Job Discussion Forums

thedude72 · Joined: 30 Jul 2004 Posts: 39 Location: Canada

I am currently applying to the big 4 language schools in Japan and am in the process of getting together my applications.

In regards to my essay about why I want to live and work in Japan, I have few questions:

1. Is it good to show a great deal of knowledge about Japanese culture?

2. Do I emphasize what I want out of Japan or what I can bring to Japan?

3. What sorts of things are no-no's to say?

4. Do the 4 schools have different expecations for the essays or can I use the same one for all applications?

5. What is the level of importance of these essays? Do they make or break an application?

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

In general, talk about what you can do for the school. Your knowledge of Japanese and the culture is not important, they pay you to teach in English. Discuss some of your experiences teaching (if you have any), if not, elaborate on times you helped others. You can do one essay for all the applications, they don't compare and I would guess they are looking for the same qualities. Don't say you want to travel and don't stress how you like independence when teaching. That will get your application immediately tossed in the bin.
Don't say you want to meet girls. It is OK to say you are interested in Japan and its culture, just don't go way overboard. Do you have experiences with culture shock? Talk about it and say how you overcame it.

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

3. Don't dwell on a love of anime or manga.

Don't say you want to learn Japanese (you are being paid to teach, not study).

Don't say you want to see a lot of the country (you will have limited time off).

Don't say you want to learn more about the culture (pretty general statement that everyone says; on the other hand, don't make it a master's thesis on which cultural aspects you are interested in.

Don't write in romaji (I'm a very genki person! Honto ni!)

Don't try to kid the reviewer with statements like, "Because I worked at The Gap clothing store, I have great attitude towards customers and will therefore be a great teacher."

Don't say things like, "I'm looking forward to showing your school what I learned with my X years of teaching and with the cutting edge teaching techniques I learned in my TESOL certification courses." (You'll be given a format to follow strictly.)

Don't ask if you have to wear a suit to the interview.