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m_khatt
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:08 am Post subject: is it hard to find a job in japan? |
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| Hello, I am just wondering......is it difficult to find a job in japan to teach full time and for sponsorship? I have been sending out my resume and i really have not had much luck. I would also like to find out of some really good schools that anyone knows of that I can mail out my resume to. |
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homersimpson
Joined: 14 Feb 2003
Posts: 569
Location: Kagoshima
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| Check out ohayosensei.com. It was just updated today. There are something like 30 postings that provide sponsorship and that do NOT require applicants to be currently residing in Japan. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:27 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Hello, I am just wondering......is it difficult to find a job in japan to teach full time and for sponsorship? I have been sending out my resume and i really have not had much luck. |
This is such a general question that is it extremely difficult to answer. What is your background? Nationality? Age? Are you applying from within Japan or from abroad? What areas of Japan are you applying to? (Okinawa, for example, will have very few opportunities.) There are so many factors here that we/you need to consider.
Also, what does your resume look like? How about your cover letter? I have seen some rather horrible ones from the most educated of people. Their qualifications are fine, but they don't know how to lay them out on paper, so it's no wonder they have problems finding work. |
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m_khatt
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, I am a 25 year old female that is American with family roots from Mexico. I speak two languages, English and Spanish, and look forward to learning Japanese. I have a degree in Liberal Studies and have just finished the California Credential program. I have been looking for a job in the Tokyo area, I know that this is a very broad area to look for a job, but for me it is extremely hard because I do not know anyone who is familiar with Japan and the the job market in Japan. I am looking for a sponsorship, deposit on an apartment, health insurance, and vacation time that is pretty flexible. Is this to much to ask for? |
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m_khatt
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| I was wondering if anyone has heard of "American World International Schools" They are based in Tokyo. I need to know what kind of reputation they have. |
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m_khatt
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I was wondering if anyone has heard of "American World International Schools" They are based in Tokyo. I need to know what kind of reputation they have. |
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m_khatt
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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Glenski,
| Quote: |
| Also, what does your resume look like? How about your cover letter? I have seen some rather horrible ones from the most educated of people. Their qualifications are fine, but they don't know how to lay them out on paper, so it's no wonder they have problems finding work. |
Would you like to see my cover letter and resume? I may not have it look as good as i want it to.
Thanks,
m_khatt  [/quote][/list] |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Ok, an American with a bachelor's degree qualifies for a work visa. Anything else (such as certification or teaching license) is gravy, and may not even be necessary, depending on what type of work you are looking for.
Are you looking for eikaiwa (conversation school) work, or something in a high school, elementary school, kindergarten? These are your other options. Tokyo is the largest market for teaching in Japan.
You have two options. One is to find a sponsor from overseas; this is extremely limited to the big 4 eikaiwas (NOVA, GEOS, ECC, and AEON) as well as the JET Program. Westgate Corporation might also do this, but I'm not sure, and they only offer 3-4 month long contracts. Your second option is to come to Japan without a job, and look for work. This will entail a large amount of money and no guarantee that you will find a job. I have seen people looking for the entire length of their tourist visa and never find a job. Don't ask me why; I don't know.
Bear in mind that even though your contract may say you are working full-time, there is a loophole in contract policy that allows employers to report your hours as less than full-time, so they don't have to provide health insurance or unemployment benefits. You will just have to scour each employer's listings to find one that declares payment of health insurance (usually only half of it is paid anyway, when it is paid for at all).
Flexible vacation time is almost non-existent. Employers usually have set vacation periods for the major holiday times in Japan. Some, but not many, offer some days off that you can take at your discretion, so I wouldn't count on that as a dealing point.
Yes, if you would like to send your resume and cover letter, I'll look it over. [email protected] |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:48 am Post subject: |
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| m_khatt wrote: |
| Well, I am a 25 year old female that is American with family roots from Mexico. I speak two languages, English and Spanish, and look forward to learning Japanese. ? |
As long as you are a native speaker of English with a degree you shouldnt have any problems with getting a visa. If you can teach Spanish thats great but I should also warn you that speaking a language is rather different than teaching it to someone who doesnt. Youc an get by with little or no training in teaching ESL here but a bit of training wouldnt hurt, rather than teaching yourself as you go.
| m_khatt wrote: |
I have a degree in Liberal Studies and have just finished the California Credential program. |
Great to hear but they will be only interested in your university degree, not your state credentials- you have teachers coming from dozens of different countries so anything you have from the States is just candyfloss to a Japanese employer. All they want is the degree for the work visa.
[quote="m_khatt"]I have been looking for a job in the Tokyo area, I know that this is a very broad area to look for a job, but for me it is extremely hard because I do not know anyone who is familiar with Japan and the the job market in Japan. quote]
Extremely broad, greater Tokyo has more than 14 million people in it, probably more than are living in California. As long as you have the basic requirements in place (degree native speaker, an idea of where you want to work and what kind of teaching you want to do you can narrow it down.
Glenski has named some options as these schools are the only ones who recruit directly in the U.S and Canada. any other jobs will likely require you to be here for an interview, as its next to impossible to get hired or sponsored sight unseen on the strength of the resume. Employers want a warm body in a classroom and not a faceless name on a piece of paper sent over the Internet when they plan their teaching schedules
| m_khatt wrote: |
| I am looking for a sponsorship, deposit on an apartment, health insurance, and vacation time that is pretty flexible. Is this to much to ask for? |
Your employer is usually your sponsor and likely he (usually a he) will want to meet you first, have an interview and check your suitability and resume etc. best to go through the big schools like NOVA ECC etc if you are applying from the US. Some schools provide accomodation and pay your key money (which can add up to 4-5 months rent up front). Language schools treat their full time foreign teachers as part timers to avoid paying health insurance and pension benefits, though it is possible to go on the national plan quite cheaply in the first year (about 1500 yen or $12 a month in the first year, then going up to $200 a month in the second year).
Vacation times are pretty fixed as you will get time off during national holidays etc. Students generally want to study when they are not working (evening weekends and holidays, whcih makes it hard for etachers to get much time off). NOVA gives you 10 paid days off a year after working at least 6 months and ECC gives its teachers up to 7 weeks off. It pays to shop around depending on what is most important to you. |
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