regret for a second coming to Japan. Its honestly been the best year of my life. |
Uh, ok. Me, too, except it's been far longer for me.
| Quote: |
| I started studying Japanese one year ago when i came here and i am already at JLPT 4 ability (thats the new level 4, so level 3 going by the old system). So i see no reason why in two more years of studing i cannot get to JLPT 2 |
I said average person.
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| and leave with a pretty impressive qualification (probably hgher ability than the average Japanese major graduate). |
Even attaining the top level JLPT is not 100% fluent, but yes, it can be seen as impressive to the right people.
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| Ive had a great time in my first year and im sure if you guys look back to your first year, you have very fond memories too. |
Sometimes.
| Quote: |
| This thread was created by a guy who i assume is planning to visit for a year or two then go back home. I have no reason to think he wont have a great time. |
Like the JET ALTs say, ESID. Who can say? I'm not saying life here is miserable, nor am I saying (like some seem to espouse) that it's the best thing since sliced bread. Just trying to offer a balance from the offset rose-colored glasses remarks. Isn't that fair? |
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Ikki
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 2:02 am Post subject: |
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Well, 4th2001, you asked & I answered.
With JET(the overtime thing wasn't relevant there)I got all I listed except the settlement allowance. With my last gig in Korea, I got all I listed except for the phone.
I'm not going to apologize for having standards. |
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the4th2001
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 130
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 2:33 am Post subject: |
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| Ikki wrote: |
Well, 4th2001, you asked & I answered.
With JET(the overtime thing wasn't relevant there)I got all I listed except the settlement allowance. With my last gig in Korea, I got all I listed except for the phone.
I'm not going to apologize for having standards. |
Yeah, I know. Thank you for answering. It's interesting. |
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OneJoelFifty
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 463
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| Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 7:19 am Post subject: |
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| Ikki wrote: |
Yeeesh....some people need reading comp lessons & lessons on how not to make inferences when there are no reasons to do so...& then try to add personal insults to boot....
OneJoel: Wow. 205K/mo. No wonder you're bragging.
So, as long as you're not "uptight" or a "weirdo", everything's peachy keen? To me, "weird" is boasting that you make 205K/mo.
Maybe you think you're having a Shangri-la Japanese experience because you have a "friendly conversation with a Japanese person." 
As for "warm & fuzzy", it's a figure of speech. Sorry if it confuses you.
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I suggest you heed your own advice. I wasn't boasting, just stating that despite what I know is a low wage, even for ALT work, I've still had a very good time in Japan.
I'll ask you more directly this time: what is your idea of a "warm and fuzzy" Japanese experience?
I may as well throw in an insult as you've already accused me of it. You're a pompous ass. |
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