Job Discussion Forums

Whatsnext · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 2

Well the verdict is in, Nova has offered me a position.

I have been all over the Internet and have read the good and the bad and am quite prepared for my Nova position. I even managed to get a hold of a guy who is currently working for Nova and have been trading emails with him for a few weeks now.

I also realize that Nova prefers candidates with little or no English teaching/instructing experience and I have zero. In fact I never planned on being a teacher/instructer and after Nova I will not continue to be one. Now that leads me to my question:
What is next? After I do my one or two or three years what do I have to look forward to in terms of jobs or careers stateside? I am doing this just for the experience of going to and experiencing Japan. I was actually in the US Army and I was stationed in South Korea and I loved the Orient. This is a great way to go back and experience it fro ma diffetent perspective.

I will be 31 or so when I return and I am a little concerned about my career outlook when I get back. What is the real potential to save money while I am there? Will I be able to save enough to keep me a float when I return?

I hope to read both positive and negative replies to my post. I have read so many posts of people with just negativity through and through. Please just honesty and reality. Thanks all! Very Happy

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Shonai Ben · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617

You will have the chance to live in the "Orient"
once again.Enjoy your stay here.
Once you decide to return home,you will probably
have a difficult time adjusting to "normal" life,and
your experience with NOVA or any other eikaiwa
will mean dick all.
Teaching efl in Japan will NOT enhance your chances of
finding a good job back home.It may even hinder your chances.
Depends on what type of work you are looking for.
Anyway,enjoy your job at NOVA.
Many people don't.
Cheers. Cool

Whatsnext · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 2

I appreciate your insight thus far. I know this forum is for people that are going or may already be there, but I just do not want to pigeon-hole myself.

I asked about saving money because upon my return I wanted to make sure I had somewhat of a saftey net.

I was a corporate recruiter fresh out of college until I was laid-off and I could go back into the occupation.

I was just thinking that during the current recession that we (USA) are going through that this job/experience would be a good way to travel and to find a new path.

I have another question also. I was injured while in the military and receive a monthly check. Is there a bank over here that I could have that check directly deposited to in which I could have direct access to in Japan if I wanted? I have done a little research on this subject but I was hoping for some further insight.

Thanks again for your help.

Shonai Ben · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 617

You should be able to save money here if you spend
your money wisely.It really depends on your lifestyle.
Some people come here and don't save anything.

I can't help you with your banking question.
Maybe another poster can help.

When are you coming to Japan and where are you going?
Just curious.

Celeste · Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 2:09 am Post subject:

You should be able to do banking through citibank in Japan. I don't have their URL right now, but if you look them up in a search engine, you will probably find the answers to your banking questions.

I lived in Korea for 2 years with my husband. We had wanted to teach EFL for a couple of years and make some money and then go back to Canada and start our real lives. But guess what...when we returned to Canada, we continued on in EFL. My husband went straight into his CELTA course, and I tried to work in theatre and film (putting my BFA in tech theatre to use) but I found that teaching was much more financially stable, and not to mention the hours were so much more regular, the people kinder, the work not so physically taxing...

So now we are living in Japan, teaching on the JET programme. We are both involved with an amateur theatre group here though. Many of the members, like myself, are former theatre proffessionals who found that teaching is a nice way to make a living.

After our 3 years in the Jet programme, my husband and I will probably return to Canada. I want to have kids, and I would also like to try opening a small restaurant. We plan on making some real estate investments back in Canada while we are still in Japan. I am currently thinking about getting further qualifications to teach EFL at the college level, though. I see this a field that I could easily return to time and time again.

So, the big question you need to ask yourself is what do you want to do? (I often wonder what I will be when I grow up... I am approaching 30 at a rapid pace...I should have some idea by now!)
No one I know has ever had a sudden revelation while teaching EFL and then gone on to some fabulous other career directly after. I do know that more than a few of my colleagues have quit thier EFL jobs, bummed around and spent ALL of their savings, and then gone back into EFL to replenish it. It is really important to have an exit strategy for the end of your EFL career. Have clear goals with deadlines, other wise you may find yourself still floundering, not having found yourself during that year abroad.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

nakanoalien2 · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 52 Location: Nakano, Japan

I left Japan after teaching for just over a year, rejoined my former US employer (with a promotion) and then got tranferred to Japan.

Before I rejoined the company, I checked out various options. I did not find that speaking "some Japanese" or "conversational Japanese" was a particular selling point, and I was not interested in being a teacher in the US. I did consider grad school for International Affairs, but did not think the option fit me.

I would say it costs at least $5000 to get started back up in the US depending on how you left things. $2000 for a car, the rest to get an apartement and eat for the first month (NJ/NY area).

The bright side for me was that certain people in my company thought I had some guts for leaving to go abroad for awhile. So what I'm saying is that it was not the specific ESL skills that the employer was interested in, but the proof that I could take a chance and also choose a bit of a different path.

G Cthulhu · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 5:49 am Post subject:

It all comes down to how you phrase things. ;)

Working for NOVA may not in and of itself be much use, but depending on the later jobs you might be going after the experience of living and working in a foreign country for more than a year is a bonus. You can play to the corporate environment aspect, the language aspect (and you'll have to work *very* hard at that given the way things work at NOVA), teaching (pray they've never heard of NOVA ;> ) .... yadda yadda....

In short, when you later come to apply for jobs take a look at what they want or might find attractive and see if you can drag anything like that out of the time you spent in Japan. Don't lie, obviously, but don't hesitate to mention stuff, no matter how trivial it seemed at the time *here*.