Job Discussion Forums

[pk_yang22]

so i have read eric's post on living in japan

- i have a BA in communication studies.
- completing my Tefl certificate this December.
- worked with the general public and with immigrates/refugees for a little over 2 1/2 years, as a counselor, advisor, and teach them how to live in a new country.
- 25 yrs. and want a new change of pace.
- have alway been interested in Japan, as i took japanese for two years in college, i love everything about the place.
I've always wanted to be a teacher.
- I am still looking around at the moment to see which country i can teach in.

I want to know:
how hard would it be for me to get a job with the little experience that i have in japan?
Is the place safe for woman and it is a plus?
I am asian, so would they use that against me?

[Like a Rolling Stone]

You have enough qualifications my dear I think Japan is safe for woman but i am man so I dont really know I think it is okay for Asians, many Asians live in Japan. But do you want to do eikaiwa (that"s waht we call English conversation) or ALT?

[pk_yang22]

hahaha...thanks for your reply. it's good to know that i can work there to start out....um...i'm not really picking. i want to look for ALT, but conversation would be okay also. I just want to have a feel of the whole place. I have seen many positions looking for elementary teachers which i am interested in, but i do prefer to teach older children and adults. I just enjoy teaching in general. So most things will do starting out. Any advice you can give? opinions? dos and don't ? what to expect there? i like the city life. I'm a city girl...which part of japan would you recommend? not too expensive.

[Like a Rolling Stone]

There are a few elementary teachers I am interested in too:wink: I'm a bit of a newbie myself but the cities are expensive and the countyr a bit cheaper... have you applied anywhere?

[kdynamic]

Japan is possibly the safest place to be as a woman in the world. It's awesome. I never feel unsafe walkinga round by myself. Of course you still need to use common sense, but it's really liberating not having to worry about getting raped/mugged/etc. Safety is probably one of the best bonuses about life in Japan.

Regarding location, I would advise you to try and be flexible and open minded about where you go. Every area in Japan has some great things to offer. Lots of people go to Tokyo and Osaka, and those places are cool, but even if you want a city, don't overlook the smaller cities. I actually prefer slightly smaller Japanese cities. Some nice ones are Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, Sapporo, and Kanazawa (and I have also heard good things about Fukuoka, Sendai, Nagazaki, and Kagoshima).

[pk_yang22]

i haven't applied anywhere yet. just planning ahead of time. in fact i will be leaving for thailand after thanksgiving. and would like to move to japan afterwards. i just wanted to start with a cheap place first and then go to japan.

hahaha

what are your plans?

[pk_yang22]

kdynamic...thanks for the information... it was very useful, i'll probably look into those smaller cities.

thank you

[Glenski]

Are you Asian by heritage, or do you actually have an Asian passport? There's a difference. I suspect you are the former, whether Japanese-American or Chinese-American, etc. If that is the case, you should not refer to yourself by a hyphenated title when applying here. You are either American or some other nationality. Period. Using hyphenated titles will only lead to confusion and perhaps being turned down for a job.

Asians, as has been described on many other posts, will have down sides in Japan. Some people will think perfect English can't possibly come out of your mouth. Ignore them and look elsewhere. Another disadvantage is that until you open your mouth and show that you aren't a local who is fluent in the language (I will assume you aren't), people on the streets will assume you are a local. Don't let any negative aspects get you down. Plenty of Asians teach here.

Your qualifications are good enough for any entry level job. In Japan, that means JET Programme, or eikaiwa, or non-JET ALT. Just beware of the last one because the dispatch agencies for such ALTs are growing, and they have a bad reputation here. I don't think you would be able to land a FT job teaching in elementary school here, partly because you don't have experience teaching in Japan (a typical requirement), and partly because there aren't that many FT non-ALT jobs as such.

[pk_yang22]

thanks glenski, very informative. and yes you are right i am the former as you say Asian by heritage, but an American.

um...i guess i am looking else where also, but at least with all the feed back i will know what i need to gain in the experience department to be able to qualify to teach in japan in the near future.