Job Discussion Forums

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 25

Hi,

I don't post in this forum, but I post pretty regularly in the Korean Forum, but I was hoping that you guys could help me out with a question I have. In February I will be finishing a 2-year contract at a university in Korea, and I am thinking about a possible move to Japan for the coming academic year.

I have an M.A. in East-European Studies, a CELTA certicficate, and 5 years of experience (3 years teaching at a private language school in Turkey, and 2 years at a university in Korea). I have heard that university jobs have much higher standards in Japan than in Korea, and I'm thinking I probably won't get one (I'm not published). I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of teaching jobs would be available to me, and what kind of starting salary I should expect.

Many thanks,

--JB

Rice Paddy Daddy · Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Japan

There are university and vocational college teaching gigs by the s hiit loads in Tokyo and around Japan.

If you look hard and long enough you'll find something without having been published - don't let anyone here tell you that you won't find a college job without being published....

In fact, I don't think any of the posters here working for Japanese universities are well 'published' in the field of TEFL.

Having had to have been published before getting a uni/college job in Japan is a myth IMO.

taikibansei · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 811 Location: Japan

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

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

I would think that you could fit into some international school positions and some of the other mainstream schools (high school, elementary school, etc.) if they arent too set on candidates who have teaching experience in Japan.

School terms begin in April, so positions will be advertised from now till then. A big surge happens in March, as teachers give their notice and leave the schools shorthanded.

I don't teach in a university, but I would think that a masters in East-European Studies would not be suitable for teaching full-time in a Japanese university. Certainly, not for teaching English, and if you want to teach something related to your major, you'd probably have to teach it in Japanese. For part-time work, listen to what the others have to say. Just be aware that PT employment will not provide a work visa for you.

Starting salaries for high school or international schools would be around 350,000 yen/month.

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 25

Thanks a lot for your responses. I had a look at the job postings for universities, and that gave me a good idea of what they were looking for -- thanks for that. I guess it would be cool to look for a job at an international school or a high school. Does anyone know how I might go about finding such a job? All of the ads I've seen so far are for conversation schools. I wouldn't mind working at one of those if the conditions were good, but a high school job seems more appealing to me. Does anyone have any links for job listings for those kinds of jobs?

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

Some high school positions can be found on these web sites:
http://www.jalt.org
http://www.osaka-kyoiku.ac.jp/educ/index-e.html
Some come up in www.ohayosensei.com or in The Japan Times.
Many are found simply by word of mouth.

If you cannot guarantee to be in Japan for interviews, you won't stand a chance of getting such a job. And, be prepared to pay your way here.

johanne · Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 189

If your looking for at international schools, most of the ones I've researched in preparation for returning to Japan next summer require a teaching certificate (not a CELTA) and at least 2 years of classroom experience, so I would say you're better off looking for a high school job as an AET. Good luck - you have decent qualifications and should be able to land something better than the standard 250,000 yen english conversation school job.

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 25

Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions. That gives me a much better idea of what my possibilities are. I don't think I'll apply for jobs that I have to interview for, because there's no way I'm paying my way to Japan for a job I might not get. It seems that that limits my options. I'll probably end up trying to get the best I can get to start with, and then after my first contract finishses, I can find another job that I can interview for.

As far as conditions in conversational schools, from that description, it seems like there is a lot more consistency and honesty than here in Korea, so that would be a good possibility as long as the hours weren't too long (I saw an ad posted recently on Dave's for a conversation school in Japan for 35 teaching hours per week -- Whoa). Here in Korea, there are so many horror stories about so many conversation schools (I see them every day over on the Korea Discussion Board -- teachers not getting paid, fired 2 weeks before the contract is up so they don't have to pay the severance, etc., etc.) that I would never consider working at one. If the Japanese schools have their act together about it, then that sounds like a decent choice if I can't get a job at a high school.

Thanks again,

--JB

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

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 25

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

Yes, it's all about money. Nobody said it was cheap to live and work in the most expensive country in the world.

If you can't allot the time to be here for a solid 2-3 weeks, you are obviously forced to come here piecemeal as you described. Do many do this? I don't think so, because most people don't have that much money to shell out when they are looking for mere teaching positions.

Honestly speaking, though, what are your options?

1. Do as you described and spend lots of money.
2. Come here for a short time (2-3 weeks) and set up a home base in a hostel or gaijin house. You'll spend less money. Of course, 2-3 weeks is pretty short to expect to land a job. Besides, the visa paperwork takes an additional 4-7 weeks. And, you may not get paid for 4-6 weeks after you start working.
3. Come here for longer term (2-3 months). Plan on bringing US$4000 to support yourself for 2 months. If you don't have this much, go to options 1, 2, or 4.
4. Don't work in Japan.
5. Get hired from your home country. Of course, that means returning home and waiting on the rare recruiting schedule that fits your location. You'll still have to cough up expenses to attend the interviews, perhaps for 2-3 days.