Job Discussion Forums

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

I put this up on the general board as I wanted to know about other countries. Would you agree that this represents a fairly common progression from fresh of the boat to the top?
Anybody who has TEFLed for a while will know that the jobs that get advertised on boards such as Dave's are invariably entry level positions. For sure it may be the typical conditions that a newbie can expect if they turn up in that country, but anybody who has been there a while will have hoped to have moved on a bit. So please tell us what are the different levels of employment that a typical TEFLer can expect in your neck of the woods.

Japan.

Starting: $2300 a month in a chain school for a quite demading schedule. Transportation paid.

6 months: $3500 a month in same job but with some privates added. Very demanding schedule

One/2 years: $3500 but in a better main job, still language school but less work load and with same privates

3 years: $4000 moved into a high school. Day time work with his few privates in eveinngs still. $4500 if he uses extra free time to find more work.

5 years: $4500 Better high school. Hand picked extra work. Could be $5000 if works a bit more. STill, easier schedule than when he started out.

7 years: His schedule is sweet. Weekends, evenings free. Gets pay rises. In a university. Works 3 days a week. Long holidays. $5000 to $7000 a month

Ok......This is a over simplified model, but I think it is at least closer to the reality for most than just looking at the jobs board and thinking that that is how the teaching situation is in that country. Of course people will be luckier than others and personality and qualifications go a long way, but I hope that others will be inspired to post.

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

First of all, I wouldn't use $$$. Could be American, Canadian, Australian, etc. Yen is better.

Assuming US $$ and a real easy exchange rate calculation, here's my thought.

Going to $3500 in 6 months is not that common. I think most people would need 18 months to get adjusted and aware enough to do that.

Between 3 and 5 years is a make or break point for many, I think. They will stay here and improve their salaries, or plateau out at $3500 and leave. To think that most people will hit $4500 in 5 years is pushing it, I think. I'm thinking of a realistic average of people in the city and country, of singles vs. marrieds, etc. I think high $3000s is more like it.

7 years. I know half a dozen people here that long or longer. Nobody except me is making that kind of money. Most are still hovering around the $4500 range.

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

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

Yes I agree that I might have made a few mistakes with timelines Glenski. PaulH I thought that uni teachers only taught a maximum of 9 classes. I only teach 6!.
Glenski I think I am right in that you teach at a national university. How many classes do you control....I mean teach:)?
I used $, sorry should have said US, on the main board was that it was easier to compare with salaries from other countries.
Hmmm in the kansai area I think my salary suggestions are not so far off the mark.

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

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

How is Wowshisha university working out Paul? Are there brains behind that beauty?

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

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

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

I wouldn't say there is a typical career path in Japan. We are all different, start out at different stages in our careers, get lucky (in an employment sense).
I started out here at a university, as have others I know. My eikaiwa days are about 6 years behind me. Not gloating or saying this is better than others, some people started their careers in Japan, whereas others like myself were on their way before they got here.

Maybe it would be better to say "a typical career path" regardless of country.

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

sid,
Sent you a PM to answer your questions.

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

Chris21 · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Posts: 366 Location: Japan

Not to be too cynical, but I think the competition for jobs in Japan has made things less rosy of late. If I can add my own two cents... please keep in mind that this is just my perception of things. (and for consistency's sake, I kept everything in USD$).

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

Chris, a masters degree for a university job is not an absolute minimum qualification that is written stone. 95% probably require it, but not every one. I didn't have one when I started and I know of others as well.

Chris, I do agree with you about the expected salaries though. I think Sid is very well paid and is not making the avg salary, even for someone who is obviously as ambitious as he appears to be.

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

I think that I may have not taken into account that there is more competition these days, but when I started out there seemed to be a lot of privates knocking about. Picking up 10 hours a week ment working 6 days not 5 with some longer days but I did say it was a very demanding schedule.

Good point about the dispatch companies. Again thinking back the people I have worked with that stayed, they seemed to pick up decent pt or ft gigs. 330.000yen a month in a JHS or HS and 80k in privates seems fair. Hopefully now that extra work is of the 5000 yen an hour variety and not the 3k type.

There are better private hs and jhs that pay 400k a month. I was offered a job in a national jhs. I guess this is the typical salary, at least for national schools and it was about that.

My uni again pays the national scale so I can only assume that many others earn the same. If uni's are the same as schools private universities certainly can pay more.

Actually Grodon I was never ambitious. I never chased work, just took what came my way. In fact in all matters outside the classroom I am rather slack. Smile

The numbers above actually are a little lower than I would have said if I considered the people only around me. When I worked in business English everybody around me worked 6 days a week and pulled in over 400k and a few more than 500k. Of course my post did make it clear that you cant do that staying at NOVA. You just wouldnt have the time.

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

Sid

I was at a national university before (full time contract position) and am now at a private university in Kyoto. Salary in the private sector will depend very much on the school you work at, but salaries are based on factors such as age, qualificatiion, length of experience. Fulltimers at Ritsumeikan (joukin koushi) were on 6 million last year for example. National universities have a complicated formula for deciding salaries of tenured faculty. Are you tenured or on a limited contract? Salaries can vary between 3-year sute-gaijin and tenured foreign faculty, Associate professors etc. It all depends on your age and status etc.