Job Discussion Forums

Kestrel · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Kyoto, Japan

Hey all. I posted my whole situation elsewhere, and it was long. If you're really interested, it's at
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=2162
Otherwise, the details are: 31, American male, CELTA and SIT certification, no classroom teaching experience, some basic Japanese ability, looking for a job teaching in rural Japan. I've heard many people say it's easy to get a job in Japan teaching English provided you show up with the capital to support yourself for a month or two ($4000 US seems the common figure), but does this only hold true if you're looking for jobs in Tokyo/Osaka? How easy is it to find work in rural Japan while you're over there? And is it possible to do some travelling while looking for work? I'd love to cycle Japan for a bit and then settle somewhere rural, but I can't help but think that you need to be easily contactable to get a job....

Thanks for any and all help.

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

Kestrel · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Kyoto, Japan

Hey Paul, thanks for the info. I guess I did forget to mention that BA--I do have one.

Anyone else out there have info about rural schools? Thanks again...

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

Kestrel

I was just wondering if you have any particular geographical preferences for where you want to work- it may make it easier for people to give you specific advice about particular areas (Glenski, for example is in Hokkaido).

Do you prefer to be in the mountains, close to the sea- what kinds of things do you like to do in your free time? In rural areas also there are not so many foreigners to hang out with and not so many things to do, so you have to be pretty resourceful with regard to occupying yourself, especially with limited Japanese.

I would also recommend you post on the bulletin boards at http://www.teachinginjapan.com and http://www.eltnews.com as these are visited by teachers already working in Japan.

Dean T · Joined: 13 Feb 2003 Posts: 30

I just showed up in japan!

why ? because i wanted to make sure i could cope before committing myself too any contract !!!

i had a interview with ECC but was unsuccessful as they wanted 4 people and their was 10 off us that day.

i passed nova interview then passed them by

but had another one with my employer now and accepted

I REPLACED a person who was hired in Indiana with the JEt program and had never seen Japan. She arrived here, hated it and left.

So i personally reccomend just showing up, if you have the caplital to get you by until the you are hired and the working visa organised.

Kestrel · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 31 Location: Kyoto, Japan

Thanks for the advice guys. Paul, as for geographical locations, I'm not too stuch on any in particular, though I'm a sailor and therefore kinda fond of the seaside. Mountains are great though, and I'm getting tired of hot and humid... The reasons I want to go rural are more rooted in being able to find some of 'Old' Japan, as well as that scarcity of other foreigners that you mention. I studied Japanese in college for 2 years, and then a bit after, but it's been a while, hence my limited Japanese. I feel like it will start to come back reasonably quickly once I"m over there. If I'm able to hang out with a bunch of native English speakers though, it will be much more difficult for me to motivate myself to speak bunches of Japanese.

As for things to keep myself occupied--one of the things I would like to try to do while in Japan (in addition to the daunting task of attempting some degree of literacy) is improve my game of Go. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a very strategic game developed in China about 4000 years ago that got imported to Japan, from whence it has sprung into the international spotlight. Very cool, very challenging game. Anyway, I play a bit here, and I'm hoping that in my spare time in Japan I can try and improve the game.

Again, thanks for the tips, guys.

diomedes · Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 6 Location: Kanagawa-ken, Japan

I left Korea in Jan 2002 after four years teaching. I flew to Japan and stayed with my friend in Chiba while I looked for a job in the Tokyp area. I stayed here 7 weeks and was unable to line anything up even though I have a degree and experience--but no official qualifications at that time.

Nova told me to get a kind of work/study visa, which I couldn't due to my age.

Anyway, I returned to my native land, earned a CELTA and then returned to Japan after arranging a job on the other side of the Pacific.

I don't know what went wrong. Part of the problem was communication. My friend had a phone, but it didn't seem to work. A couple people said they tried to call me and I was home at the time but I didn't hear it ring. The other problem is that I was here in Feb and March which are not the best months to looks for a job.

My friend fell ill with influenza and his co-workers were all falling ill as well. I didn't have any medical insurance and didn't want to risk getting sick, so I left early and returned home.

Anyway, I'm back in Japan now.

I guess the point is if you do come to Japan on spec you might not be able to get a job. There is no guarentee. But I'm glad I tried it nontheless. It was a learning experience.

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

Dean T · Joined: 13 Feb 2003 Posts: 30

agree with you their glenski.

i had 3 job interviews . first with Ecc, which i passed but out of the 10 or 12 people their that day only 6 got othered a position and none were close to where i live.

Nova which again i passed , however decided against joining when i heard about another company.

and then W5 staff support, where im at now which is a ALT position in Kindrgarten, Elementary and Junior High. and all this took place in febuary as far as interviews are concerned.

ruggedtoast · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 81 Location: tokyo

I cant recommend it, I did it and it was pretty hard. The worst thing is just not knowing if its going to work out or not, even when you get offered a job from an employer that can do visas , sponsorship can take weeks.

Only come on spec if you have at least 4 grand to spend and really dont mind spending all of it and knowing theres a possibility you may have to leave.

Companies that offer sponsorship are really not nearly as plentiful as people would have you believe, and youll find that if you get rejected by NOVA and ECC then youre options are running out pretty quickly.

Of course it should be ok, but I just cant say its a pleasent exoperience thats all.