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novogirl
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 2
Location: Australia
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 Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 9:41 am Post subject: Am I too old to get work? |
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| Hi... I really keen to teach English in Japan but wonder if I have left my dash too late. I am a 52 female, half japanese but born in Australia. I look years younger than my age, but I do look asian, would that be a problem? I can speak a bit of japanese. I have Science Degree, Grad Dip Ed (Secondary Science) with almost 6 years classroom teaching. Currently I am governess in remote Australia with primary and pre-school children (only 3 kids) and doing Advanced Diploma TESOL. In 2007 I spent 2 months in Japan and loved it. Am planning to come to Japan later this year or early 2011 and wondering whether I should try for Child of National visa (I already know that I am eligible... just have to secure guarantor). Should I apply for positions from Australia, or should I just arrive and look once in Japan? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 11:13 am Post subject: |
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Your age is not a problem (I'm older than you).
Being half Asian is not a problem if you ignore the few employers who can't believe English can't come out of your mouth. Just don't say you're half anything. Your nationality is Aussie. Period. (Unless you are going to use the legacy visa instead of a work visa.)
Your science degree makes you as vanilla as most newcomers, but your teaching experience is a wee edge up. Not many will care about the TESOL certificate, but it will still serve you well in the classroom.
Come here or stay there to look for work? Your choice. Do you have the money and patience to come at the right time? Come, and you increase your possiblities but it will be expensive. Stay, and you reduce your opportunities severely, but you can live at home until you're hired. Bottom line is when do you think you'll want to start work? |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 7:07 am Post subject: |
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yes, as pointed out above, your age shouldn't be a problem, most of the time, but the truth is, for some schools (all else being equal) they would hire a younger teacher more often than not (??)
But, yes there are teachers over 50 working. But if you asked me; who would have a better chance, a 44 year old or a 54 year old?
I would have to say a 44 year old (all else being equal) would be perferred.
But, you have teaching background and some good qualifications, I would go for it, a bit late but certainly not impossible (I myself am no spring chicken) |
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novogirl
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 2
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 8:14 am Post subject: Planning to arrive Dec or Jan 2011 |
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| Thanks for the feedback and advice. I started the O'Henro 88 Temples walk on Shikoku in 2007 and still have 62 temples to visit. So I was thinking of travelling to Japan on a tourist visa around December/January and finish the walk and also check out job opportunities. If it looks good then to go to Taiwan, Thailand or similar and apply for a work or Child of National Visa... ready to start in March/April. Does that make sense? Which visa would be better? |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 11:59 am Post subject: |
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| flyer wrote: |
But, yes there are teachers over 50 working. But if you asked me; who would have a better chance, a 44 year old or a 54 year old?
I would have to say a 44 year old (all else being equal) would be perferred. |
I think if qualifications and education were equal, it would depend on the age of the school owner and most of his clients, the owner's perception of what 10 years' difference in age would bring to the table, and the energy and chemistry of the candidates.
There is no need to leave the country to apply for the work visa. As for the heritage visa, you will need to follow these guidelines.
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/long/visa12.html
http://www.immi-moj.go.jp/english/tetuduki/kanri/shyorui/Table3-1.html
Job hunting in December/January is usually pretty bleak. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:18 pm Post subject: |
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I'm the third oldest ALT I've met so far in Japan at the age of... 25. I haven't met all the ALTs yet but I wasn't too happy with being the oldest one around at my age. Are ALTs always this young or is it just my company's preference?
At least I'm not the oldest but it does make me think that I need to move beyond ALT work and into something else in a few years (planned to anyway). |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
| I'm the third oldest ALT I've met so far in Japan at the age of... 25. I haven't met all the ALTs yet but I wasn't too happy with being the oldest one around at my age. Are ALTs always this young or is it just my company's preference? |
Get used to it. It's not only at your company. Although there are a growing number of older ALTs, the babies still greatly outnumber the older ones.
I doubt that it's only your company's preference responsible though.
I was one of the oldest when I arrived to my placement last March. And I only turned 24 last summer! One of the JETs who had already been here a year and a half is younger than me. Their partner who came out the summer before me via dispatch is a couple of years younger. Even if you take into account the older dispatch and direct hirer ALTs in the area (there are no older JETs around here), if you put us in a line by age and split it down the middle, I'd be in the older half. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
| I'm the third oldest ALT I've met so far in Japan at the age of... 25. I haven't met all the ALTs yet but I wasn't too happy with being the oldest one around at my age. Are ALTs always this young or is it just my company's preference? |
Get used to it. It's not only at your company. Although there are a growing number of older ALTs, the babies still greatly outnumber the older ones.
I doubt that it's only your company's preference responsible though.
I was one of the oldest when I arrived to my placement last March. And I only turned 24 last summer! One of the JETs who had already been here a year and a half is younger than me. Their partner who came out the summer before me via dispatch is a couple of years younger. Even if you take into account the older dispatch and direct hirer ALTs in the area (there are no older JETs around here), if you put us in a line by age and split it down the middle, I'd be in the older half. |
Why the hell is that? If you split a line down all the teachers in Korea the age would be something like 32 or 33, not 23. Most people who come to Japan and stay start at ALTs then do something else after a year? Or do most people just only do one year? |
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lenoreelux
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
Why the hell is that? If you split a line down all the teachers in Korea the age would be something like 32 or 33, not 23. Most people who come to Japan and stay start at ALTs then do something else after a year? Or do most people just only do one year? |
I am older than both of you and I will be starting with Interac this month. My plan is to say with Interac for a few years and gain experience and to work on my Japanese. If I decide that I enjoy teaching, then I will try to get hired at a school. But first I want to be able to pass JLPT lvl 1 or 2 so I can have more options. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
| Why the hell is that? If you split a line down all the teachers in Korea the age would be something like 32 or 33, not 23. Most people who come to Japan and stay start at ALTs then do something else after a year? Or do most people just only do one year? |
JET is only 5 years max (but I hear you need to be pretty special to get to stay the last 2 years) but many leave after only a couple of years once they get over their freakish Japan obsessions or in cases where they simply wanted gap years after uni. And of course, there is the age limit. Since they hirer a lot of new grads, many of the UK newbies are finishing their degrees whilst still being 20/21ish and coming out a few months later... you can see why they are often so young.
And although dispatchers do employ some older recruits, the low salaries, lack of job security and lack of benefits that often come with dispatch jobs means people don't often stay in them long term either. People who intend to stay for the long haul are going to want to move onto better jobs after a year or two regardless of their age when they arrived. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| One of my friends started ALT work about 3 years ago at the age of 38. While there are a lot of young ALTs, there are plenty of older ones around too. |
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Imseriouslylost
Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| lenoreelux wrote: |
| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
Why the hell is that? If you split a line down all the teachers in Korea the age would be something like 32 or 33, not 23. Most people who come to Japan and stay start at ALTs then do something else after a year? Or do most people just only do one year? |
I am older than both of you and I will be starting with Interac this month. My plan is to say with Interac for a few years and gain experience and to work on my Japanese. If I decide that I enjoy teaching, then I will try to get hired at a school. But first I want to be able to pass JLPT lvl 1 or 2 so I can have more options. |
We have the exact same plan except I'm not working for Interac.  |
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lenoreelux
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
| lenoreelux wrote: |
| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
Why the hell is that? If you split a line down all the teachers in Korea the age would be something like 32 or 33, not 23. Most people who come to Japan and stay start at ALTs then do something else after a year? Or do most people just only do one year? |
I am older than both of you and I will be starting with Interac this month. My plan is to say with Interac for a few years and gain experience and to work on my Japanese. If I decide that I enjoy teaching, then I will try to get hired at a school. But first I want to be able to pass JLPT lvl 1 or 2 so I can have more options. |
We have the exact same plan except I'm not working for Interac. |
Nice ^-^ I think it is a pretty decent plan.  |
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kokujin
Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 18
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 7:55 am Post subject: |
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| Imseriouslylost wrote: |
Why the hell is that? If you split a line down all the teachers in Korea the age would be something like 32 or 33, not 23. Most people who come to Japan and stay start at ALTs then do something else after a year? Or do most people just only do one year? |
No. 90% of the other english teachers I've met here in Korea are in their early to mid 20s.
I think the reason there may be more younger english teachers is because of the fact that some are coming straight from college(or within a year or two after) looking for adventure, an easy way to payoff students loans, and escape from the bad economy(speaking for US here). There are alot of older teachers but they're far a few compared to the younger ones. I think the alot of older people are already set into their careers and may have families to take care of. Also, think that schools might prefer younger teachers because they elieve that they can connect with students better.
P.S. 25 isn't that old. I'd categorize you in the crowd of young teachers. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| Good grief! 25 = old? That makes me Methuselah. There are plenty of us true oldsters around (if you want to call oldsters anyone older than 40, which is when I started TEFL!). |
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