Job Discussion Forums

[smedini]

Hi all

Ok, truthfully I don't really have my sights set on Japan at the moment, but that's not to say I don't have any thoughts about it at all. So I want to test the waters to find out whether or not I should keep those thoughts in my head for a bit or banish them for greener pastures! Any answers to the questions below would be appreciated.

1. What qualifications do you need to work in a uiversity in Japan?
2. What kind of salary could you expect to find working in Japan?
3. Is the cost of living as frightening as they say? I visited the country in the late '90s and thought it pricey enough then, but that was as a traveller who was using trains to go through the country.
4. Are one-year contracts the norm?
5. What's the deal with families? Do whole families get visas? Are tuition costs covered if your kids need to go to private-english speaking schools?
6. I've heard that your rent is often not included in your contracts in Japan...is that true?

Thanks all...I know it's a lot of info, but I"m hoping between the lot of you I can get some answers

Cheers
~smedini

[Glenski]

1. This is answered in the first FAQ sticky (item 3) with tons of links.
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=3788

2. See the above link.

3. Frightening is relative. Are you planning to be here alone or with a spouse or with a spouse and child, etc.? What is your lifestyle right now?
The above link (item 5) talks about how much you can potentially save. In the FAQ sticky part 2, look at item 30 for more info on what things cost. Come back and ask more specific questions if those don't give you enough info. Also be prepared to describe your home situation and proposed one (including where you prefer to live).

4. No, part-time work is the norm. For full-time contracts, 3-year terms are the norm (sometimes renewable for a total of 6 years). It's all case by case. Part-timers have essentially no limits on their contracts, though.

5. The university doesn't sponsor families. If they sponsor your visa to work there, then you sponsor the family's dependent visa. As far as I know, your university employer will not pay for your child's tuition. Mine certainly doesn't. You're on your own.

6. The whole rent is usually not included in your salary/contract. You might get a partial allowance, though. If you live in a colder area (like Hokkaido), you might get a winter heating allowance, too (but only during the winter months, obviously).

I strongly urge you to read that first FAQ sticky and all of the internal links, as well as all of the 4 FAQ stickies here.

[smedini]

^ Thanks Glenski

~smedini

[SaganWasHere]

I knew an American professor at a Japanese school. He had an M.A. in Linguistics, but he also taught undergraduate classes (as a non-professor) in the English department as part of a special program.

It's much easier to become a professor in Japan if you're actually there, and know faculty, etc.

Hope that helps!