Job Discussion Forums

[dan76brooklyn]

Hello,

I found this site recently. It has been very interesting to read up on people's experiences in the world of Overseas English Teaching. What a great resource of information (Thanks DAVE)!
I'm making my first post hoping to get some feedback on my own unique objectives.

Thanks in advance for reading and offering any advice to my query...

A bit about myself:

I'm in my 30's, married to a Japanese woman, we have a son who will be three shortly. My wife grew up in Okayama, Japan.

We decided after our last trip to Japan that it would be a great experience for us as a family, and especially for our son, for us to live in Japan for a while.

I just completed a TESOL certificate program here in New York City. It was a great experience (but I feel I still have a lot to learn) and I'm excited about pursuing this vocation.

I have applied to AEON (still waiting to hear back from them about an interview) I have tried to contact some schools in Okayama directly. But I feel like with my lack of real world experience that my best bet is to go through a training program at an English school.

We are pretty sure that we will be setting out in a couple months and I'm hoping to hear from folks in Okayama who might have any leads on jobs or advice on where to go to look for work once we get there.

It sounds like we have a house we can rent a bit outside of the city. If the ESL thing does not work out, I can always work at my father-in-laws bicycle shop!

[Glenski]

A "training program at an English school" is meager training at best, and usually focused only at how to do the job at that particular school. The best training after some sort of certification is on the job training and personal development (especially by attending/participating in teacher conferences).

Do you have a spouse visa yet? If not, get one. Even if you plan to stay in Japan just a few years, it will make you more marketable. And, you'll need a spouse visa or work visa to do stuff even at that bike shop.

[kellysensei]

No real advice here, but I lived in Kurashiki for over two years and visited neighboring Okayama weekly. Great place to live! You will love it. I worked for AEON Amity and was very satisfied with my experience. I hope you get an interview!