Job Discussion Forums

[Matt_22]

I'm an American and therefore can't get a working holiday visa. But I have a solid TEFL cert, a 4-year bachelor's degree from the US, and am a native English speaker with a year's worth of teaching experience.

I don't have much cash though, maybe $2000 US.

Is Japan out of the question? I've been looking at jobs and am just now applying but I see that many of them require a waiting period of 10-15 weeks after the interview in order to sort out the work visa. So my question is, is it possible to pick up short-term work under the table? Or is that too risky all-around? Or has anyone been able to find work that allows you to start immediately without waiting for the visa to be processed?

Should I just fly to Japan (I'm in Phuket, Thailand right now), do a bunch of interviews, and then head to Korea for a couple months to do private tutoring (under the table) and then return when my visa is ready?

Sorry for the annoying questions, I just wanted to see if anyone has had any success being in a similar position.

[furiousmilksheikali]

I don't think anyone here can, in good faith, give you the advice you hope for: that travelling to Japan on 2000 dollars and getting under-the-table work is a viable option. You're likely to eat up that 2000 very quickly just getting accommodation and feeding yourself.

[c-way]

Last October,

I did just what you are considering doing, and was pretty much in the same boat (If you are thinking about coming from the mainland, a boat might be the economic way to go, $200 from China). The major difference, and these are deal breakers now, is that I came with about twice as much money and already had a cheap accomodation that my girlfriend had worked out for me with no key money or deposit.

My strategy was to hit the ground running and find an employer that would sponsor my visa from within the country. I was able to do this, but I got caught in the trap of accepting the first seemingly good offer that came my way. Of course, my boss turned out to be a manipulative paranoid control freak who was basically turning a profit by underpaying and overworking his teachers (2 total, I wonder why?)

That fiasco of a job cost me 5 months and countless amounts of stress from being threatened to be sued, have my visa taken away, etc. It's a good idea to get in touch with the General Union if you have any questions about your contract. They are foreign teachers themselves and they know the law very specifically, and while they will try to get you to join, they usually will offer advice for free.

Anyway, once I had the visa, it was a lot easier to get a decent position bc/ companies were less reluctant to hire someone they didn't have to sponsor.

If I were you, I would want to have a lot more money (just in case), and also a well thought out game plan of what you will do in the worst case scenario.

Timing is also something to consider as it is more beneficial to come at the times of the year when more companies are hiring, but I'm not the expert on when that is.

Anyone...

[Glenski]

Japan is not out of the question, especially if you can get interviewed in the USA. Of course, there aren't many places that will do that and sponsor a work visa.

US$2000 will give you about a month's life expectancy in Japan.
50,000 to 80,000 yen for a guest house. Maybe an additional 25,000 for a returnable deposit.
10,000 to set up a cellular phone (you DO want employers to call, don't you?)
30,000 yen/month for groceries.
20,000 or more for a month's local transportation.
And, then there's airfare...

As mentioned, if you really truly honestly have your heart set on coming here to do job hunting, come at the absolute peak best time (March), or you are just going to burn up that US$2000. And, even if you get a job the day after you arrive, you still have to wait 4-6 weeks for the first paycheck.

Some employers will be glad to loan you about 120,000 yen, but do you want to be indebted to them for money, housing, and a job all from day one? You'll have to pay it back in 2-3 installments on your first paychecks, and you'll be living on a smaller probational paycheck anyway, so you'll definitely be skimping.

Can you pick up short-term work under the table? Probably, but get caught (all it takes is one ticked off client, bar associate, or yakuza that you rub the wrong way), and you are in a heap of trouble.

If you come here and find someone willing to sponsor your visa, you can start working the moment they put a temporary "pending visa" stamp in your passport. You'll probably work on a probationary salary then, too. Just don't let someone scam you into waiting for that temp stamp by telling you about so-called delays or mistakes in processing. No stamp, no legal work.

You are as qualified as any newbie here. No doubt about that. Just maximize your odds as best as possible.

[furiousmilksheikali]

Yes, but Matt 22 said he was in Phuket at the moment. I don't rate his chances of earning substantially more money there than he has already. If he is going to interview back in the US, as you have suggested Glenski, then he could very well eat through the 2000 dollars he's saved just getting the flight home and doing the interview circuit. It especially depends on where in the US he is likely to go.

I honestly think you would be better off going back to the US and getting a job that will enable you to save so that you can apply for JET later (I seem to remember that this is your goal). If you come to Japan and squander your savings here before getting a job then what hope will you have for going to the US for the JET interview Matt?

[canuck]

Ideally, just enjoy laying on the beaches of Thailand, have a vacation and start a serious job search in the new year.

Email NOVA from Thailand. Set up an interview. If you come to a big city, I think your chances are alright. However, this time of year is not that great, and it gets worse with every day. Good luck.

Don't forget to read the thread in my signature.

[Glenski]

[seastarr]

I'd try, as someone else suggested, calling Nova, Aeon or Geos. I know Nova has been doing some hiring for January, as a friend of mine interviewed about a month ago and is arriving around the beginning of January. If you are willing to go anywhere in Japan, its probably likely that they would give you an interview, which would probably lead to a job. There is always private teaching out there, but its not usually a steady way to make enough money to live. It's good as a supplement for another job, but it takes a while to build a reputation and get enough students to pay for life in Japan. Good luck and I'm sure its not completly out of the question if its something you really want to do.

[Matt_22]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Well, I'm definitely not heading back home now. Even if it's just for a few months, I think I could be better off heading to Korea than back to the states. Here's the way I'm thinking right now.

Everyone says March is the best time to head to Japan. So I'm just going to send out a bunch of resumes and applications in order to line up a decent job for the spring. That way I can pick and choose b/w jobs and find one that will provide me with a decent housing situation.

Secondly, I can sign a contract with a Korean company within a matter of days that will provide me with a paid flight, free housing, and over two grand American per month. If I work for three months that will allow me to save a decent amount of startup cash for the transition to Japan.

Does this sound like a decent plan then?

[Deucal]

[Glenski]

[Deucal]