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flaco
Joined: 27 Dec 2003
Posts: 30
Location: Brooklyn
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 Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:44 pm Post subject: post eikawa questions |
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| i've been working at an eikawa for over 2 years making about 280,000 a month, all included. i'm finished soon and currently applying for different positions. ultimately i would like to be making from 350,000 to 400,000. what are the most common ways of doing that? ALT+privates? corporates? p/t eikawa+privates? all of the corporate dispatch companies whose ads i've been answering seem to offer about 4000 per hour but just doing corporate freelance work doesn't seem like it will be enough. i'm assuming the best foundation would be an ALT gig and build from there? any advice would be much appreciated. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:18 pm Post subject: Re: post eikawa questions |
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| flaco wrote: |
| i've been working at an eikawa for over 2 years making about 280,000 a month, all included. i'm finished soon and currently applying for different positions. ultimately i would like to be making from 350,000 to 400,000. what are the most common ways of doing that? ALT+privates? corporates? p/t eikawa+privates? all of the corporate dispatch companies whose ads i've been answering seem to offer about 4000 per hour but just doing corporate freelance work doesn't seem like it will be enough. i'm assuming the best foundation would be an ALT gig and build from there? any advice would be much appreciated. |
Just my personal opinion but instead of working harder you should be thinking about working smarter.
At the eikaiwa/ ALT / dispatch company level you are not going to see any great differences in hourly rates, and all you end up doing is piecing lots of work together, commuting on trains and spending all your time working at many different places.
People brag about the high incomes they make but they are working at 3 or 4 places, evenings weekends. Is that what you really want?
The best gigs are part time university jobs- you only work 6-7 months of the year are paid for 12. Unfortunately you need a Masters and connections to get your foot in the door. With no graduate degree you are left with whatever you can scrape together. Dont expect employers to throw money at you just because you have been on JET or have a couple of years under your belt and most ALT dispatch jobs pay about 10-12,000 yen a day.
Upgrade your skills and qualifications, learn japanese and start networking. Thats the only advice i cna give you. |
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Like a Rolling Stone
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Posts: 872
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:34 pm Post subject: |
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You could try voice-over work, acting in programs wher they like to see foreigners like some adverts where you see grinning gaikokujin  (steady now! don't say "gaijin" it is not PC  ) or you could do the vicar service where you dress up like a vicar and do the weddings. Lots of money there for only about 30 minutes.  If you are yound do the acting if youa re old do the vicar.  |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| ultimately i would like to be making from 350,000 to 400,000. what are the most common ways of doing that? |
Option 1. String together as many PT gigs and perhaps some private lessons as you can, and work off a "self-sponsorshp" work visa status. As Paul wrote, you may find yourself working every bloody day of the week, and even if it's not from 9 to 9, I would have to offer that it sure wouldn't be the sort of lifestyle I'd want! Gimme one or (preferably) two days of peace per week.
Option 2. Keep any FT job in eikaiwa and supplement with private lessons.
Option 3. Get a FT job at a private high school. (But, beware of what you ask for, because you get so much more in the way of responsibilities and less time.)
Option 4. Get qualified and teach at a university. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Like a Rolling Stone wrote: |
| or you could do the vicar service where you dress up like a vicar and do the weddings. Lots of money there for only about 30 minutes. If you are yound do the acting if youa re old do the vicar. |
Just a note to let you know that for performing weddings as a pastor you need the right visa (spouse visa or permanent resident status, most bridal agencies do not accept those on instructor visas). Pay is for the wedding ceremony itself, you arrive an hour earlier also have rehearsals and maybe a one hour commute each way to the hotel. Good Japanese is a plus as well. 'Ministers' tend to be early 30's to men in their 60's.
http://www.seiyaku.com |
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shuize
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1270
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| Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 11:58 pm Post subject: Re: post eikawa questions |
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| flaco wrote: |
| i've been working at an eikawa for over 2 years making about 280,000 a month, all included. i'm finished soon and currently applying for different positions. ultimately i would like to be making from 350,000 to 400,000. what are the most common ways of doing that? ALT+privates? corporates? p/t eikawa+privates? all of the corporate dispatch companies whose ads i've been answering seem to offer about 4000 per hour but just doing corporate freelance work doesn't seem like it will be enough. i'm assuming the best foundation would be an ALT gig and build from there? any advice would be much appreciated. |
Well, I remember this guy who made a point of telling everyone here how you could make Y 85,000 per day if, like him, you already knew everything. Sadly, he didn't stick around very long. Something about his time in jail as I recall. |
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womblingfree
Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 826
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| Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 12:24 am Post subject: |
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| Depending on your eikaiwa moving to an ALT position could be more work for hardly any more money. Best to switch eikaiwas (if you hate it) or stay put + get a few privates. |
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tokyo story
Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:07 am Post subject: Re: post eikawa questions |
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| flaco wrote: |
| i've been working at an eikawa for over 2 years making about 280,000 a month, all included. i'm finished soon and currently applying for different positions. ultimately i would like to be making from 350,000 to 400,000. what are the most common ways of doing that? ALT+privates? corporates? p/t eikawa+privates? all of the corporate dispatch companies whose ads i've been answering seem to offer about 4000 per hour but just doing corporate freelance work doesn't seem like it will be enough. i'm assuming the best foundation would be an ALT gig and build from there? any advice would be much appreciated. |
I do ALT/privates/part time eikawa and various other gigs. I usually work 6-7 days a week, 20-30+ hours. It's not the number of days that are a problem, it's the gaps during the day.
I would suggest getting a permanent ALT gig (as opposed to a dispatch company), 2 if they're part-time and like you said building from there... If you go this route money fluctuates depending on how many jobs you take on. You ought to make the 100,000 yen more per month you're looking for, but you can't expect regular hours like an eikawa gives you (unless you're really well scheduled.) |
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Khyron
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 291
Location: Tokyo Metro City
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Glenski"]
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| Option 3. Get a FT job at a private high school. (But, beware of what you ask for, because you get so much more in the way of responsibilities and less time.) |
Without a doubt. You earn more money (I made about 360,000/mo. gross), and loose any previous freedom you had. At least, that's my point of view.
I vote for eikaiwa work, plus privates (which is what I'm doing now, and I am happier for it.). Unless you are able to get university work.
If you're willing to move to Korea, you can get a full time uni gig with only an undergrad degree. You may want to consider that. Do factor in that privates in Korea are all under the table, unlike in Japan. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Do factor in that privates in Korea are all under the table, unlike in Japan. |
What are you talking about? People who choose to teach any type of student in their own time, or people whose companies label one-on-one lessons in their school as "private"? Certainly the latter is part of your salary, but the former is very VERY commonly done in Japan and is 99.9% under the table. |
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Khyron
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 291
Location: Tokyo Metro City
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Do factor in that privates in Korea are all under the table, unlike in Japan. |
What are you talking about? People who choose to teach any type of student in their own time, or people whose companies label one-on-one lessons in their school as "private"? Certainly the latter is part of your salary, but the former is very VERY commonly done in Japan and is 99.9% under the table. |
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Khyron
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 291
Location: Tokyo Metro City
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:52 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, my connection was messing up for a bit there.
My wording in my previous post was wrong.
What I meant was that in Korea, on a regular E2 teacher's visa, it is completely illegal to give personal private lessons. People are actively targeted, heavily fined and dexported by the Korean immigration for doing so.
From my understanding, giving private lessons is not illegal in Japan (providing that you report and pay tax on your income). Teachers are not actively pursued and deported in Japan for teaching privates. Please correct me if I am mistaken. |
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flaco
Joined: 27 Dec 2003
Posts: 30
Location: Brooklyn
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| thanks for the advice. |
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Like a Rolling Stone
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Posts: 872
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| Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:34 am Post subject: |
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| Khyron wrote: |
| From my understanding, giving private lessons is not illegal in Japan (providing that you report and pay tax on your income). Teachers are not actively pursued and deported in Japan for teaching privates. Please correct me if I am mistaken. |
Nobody does that!  |
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