Job Discussion Forums

[candykisk]

I have a BA English and MA TESL - Where can I work?

I am interested in teaching English to adults in Japan, but programs like Aeon, ECC, Interac, Westgate, from what I see on their websites give everyone the same salary no matter the degrees they have. Any advice as to where I can work in Japan teaching adults where an MA is required?

I want to work in a college or university, but is that possible? Which universities/colleges usually hire American teachers that aren't blacklisted or have good reputations? I'd also be willing to work in a English teaching business like those I mentioned earlier, but I would like for my MA to have some worth in terms of pay.

[Maitoshi]

Have you taught at uni before? Do you have experience teaching in Japan? You May need to lower expectations a bit to start before you can leverage that MA in your favor. Finding a uni that isn't blacklisted just means someone didn't report the problems they experienced, imo.

[mitsui]

It is not impossible but getting work at a university is just very competitive.
It is easier to just take what you can get to start work in Japan.

[nicenicegaijin]

Uni work was competitive 10 years ago, I cannot imagine what it is like now as a fresh MA TESOL grad. Good luck

[esl_prof]

[rtm]

[nicenicegaijin]

You won't have a chance at getting hired abroad you will need to be in Japan. There will be no chance to get a full-time position unless you have a minimum of 3 years part-time university teaching experience or more, preferably in Japan. Last year just out of interest I sent out my resume just to see how many full-time university positions I could land and to also see if I could increase my salary. I had a success rate of 50% which is pretty good, my quals are a PhD, MA, BA all in the field, around 15 publications most in 1st and 2nd tier, 20 or so conference presentations, I have been in Japan for years and have very good Japanese. So if I could only get 50% an interview with 50% of the jobs I applied for and my resume is that good what does it tell you? Either there were better candidates than me around, or 50% of those jobs that are advertised are just advertised to follow the law and candidates have already been selected? or a combination. Like I said, good luck trying to get a uni job in Japan.

[Maitoshi]

Another potential reason for a 50% response rate (which is darn good if your N size is large enough) could be that they didn't like your photo for apps that required it. I doubt your number of total apps were very high, (given your experience, requirements, and the number of posted positions that will potentially match them), so the stats here are very questionable. That's not to say this study, given a well-written proposal, wouldn't do just fine for a JALT conference on the state of higher Ed in Japan

[timothypfox]

Applicants with a lot of crendentials seem to immediately gravitate towards Japanese universities, but jobs at private high schools and private junior high schools are often overlooked. You can make a pretty good salary at private schools and increasingly private high and junior highs are offering foreign staff tenure. I personally think the work is more interesting and you will teach a wider range of students rather than just one group from one narrow program of study.

[mitsui]

Tenure? Where?
These schools don't advertise.

I heard of a school giving tenure in Shiga, but with the club activity,
teachers would be too busy.

Where I work all foreigners are kicked out after 5 years.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

IME a lot of the 'tenure' at private junior / senior highs really means "one-year contract, but NO maximum number of recontracts". And most of the time, it's because something about the job (usually student behavior) is so appalling that people very rarely stay more than a couple of years anyway.

It's not actually 'tenure' because you can lose your job at the end of any given year (for anything including having the wrong flag on your English-speaking country's passport) and you have very little chance of improving on your (admittedly, comparatively high) salary.

There are also DISPATCH jobs still around that pay pretty well (almost as well in some cases as the direct hire jobs) and you can stay at the same school basically forever, so long as the school continues to like you. And then even if they don't, after several and many years, the dispatch company will do what they can to move you to another of their client schools. Not all dispatch companies are the same.

[timothypfox]

PM me if you'd like to know more. Yes, they do occassionally advertise. Going on my 5th year along with another foreign teacher, and one has been at the school for 20 years, and they have no plans to kick out any of us. We are considered full members of staff just like anyone else. Yes, I have a club. Depends on what you do if you will be busy.

The trade off is more free time and teaching English to "exciting" business or pharmacy students at a college, or teaching teens with a great number of hopes and dreams. Private junior highs and high schools tend to push the academics, so the kids are much better behaved than public school classes - and the classes are smaller in size too.

You will also never be made a full home room teacher. That is where the real busy work is. You will be an assistant home room teacher.

[kzjohn]

Tho at this point I would not switch, as a regular full timer I have to check in every day, and that includes days that I don't have class and all days between terms when class is not in session. I go to the meetings through late Feb and March where they discuss passing certain students (or not), the schedule for the coming year, the early April orientation week and everyone's duties for that, rambling speeches from departing/retiring faculty, brief self introductions from new people, comments on how to dress for the graduation and entrance ceremonies, blah, blah, blah...

Being at the graduation in particular, is mandatory (usually the 15th or so). If I want to take a leave to visit 'home' or SE asia, they ask that I arrange it so that it will be before or after graduation. The entrance thing is similar, but it's just before classes start so less of a hassle.

Oh, and I've heard that one local public school is very particular about their full timers staying throughout the day--e.g., if you have a 1st period class and are then 'done', you are supposed to stay till five.

So, although I would not at this point switch, putting together 8+ classes a week as a part time or contracted person does have some advantages--some freedoms--that I see some value in.

[mitsui]

I tried that but found it hard to do.
Especially when married.

It is tough to line up your schedule when you juggle 3-5 jobs.
I only worked four days a week.
Wednesdays were hard since I went to two schools.
I woke up early and spent a lot of time on crowded trains.
In the past it was easier to do, but now even part-time jobs are tough to get
especially at universities.

Yes, you get the vacation, but at two universities I only got paid when I taught.

[kzjohn]

Yes, I certainly do know there are disadvantages. And that some/most schools limit you to two.

A number of part timers at my uni get lots of classes--I think there are three people who have eight koma each, another one has six.