Job Discussion Forums

[chi-chi-]

Ok I have a question, serious and helpful replies only please.
I am considering going back to Japan later in life, but only if I can get a working visa arranged first. What companies will do this?
Also....I already have a B.A. and am attending school now to obtain a teaching certificate for my home state (not EFL related at all, just regular teaching, which will also make me a true teacher in the U.S.)
What is the usual salary range to be expected for a ECE (Early Childhood Ed) teacher? I'm saying Early Childhood now, but that may change. ECE seems to be more in demand over there than Middle School or High School certified.
Once again, serious replies only.
Thanks!
P.S. I also have two years teaching experience in Taiwan and South Korea.

[Chris12]

Do you know about the guijinpot? If not I will send you the website address. It is a good site to look for jobs and get an idea of the going rate of pay.

[chi-chi-]

Hi Chris,
I believe we spoke to each other on another thread.
I've already tried gaijinpot but am looking more for something that will help me get a working visa before I ever come to Japan.

[Chris12]

[chi-chi-]

I remember, We spoke in PM.
Thank you very much Chris 12.

[Glenski]

[PAULH]

Dont forget there is a difference between public elementary schools and private elementary schools. Foreign teachers are now getting jobs as ALTs at public elementary schools but you cant work full time in one, unless you have a Japanese teaching licence. Public school teachers are governmet servants. private elementary schools hire full time elementary school foreign teachers, but such schools make up only 1% of all elementary schools in Japan. 99% of elementary schools in Japan are public, or government run. Private elementary schools are often attached to private universities.

[J.]

Some schools will try to get you over in advance of obtaining the visa because it takes a while to process the paperwork. The main trouble is if the school is not organized enough to ask for all the relevant papers from you and submit them along with their own in a timely fashion. But if you can sell yourself to a school as the best candidate for the job and you apply to a school that is thinking ahead, then it is certainly possible and very advisable. Once the papers have been submitted on your behalf it should take no longer than a month to get the "Certificate of Eligibility" ( from Immigration) which the school will mail to you. If you are in a hurry, it could be couriered. You take or mail the Certificate of eligibility along with your passport and maybe a small fee to the nearest Japanese embassy and they will probably have the stamp in your passport within a week and back to you. If you pay for and request express delivery they will do it, and if you have any questions they are very friendly and efficient at answering everything in excellent English on the telephone. With the stamp in your passport you are laughing.

In regards to the ECE degree; this is strongly to be recommended if you plan on teaching children below school age. It seems that many schools know this now and it would be a strong selling point for you if you enjoy teaching this age group. Believe it or not, the younger the children the harder it is to develop appropriate programming for them, not because of their ability to learn language, which is good, but because of attention span, psychological development, etc. The ECE degree will prepare you for this very well and it would also give you a leg up on the younger elementary school ages as well. If you have a teaching credential and send a photocopy of it with your application for the visa ( along with a request for a 3-year visa on the application form--make sure the school does this!), I would guess that you might even get the 3 year visa. I did. Good luck!