Job Discussion Forums

[firststep]

Hi everyone
Long time reader, first time poster here.
I am planning on moving to Japan (most likely Tokyo) at the end of this year/beginning of next year and looking to apply for jobs starting in the April 2018 school year (I hear this is the best time).

I'm wondering how much salary/package wise I should expect from my employer because I have noticed many jobs often indicate a salary range based on your qualifications/experience. I will attach my qualifications/experience below. I will most likely apply for full-time teaching jobs at Japanese public/private schools (I don't want to work at an eikaiwa or preschool really) like as an ALT.

Reason I'm asking is because I was actually offered a job in Japan a number of years ago after finishing my undergrad (ended up rejecting it), but at the interview he asked about my salary expectations. Is that normal to ask in Japan (this was for a job at a pre-school - chose not to be a glorified babysitter)?

When could I realistically start looking at uni jobs? I understand a lot of the uni jobs have gone part-time so I just want to get a visa first and then can maybe look into doing multiple part-time uni jobs until I can find something more permanent.
Also, where is the best place to look for teaching jobs? I know about GaijinPot, what about Rikunavi or others?

Credentials:
BA in Japanese Studies
MA in TESOL
JLPT N2
Problem is my poor experience: Only about 2 years private tutoring high-schoolers (English, Maths, Japanese etc.) part-time through an agency in Australia - can probably get a decent reference from them if it counts
Also studied at an elite Japanese uni for 6 months in my undergrad if it's worth anything

Thank you

[currentaffairs]

It took me two years to fill out my week with part-time univ gigs. At the beginning a university will offer you 1-2 days and then you build up your contacts and if you do a good job you will get more days..

JREC, Ohayosensei, JALT, and word of mouth were my main sources for getting work. Best of luck!

[mitsui]

Don't know anyone who is single who could get a visa for just working part-time, unless that was the humanities visa.

[firststep]

Thanks currentaffairs. Sounds like what I have heard from a lot of others too. Relying on juggling multiple part-time, fragile, and short-term uni contracts while also taking privates to fill up the week. Hopefully something will pan out into at least semi-permanent full time for you.

Mitsui, he may have done a self sponsor visa if one of the part-time employers is willing to guarantee a certain amount of hours, you can usually make up the rest if you can show you can also pick up other hours elsewhere somehow.

[currentaffairs]

Right. Go over with the likes of Westgate or Berlitz and complete a contract with them. I self sponsored from then on.

I had more than enough money and classes and there is quite a lot of work in the Tokyo area. A lot of my friends worked at Dokkyo Univ which is one of the better gigs.

[firststep]

To make things easier I was considering just going over with JET (not being arrogant but will most likely be accepted considering my background). Package is really attractive including a decent salary, airfares and possibility of subsidised housing. Plus the convenience of being able to apply from overseas and not needing a proper visa. I couldn't even tell you how many job opportunities have gone by because I didn't have the right visa..

Like you, I want to be able to suss out some part-time uni work while over there and after my contract/visa expires, possibly self sponsor indefinitely until I can get a permanent position in a university somewhere (or a secure, competitively paid job elsewhere). The job insecurity is not something I look forward to but as you said probably the the easiest way to work way your up (in ESL anyway) is to pay your dues as a part-timer and hope for a permanent position eventually.

Only problem is if I get placed extremely rural with JET I will have to look for work from the inaka and I guess commute for interviews. Back to the original question though, does anyone have any idea what I should expect salary wise assuming I apply for jobs at schools etc. by direct hire?

[currentaffairs]

You are unlikely to get any full-time univ job offers while outside Japan. Yes, JET is a good program but you are likely to be away from most of the action. As a part-timer, I was earning around 5 million yen for 18-20 classes per week. This sometimes went down to 4-4.5 mil depending on circumstances and shuffling my gigs around.

The permanent (tenured) full-time university jobs are extremely scarce. In fact, they are almost non-existent. A lot of the full-timers I know are on 3-5 year contracts and they have previous teaching experience in Japan..

[firststep]

5 million a year seems pretty good especially if you could squeeze in a few privates as well if you can be bothered. So 18-20 classes a week is around 2-3 per day? I guess that is doable considering no research expectations either.
Do you find the classes get easier to prepare for and less time-consuming to prepare considering you can more or less recycle some materials/activities/know what you're doing more?

I'm not really too disappointed by working on a 3-5 year contract and not sure why it's always considered a huge disappointment. Do all gaijin want to work and live in Japan forever? I don't plan to live in Japan permanently and 3-5 years is still quite a long time but I can understand how it is a huge inconvenience if you want to have a family and settle down somewhere (kids schools etc).

[rtm]

Your MA in TESOL and JLPT N2 will help you. Your lack of experience in Japan, lack of university teaching experience, and lack of research publications will hurt you. Check JREC-IN and JACET for university job ads.

JET isn't a sure thing. It's gotten more and more competitive over the years. But, you would probably be a good candidate, which could set you up for looking for university work once you are in the country and have a visa. Westgate would give you some experience teaching university students, though not actual university classes, and would give you a visa.

[mitsui]

No, that is 4 or 5 classes a day. It is not easy to get. You want to work at two schools in one day? You would get tired. And you must live in Tokyo, in one of the wards.
Lots of places offer just two classes and some start people off with just one.

If you teach writing, then you will be busy, or content-based reading classes.

[firststep]

Thanks for your comment rtm. Like you said it is easier to apply once in the country and on a proper working visa so I will probably try to do that somehow.

Matsui, I accidentally averaged over 7 days instead of 5. Yes now you mention it 4 or 5 koma a day seems ridiculous actually. That's 6-7.5 hours of just in-class teaching a day not including any breaks + any necessary commute time between schools and also all of your lesson planning and whatnot.. Be easily looking at 9-10+ hour days everyday, plus as you mentioned commuting is tiring.

Why do you need to live in one of the Tokyo wards? You mean because there won't be enough part-time gigs in the countryside to substantiate 18-20 koma/week?

Also, how do these jobs pay during school holidays? Are you continually paid between semesters even when there are no classes? At my previous uni in Japan, we finished end of Jan and did not start until end of March/early April. Then we finish again late July and off until the end of September. That alone is practically 4 months a year without any classes not including any public holidays (golden week etc.) and school festivals where classes are also cancelled. I know you will have marking to do but it obviously doesn't take 4 months. Is this when you are supposed to do your lesson planning and administrative tasks?

[rtm]

[firststep]

Makes sense. It sounded too good to be true. I guess that's why they are breaking down the full-time positions into part-time to avoid paying full-timers during the holidays.

Money wise, if you aren't being paid during the breaks as a uni part-timer, you might as well do full-time ALT work because even though the pay is probably going to be lower at least you get paid during the holidays so it more or less balances out + it's significantly less stressful than trying to muster up these part-time gigs all the time or looking for an in-between job in the long school holidays.

But, of course part-time university work is your gateway to full-time university work (albeit most likely a temporary 1-5 year contract), so not much else you can do but put up with it!

[mitsui]

Public or national universities only pay you when you teach. Private universities can pay each month.

[mitsui]

Breaks are a good time to work on syllabi, research, etc.

Tokyo has more universities than in other places so it makes sense to live there so you can also look for work in Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.