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AJB
Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:58 am Post subject: Chances of finding a job without a degree? |
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Hi there.
Can anyone help me out here...?
My partner and I want to do a year teaching English...it's sweet as for me, I've done a year in Korea. My partner on the other hand is degree less though he does have a TESOL.
So what are the chances of him finding employment in Japan? I know NOVA takes on part timers like this but from all accounts NOVA sucks...are there any other schools/institutes that do this or similar? We he be able to just cold call and land something off the bat? Would he find sufficient privates? Are there other countries that be a better option?
Any suggestions would be wholly apreciated.
Cheers! |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 3:05 am Post subject: |
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| You need a degree to get a work visa in Japan. However, depending on your age and nationality, you may qualify for a working holiday visa. |
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ryuro
Joined: 22 Apr 2003
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 3:23 am Post subject: |
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AJB,
Need a bit more info to help ya out here.
As Gordon mentioned, what are your ages and nationalities??? Will you be eligible for WHV's??? As Gordon mentioned without a degree a regular work visa is impossible.
Are you cool with teaching primarily children??? I know you said you have a year in Korea, but what about your partner- any experience and what kind??? What kind of TESOL is it??? Did it include any practical teaching experience or is it just a 'theoretical' degree???
Give us a bit more and we can probably help ya.
Cheers,
ryuro
ps. just a note on the TESOL- although others may disagree with me, I don't think they're particularly beneficial over here. |
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J-Pop
Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 215
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 3:35 am Post subject: "a" TESOL? |
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| ryuro wrote: |
. . . What kind of TESOL is it??? Did it include any practical teaching experience or is it just a 'theoretical' degree??? . . .
Give us a bit more and we can probably help ya. . . .
ps. just a note on the TESOL- although others may disagree with me, I don't think they're particularly beneficial over here. |
OK, I'll bite. What is a TESOL? Is this something similar to a diploma, or a certificate. Or, is it actually a degree, BA or BS (as in a degree from a uni)?
I'm a bit confused (not necessarily an unusual state of affairs for me, nowadays it seems!  ). But, the first poster, AJB, said his partner does not have a degree, but does have a TESOL?
I'm recalling the discussion in another thread about some of the differences between Canadian & American & British systems of schooling & educational credentials.
Assuming this is something unique to Canada (maybe, Britain, too?) I guess there are different types of TESOLs? Interesting. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:30 am Post subject: Re: "a" TESOL? |
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| J-Pop wrote: |
OK, I'll bite. What is a TESOL? Is this something similar to a diploma, or a certificate. Or, is it actually a degree, BA or BS (as in a degree from a uni)?
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Could mean anything. By itself ("Has a tesol") is meaningless as TESOL simply means Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
As far as qualifications go, there are undergraduate certificates out there, graduate certificates, mickey mouse certificates. And that's before you even wade into the sad, sad field that is actual entire degrees in the subject.
They can all be qualifications in TESOL (or any other number of acronyms), but just saying "a tesol" doesn't really mean anything.
Play the language game, kiddies! :) |
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BenJ
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 209
Location: Nagoya
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 11:50 am Post subject: |
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| sad sad field? You dont think it's a field worthy of deeper study? |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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| I have a graduate degree in the subject and it certainly hasnt done me any harm professionally or income wise. I guess it all depends on what you want to gain out of the whole teaching experience and whether a TESOL teaching career actually appeals to you deep down. |
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shmooj
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1758
Location: Seoul, ROK
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Nova sucks... but it doesn't suck by all accounts. IOW, they might actually hire someone without a degree. But I can't see how they would pass this by immigration who are pretty hot on people having degrees. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2003 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Nova hires people on a working holiday. Many people on a working holiday visa don't have degrees. The most important thing is to have a visa that lets you work. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 2:53 am Post subject: |
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| canuck wrote: |
| Nova hires people on a working holiday. Many people on a working holiday visa don't have degrees. The most important thing is to have a visa that lets you work. |
A working holiday is only available to non-Americans and only lets you work part time at any one place. He will not be able to get a full time job with just a working holiday visa.
Many people on WHV dont have a degrees because its not a requirement of the visa, as the purpose of the working holiday visa is travel, not just work, while allowing you to work part time to support your stay. It is not meant to replace a full-time working visa. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:20 am Post subject: |
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Correct Paul. But nothing is stopping people on working holiday visas from working two 20 hour jobs at two different companies. For Canadians, it's 6 months plus the option to renew for another 6 months (esentially a year).
Australians can renew twice for 18 months. British people can now get a working holiday visa. Not sure about the specifics, as well as Kiwis etc.
Americans are SOL on the working holiday visa, as you stated.
Yes, the spirit of the working hoiday visa is to travel, work and do all sorts of things. However, in practice, many just set up for a year, work and do a little bit of traveling. Or many people that do have degrees, use it because it's quicker and change their visa status when they find a sponsor etc.
You must use it before your 30 or lose it, and you can only use it once. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:41 am Post subject: Re: Chances of finding a job without a degree? |
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| AJB wrote: |
So what are the chances of him finding employment in Japan? I know NOVA takes on part timers like this but from all accounts NOVA sucks...are there any other schools/institutes that do this or similar? We he be able to just cold call and land something off the bat? Would he find sufficient privates? Are there other countries that be a better option?
Any suggestions would be wholly apreciated.
Cheers! |
As stated above, it really depends on your partners nationality if they can get a WHV. If he is an american he is SOL as a degree is required for a work visa, and he cant get a working holiday visa.
If you dont wnat to work for NOVA there are plenty of other schools but I can not give any recommendations off hand. best idea is surf the job sites at http://www.gaijinpot.com and Ohayosension.com and see if there are any that accept WHV.
My general feeling is that if schools are not advertising they are not really hiring but I would probably recommend against doing a 'mass mailing of your CV. All you really do is waste paper and postage. Best to find out where you want to work and see whats available first, and contact a few schools. Some schools hire new teachers on a regular monthly basis (like GABA for instance) but that is a sign of high teacher turnover and is usually a red flag that they dont hold teachers very well.
Privates take a long time to accumulate, you really need a full time job first and a steady income before you can go looking for privates as you will need somewhere to live, a phone to contact students, some kind of pricing system in place to offer your students. Very few people manage to support themselves on privates alone and a lot of it is 'word of mouth'.
| AJB wrote: |
Hi there.
Can anyone help me out here...?
My partner and I want to do a year teaching English...it's sweet as for me, I've done a year in Korea. My partner on the other hand is degree less though he does have a TESOL.
Cheers! |
TESOL doesnt really translate into financial terms as most schools do not pay you extra for having a TESOl certificate. You really need that degree as thats what allows you to stay in the country. If he can get a WHV the TESOL cert is gravy to employers though they wont pay him any extra for it. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| BenJ wrote: |
sad sad field? You dont think it's a field worthy of deeper study?
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Oh, no, no. Quite the opposite. I really wish there *was* a lot more quality study being done in the area.
I just happen to think that the field (my comment was mainly directed at the academic area) is pretty much a joke if it ever wants to claim to be an actual discipline. Language teaching (*especially* in the English-speaking world) is very much seen as a pure money spinner by universities.
IMO the quality of teaching and research is awful in the vast majority of places. Over the years I've formed the distinct opinion that it is a bit of a haven for people that couldn't hack it in real disciplines.
All of which is rather depressing for the places and people that are genuinely serious about it all.
YMMV |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| canuck wrote: |
You must use it before your 30 or lose it, and you can only use it once.
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<heh>
As with almost all Japanese regulations you need to remember that the rules always begin with, "In principle...".
For example, over the years I have had two WHV's and the second one was granted even though I was outside the nominal age range. It's all in how you fill out the forms and who you happen to strike on the day they're processing them. :) |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:58 am Post subject: |
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| I think they raised the qualification age of the WHV to 40 (might be wrong about that) |
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