Job Discussion Forums

[ebond007]

I'll try to give my background in as brief as possible:

25 year old male
Married
Ready to move
Seeking ALT employment
Currently living in Texas
Passport ready

Myself:
BA in English (graduated 2007)
Minor in Japanese (communication skills are so rusty as to be almost worthless, but I'm brushing up)
Graduated with high honors
2.5 yrs tutoring ESL for undergrad university
6 yrs studying and assistant-coaching martial arts
Currently employed as Personal Trainer for local gym
Teach Tai Chi lessons part-time on the side
Good references

Wife:
BA in History (graduated 2007)
Minor and certification in secondary education
5 semesters Japanese classes (also very rusty)
Graduated with high honors
5 yrs studying and assistant-coaching martial arts
Currently employed as Assistant Manager in the retail sector
Teach vocal lessons part-time on the side
Decent references

Hopefully that will cover the pertinent data to get my questions answered.

We're currently seeking ALT employment in Japan. Ready to move within a month. Never lived outside the U.S. We desperately want to avoid the Eikaiwa scene, and would like to be placed someplace a bit more rural, preferably in northern Japan or Kanto, but are willing to accept whatever placement will get us there.

Now, my questions:

1. For people without much money saved up, how do you make the transition to your new place of residence? I assume there's got to be a period of about a month where you don't get paid.

2. I know the school year just started. Do we stand much of a chance applying this time of year, and is there anything we can do to improve our chances?

3. We've applied with Interac. Are there any other avenues to explore that are at least *moderately* reliable/trustworthy?

4. I hear a lot about "university positions," but I never see any posted at the usual spots (gaijinpot, ohayosensei, etc.)--or at least none that don't require an MA or PhD. How does one gain awareness of these?

5. We have two cats. Completely house-trained, well-mannered, and quiet. Any way to take them with us?

6. As I said, we have long-term ambitions for this venture. Not necessarily staying as ALTs forever, but some sort of career in the Japanese/international community. We're certainly not interested in a year of "working vacation" and then heading back to the states. Any potential "career" avenues to pursue should we manage to get over there and get working?

7. Anything else you folks would say to someone in my position?

Thanks!

[Glenski]

Both of you are minimally qualified for eikaiwa or ALT work. You just missed the prime hiring season for most jobs. ALTs get work in public schools mostly, and since the school year has already started, anything you get through a dispatch agency will likely be because a savvy teacher bailed out at the last minute. Just beware.

1. For people without much money saved up, how do you make the transition to your new place of residence? I assume there's got to be a period of about a month where you don't get paid.
Yup. Plan to have US$4000-5000 on hand when you move here.

2. I know the school year just started. Do we stand much of a chance applying this time of year, and is there anything we can do to improve our chances?
See above.


3. We've applied with Interac. Are there any other avenues to explore that are at least *moderately* reliable/trustworthy?
Most dispatch agencies operate illegally, but MEXT looks the other way. Caveat emptor. Better to find an employer and ask about him here by name. (Expect negative threads to be deleted due to advertising concerns, but get private messages or email if you can first.)

4. I hear a lot about "university positions," but I never see any posted at the usual spots (gaijinpot, ohayosensei, etc.)--or at least none that don't require an MA or PhD. How does one gain awareness of these?
Neither of you is the least bit qualifeed for university positions. Plus, competition is steeper than you'd imagine.

5. We have two cats. Completely house-trained, well-mannered, and quiet. Any way to take them with us?
My advice: don't. Besides, it will take 6 months of preparations before you can bring him here, or he will be in quarantine that long, I think, after you arrive. Moreover, most landlords don't rent to anyone with pets, and when they do, you have to pay more. Leave Fluffy home.

6. As I said, we have long-term ambitions for this venture. Not necessarily staying as ALTs forever, but some sort of career in the Japanese/international community. We're certainly not interested in a year of "working vacation" and then heading back to the states. Any potential "career" avenues to pursue should we manage to get over there and get working?
First, don't shirk eikaiwa work. It's far more legal than ALT dispatch.
Second, join ETJ and network.
Third, get some qualifications and network. The market here is flooded, so you need all the edge you can get. Just don't flaunt TEFL/TESOL certifications.
Fourth, get whatever FT job you can, and then get supplemental PT work and network.

7. Anything else you folks would say to someone in my position?
Yes, don't expect to land work in a month. The visa may take 4-8 weeks to process.

Also, tell us where you are interested in working (or not).

And, if you plan to work in the same company/school, don't plan on many employers willing to do that.

If you're coming here jobless, stay at a guesthouse and network.

[Appletreesrtall]

About cats.

I was completely hell-bent on bringing my cats to Japan, and I asked on this forum what to do and how to get it done. Its DO-ABLE, but seriously, not worth it. Don't just think about yourself, but think about your pets. A 14 hour flight, then moving into a different country (with new enviroment, and how that can affect them).... thats a lot to ask of our of your furry friends.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=56831&highlight=cats

That's the post I made, and what everyone said. Do a search on "cats" for the Japan forum, and you'll see more info. It breaks my heart that my cats aren't with me here in Japan, but I really think they're a lot better off.

Plus, have u considered your work schedule? You're gone half of the day on weekdays, so they're all alone. Just sucks :-/

Also, as Glenski mentioned, you're attempting to come in at a bad time, where most employers have already done their hiring. Have you tried the forum here to see what schools are personally posting positions? And for other jobs, you gotta be careful with that, most Japanese schools will state in their contract that you are not allowed to work anywhere else while you are employed with them. If they find out you are doing so, they can fire ya :-/ Best of luck.

[ebond007]

Well, Glenski, that was um... honest, if a bit harsh-sounding. Still, I appreciate the info.

Appletreesrtall: thanks for the additional input. I will do some reading and think long and hard before making a decision about the cats.

Some follow-ups:

1. Are we really that bottom-of-the-barrel as employable entities? I know we're not Rhodes Scholars or anything, but I figured the nature of our education and experience would be at least moderately appealing to employers. It's not like we've got completely un-related degrees, no esl experience, and no previous education in the language and culture (as I hear is the case with many applicants).

2. Is there any way to subsidize yourself a bit for that first month? For a number of reasons, simply blowing $4-5k in a month is a pretty tall order for me right now.

3. This is the first time I've heard Eikaiwas being described as decent work. Everything I've read online and everyone I've talked to over there says to avoid them like the plague. Even my former Japanese professor (a native) says she discourages her students away from them as strongly as possible.

As for where we'd like to work: as I said, we'd really prefer somewhere in northern Japan or the Kanto region, but we're absolutely prepared to accept pretty much any location as a means of getting over there and getting established. Obviously, it's pretty much necessary that we be placed in the same general area, but I don't think either of us expects that we would actually be employed at the exact, same school.

[Glenski]

[G Cthulhu]

[ebond007]

Geez... ok, I get it. You guys know it's possible to provide feedback that's firm and sobering without actually sounding angry, right? I *said* I appreciated the input, and I do. I wasn't criticizing the person who volunteered to provide me with information, just commenting on the tone.

[G Cthulhu]

[typo]

None of the posts here struck me as particularly harsh--or even remotely harsh. They're giving you the skinny. Kinda strikes me odd that you'd respond antagonistically.

Anyway, I'm a third party English teacher in Korea, looking at Japan in a year and a half or so, and I really appreciate Glenski et al. informed opinions on the topic. Thanks guys

[typo]

On a side note, it's cute that you think university positions are available, much more given your credentials..


For the record, I think I'm the only one posting in this thread approaching impoliteness. But, calling the other posters "angry" or "harsh" isn't particularly that nice when you got several detailed responses to your longish questions. Just a heads up

[bearcat]

[mimimimi]

Again - - - about the cats.

Please leave them with friends or adopt them out. I left my cats with friends and am so glad for it. I've moved several times so far and can't imagine how much more difficult it would've been (on me and them) had I brought my cats.

Strangely some rental places I looked at accepted dogs but not cats. The realtor guy said that cats scratch up the place - - Okay, I agree that cats sometimes scratch walls and doors, but it's not like dogs never do!

[ebond007]

Thank you, again, for the input.

I'm not sure what I said that made it seem like we were so "desperate" or picky about our job prospects. We're really not.

When I said, "ready to move within a month," I meant that we CAN move quickly if a job asks us to do so. Ideally, I'd like to move sometime in the next 5 months, though (i.e. - by the end of summer).

When I talked about our location preferences, it was just that: a preference. I thought I said pretty clearly that we're willing to start out anywhere there's an opening and then seek a more preferable location for subsequent jobs.

We don't need to work for the same company, just in close enough areas to be able to live together.

Really, the only thing I'd like to avoid is the Eikaiwa scene, and even that is subject to change depending on the situation.

[Glenski]

OK, folks, we've got the tone issue out of the way. Cool. (Or since I'm a drug fiend, perhaps I should say, "Like, way cool, man." in my best Cheech and Chong accent.)

[dove]

I know that the eikaiwa scene has a bad rep, and much of it is deserved. But the students who take lessons there can be wonderful. Why? They want to be there. They choose to be there. (Of course there are some exceptions). I have taught at both junior high schools and universities and, while the hours and benefits were much better, I dreaded the unmotivated students. I also did not like team-teaching at the jhs level. Yes, I know there are exceptions and I know there are standout students-diamonds in the rough, as it were-- and I know it's what you make of it, blah blah blah.... Just saying I wouldn't necessarily disregard eikiawa jobs, especially if this is your first shot at teaching in Japan.