Job Discussion Forums

[alitheia1331]

Hello all!

I have been lurking around this forum for quite some time, and I've found a plethora of information that's been a great starting point in my journey to teach English in Japan. Now, I think it's time to put my situation out there, and see what you guys think about my prospects

I'm 23 and about to graduate with a BA in English Literature and Political Science this April. I am from Ontario, Canada.

I have modest teaching experience at the University level, as I have been working part time as a Teaching Assistant for a first-year politics course. This involved 25 hours of classroom time, 25 hours of prep time, and marking hundreds of essays, midterms, short assignments and the like.

I am planning on doing an ACE-TESOL Certificate program this spring. It includes 100 hours of training and a 20 hour practicum.

I realize that I am one of hundreds of teacher-wannabes with similar experience, but I am determined to come to Japan and try my luck! I will be traveling with my boyfriend who speaks fluent Japanese - he will not be looking for a job in Japan, as he has a full-time job that enables him to work from around the world (lucky!). We are planning on arriving sometime in August.

We are looking to set up in a bigger city, like Tokyo or Osaka. We really love the music scene wherever we've been, and I'd be interested in hearing from any street musician or concert-goer where the best place for artists/musicians/creative-types is in Japan

As we are from Canada and both within the age requirements, we are looking to get Working Holiday Visas. My boyfriend will not *likely* be working in Japan, but it would be nice to have the option if the situation arose. That being said, here is where my questions come in:

1 - A WHV requires a return ticket booked 6 months (later extended to a year) from your ticket into Japan. Does anyone have experience with (or have opinions on) booking the "return" ticket outside your country of origin? Basically, we want to travel around Europe once our Visas expires, and I am curious about getting the Visa with a a ticket to, say, Italy as my "return", even though my home country is Canada.

2 - The job market. I know the general opinion here is that it is highly competitive and crowded, and mid-August is not a great time to be looking. My plan is to gather as many job postings as I can from websites like ohayosensei.com before we leave, and hit the pavement running when the plane lands. I do not mind putting in the leg-work, applying to fistfuls of schools in person and hoping for the best. Is there anywhere in Tokyo or Osaka or another large city that you think is a good central place to hunker down while this job hunt is in process?

3 - Tied to the above, do you have any recommendations on guest houses that are cheap and offer male/female shared rooms? Does such a thing exist? Or perhaps a monthly apartment that does not require key money/an extended lease, etc? I am looking into Sakura house and I think one called International house, but if you have had any great (or horrible!) experiences with guest houses, please pass them on This would just be during my job hunt, as we would find a more permanent apartment once I landed something.

4 - Contracts. Once I land a job, would the contract expire in April (as I gather that is the beginning of a new school year)? Or would it be a year-long contract from the date it is signed (hopefully sometime early September if my job hunt is successful!)? Or does this vary greatly from employer to employer?

5 - Prospects for private lessons. If I got stuck with a part-time job, or, worst-case, no job at all, I would be interested in advertising for private lessons. Any general advice on this?

And that is that! Sorry for the ultra-long post. I have wanted to visit Japan for ages, and teaching is something that I've recently become very passionate about. I really look forward to your replies!

Thanks so much!

Lauren

[Glenski]

1 - A WHV requires a return ticket booked 6 months (later extended to a year) from your ticket into Japan. Does anyone have experience with (or have opinions on) booking the "return" ticket outside your country of origin?

I would think any ticket that gets you out of Japan would be sufficient.

2 - I do not mind putting in the leg-work, applying to fistfuls of schools in person and hoping for the best. Is there anywhere in Tokyo or Osaka or another large city that you think is a good central place to hunker down while this job hunt is in process?

There aren't any sections of the cities that have clusters of EFL jobs, if that is what you mean. Just find a place to stay that seems relatively central and within your finances.

3 - Tied to the above, do you have any recommendations on guest houses that are cheap and offer male/female shared rooms? Does such a thing exist? Or perhaps a monthly apartment that does not require key money/an extended lease, etc?

LeoPalace21 has furnished apartments with no key money. Check their web site for details.

4 - Contracts. Once I land a job, would the contract expire in April (as I gather that is the beginning of a new school year)?
Depends on the contract and employer.

5 - Prospects for private lessons. If I got stuck with a part-time job

Stop. "Stuck" implies something negative. It's not. PT jobs give you more freedom, and even though WHV holders can get PT or FT work, a lot of people (including employers) imagine that only PT work is available to them.

or, worst-case, no job at all, I would be interested in advertising for private lessons. Any general advice on this?

Information centers would be a good place to start. Nowadays there are electronic boards for these things. Findateacher.com used to be hot. Don't know the names of them anymore. Just keep your profile up to date, or you'll fall to the bottom of the "available" list.

[alitheia1331]

Glenski - Thanks so much for your reply. Your suggestion for LeoPalace21 is particularly helpful. I'm looking at their website right now, and it looks like they offer exactly what I'm looking for Thanks!

I didn't mean to sound so negative about working part-time. Right now I think full time is my preferred route, but when I get there I might become so enamored with the city that I'll only want to work PT to allow for more trips and sightseeing. I also do some writing/blogging on the side, so that could financially make up for the deficit of PT work, if private lessons don't materialize. I will definitely look into online postings for lessons once I'm settled in, however.

Again, thanks a lot for your reply!