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Justin Matthews
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 29
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 Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:53 am Post subject: About NOVA. What do you think? |
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Hi everyone. I'm new to teaching English. I've taken a TESOL course, and currently I'm working on some prospective jobs in Japan. I'm still unsure about so much tho. I have an interview with NOVA later in the month.
Firstly, my credentials: I have a 2 year college education, and of course I'm a native speaker of English, along with my TESOL certificate. Does this mean I can't teach English in Japan? Everything I see is "4 university degree".
Through what I've learned about NOVA however, this might be enough to get a teaching job in Japan- working on one of their 'flexi-schedules'.
So I guess I'm wondering if I even qualify to work in Japan?- and also what to expect for my one-to-one interview with the people from NOVA.
Thanks for all your help!
J
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:01 am Post subject: Re: About NOVA. What do you think? |
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| Justin Matthews wrote: |
Hi everyone. I'm new to teaching English. I've taken a TESOL course, and currently I'm working on some prospective jobs in Japan. I'm still unsure about so much tho. I have an interview with NOVA later in the month.
Firstly, my credentials: I have a 2 year college education, and of course I'm a native speaker of English, along with my TESOL certificate. Does this mean I can't teach English in Japan? Everything I see is "4 university degree".
Through what I've learned about NOVA however, this might be enough to get a teaching job in Japan- working on one of their 'flexi-schedules'.
So I guess I'm wondering if I even qualify to work in Japan?- and also what to expect for my one-to-one interview with the people from NOVA.
Thanks for all your help!
J
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A four year degree is required to obtain a full time sponsored work visa. This is an immigration regulation, not one set by NOVA. TESOL certification will have no effect on your visa eligibility status.
If you are not an American you can work on a six month working holiday visa. Americans are ineligible for WHV. NOVA accepts WHV holders if they have one year of tertiary education but their Flextime schedule is part time and you will need to work several places to make enough to live on- you will break even on a part time income here.
For more info on the company go to
http://www.vocaro.com/trevor/japan/nova/level_up.html |
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Justin Matthews
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:08 am Post subject: |
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| Thankfully I'm not American (hehe). So as a Canadian I guess I qualify for a WHV. But it's a bit troubling to think I wouldn't even make enough to make it worth the trouble with the flexi-program. If that's really the case, how could anyone get by on a flexi-program.? |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Matthews wrote: |
| Thankfully I'm not American (hehe). So as a Canadian I guess I qualify for a WHV. But it's a bit troubling to think I wouldn't even make enough to make it worth the trouble with the flexi-program. If that's really the case, how could anyone get by on a flexi-program.? |
More than one p/t job. You can't survive in Canada on only p/t work, you can't expect to do the same in Japan. |
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Justin Matthews
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:17 am Post subject: |
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| Good point. But would the old issue of no 4 year degree prevent me from getting other work? It seems like Nova is special in that they accept people without one. I might be way off-I hope I am. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:11 am Post subject: |
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Justin,
No 4-year bachelor's degree means no work visa. This applies to practically every other job, too.
There are other ways to get a visa that allows you to work without a degree.
spouse visa (if you are married to a Japanese)
dependent visa (if you are married to a non-Japanese with a FT job)
student visa (if you are enrolled in a school in Japan)
working holiday visa (if you fit the requirements of nationality and age)
All of the above can be used for teaching or non-teaching jobs. HOWEVER, getting the visa is only step one, and it is an immigration requirement. If an employer still insists on a 4-year degree, you will need it, too.
Work visas per se are granted for specific types of work (engineer, teacher, chef, etc.), and each has its own requirements. For non-teaching jobs, the visa requirements often ask for a 4-year degree. If you can't provide evidence of that, you must provide proof of about 10 years of related work experience. |
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Justin Matthews
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:26 am Post subject: |
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Well I guess I'm leaning towards a working holiday visa- and I really dont mind working part time or anything. After all, part of the reason I want to teach in Japan is to experience Japan. Just scraping by worries me though.
On the flip side, I see many advantages to marrying a Japanese! 1: I could get a work visa, and 2: I'd have a beautiful Japanese wife. Not that I'd ever marry a woman just to get some kind of job. I have always wanted to marry a Japanese woman tho! ... |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:41 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Matthews wrote: |
On the flip side, I see many advantages to marrying a Japanese! 1: I could get a work visa, and 2: I'd have a beautiful Japanese wife. Not that I'd ever marry a woman just to get some kind of job. I have always wanted to marry a Japanese woman tho! ... |
Justin
you wouldnt get a work visa you would get a spouse visa. That allows you to work in Japan and do any kind of job apart from language teaching. You still need to be qualified and meet employer requirements even with no degree. Japanese ability is usually the biggest barrier for most people and you would need to be able to earn enough to support 2 or 3 people.
As for marrying japanese that comes with its own set of problems such as living permanently overseas for one of you, raising kids, earning enough here or back home to support a family, being able to communicate properly with each other. My wife speaks English but there are a lot of cultural, educational, linguistic and social barriers that are hard to bridge as well.
Beauty as they say, is only skin deep. |
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Justin Matthews
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:50 am Post subject: |
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Valid points. I've considered them however. The way I see it, if two people from such widely different cultures get involved, and married they should both be prepared to possibly live overseas.
I dont really think it would be fair to expect someone to live in a foreign land if you weren�t willing to do the same. Blast it all though- it seems like there are so many obsitcals when it comes to anything involving Japan.
It feels like I'm trying to make it on the moon- not another country! |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Matthews wrote: |
It feels like I'm trying to make it on the moon- not another country! |
This is the moon. Yes they are strict about work visas as they should. There are already enough unqualified people here who will work for peanuts. I'm not saying you wouldn't be a good teacher, but it is not really taken very seriously by many of the teachers here. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:39 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Matthews wrote: |
| Valid points. I've considered them however. The way I see it, if two people from such widely different cultures get involved, and married they should both be prepared to possibly live overseas. ! |
This point has been raised before, but you also have to be sure you like living here, like English teaching as a job and a career, and you can handle living here as a foreign national. Living here for a year or two in your twenties as a single person as a semi-tourist is one thing. Getting married, having kids, and doing a job you dont particularly like for years on end is a reality for many people. they get here, fall in love and then find they are stuck here. the job market tanks back home or they dont have marketable skills back home. there are TESOL teaching jobs in Canada etc but they are very casual, part time or not available unless you have a Masters degree. I have also heard from several people that take their Japanese wifes home and she gets homesick and wants to come back to Japan in a few years. Tough titties if you are sick of Japan or dont like the food.
I have been in Japan most of my adult life and it is now starting to feel claustrophobic, compared to the open spaces of Canada. I hope you can handle 127 million people living cheek to jowl in a country the size of California.
My wife and I are thinking of living in Australia which is not so foreign for me (Im from New Zealand)) but you still have to sort out jobs and visas and emigration etc).
| Justin Matthews wrote: |
I dont really think it would be fair to expect someone to live in a foreign land if you weren�t willing to do the same. Blast it all though- it seems like there are so many obsitcals when it comes to anything involving Japan.
It feels like I'm trying to make it on the moon- not another country! |
I second Gordon. This is the moon.
The Japanese word for foreign country is "gaikoku" or outside country. there is Japan and everywhere else. Japanese people and foreigners. That is pretty much how Japanese see the world.
Not so many obtacles, its just that you dont seem to have adequately prepared yourself to qualify for a visa that lets you live here. Not every one can come even thought they want to. I can not work in Canada even though I want to as I cant get a visa to work there. Every country has its hoops that everyone jumps through. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It feels like I'm trying to make it on the moon- not another country! |
Would that be the moon as envisioned by western standards, with a picture of a man in it, or by Japanese standards, with a picture of a rabbit in it? You see? Even such simple things are vastly different here.
If you want to discuss being married to a foreign wife, feel free to start a thread on it. I'll join. My own experiences are not as long as others, but being married 3 years to my Japanese wife gives me SOME viewpoints to express.
If you are the least bit serious about marrying outside of your own culture, read this.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/187786451X/104-0885257-7694329 |
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