Job Discussion Forums

[igorG]

Has anyone on recently, without returning to their homeland, moved from China to Japan? If so, what obstacles have you encountered? Any feedback will be appreciated.

[seklarwia]

I went home between China and Japan, but I can think if a few obstacles you might face.

1. Interview locations: Few companies will recruit from abroad and fewer still/next to none are going to recruit from China. A very small number of schools/companies will offer a Skype interview, but most will want a face-to-face interview over 1-2 days. The big schools/companies who can afford to send recruiters abroad will hold interviews in English speaking countries, but the rest will expect you to come to them. So you will likely have to fly home (or to a closer English speaking country) to attend an interview seminar or come here to interview.

Of course, you could also come here during a peak hiring time with lots of money in you pocket and pound the pavements for success, but...

2. Money: A Chinese salary may give you a more than decent living in China, but it would convert into small change here.
Unless you have saved a considerable amount, you simply will not be able to afford to fly here or home for interviews, fly here to job hunt nor the incredibly high set up costs once you have a job.

3. Academic year: This will depend on what exactly you do, but I worked at a uni that had a year running from late September to mid-July. That meant my contract also started and ended in the summer. My contract also included bonuses and a large amount of reimbursement for holiday travel/flights home at the end of the first term and then at the end of the contract. But a large number of contracts here run from April to March, so you may have to consider breaking your contract in China and losing bonuses if your job follows the Chinese academic calender.

4. Qualifications: You haven't told us anything about yourself, but I have experienced China and know that there are a large number of foreigners working illegally (either on the wrong visa or without one) or who have managed to obtained a full work visa via the perfectly acceptable dogey means because they do not have a degree. If you are one of these people, know that that isn't going to work here.

[Glenski]

Let me elaborate a bit more on seklarwia's general comment at the end.

When do you plan to move here? When do you want to start working?
What is your background/education?
What sort of jobs do you want in teaching? So you need to make a certain amount?
What is your nationality?

[igorG]

Thank you both for your input.

As for the point of a mandatory personal interview, it's an eye opener. This may reduce a window of opportunities for me, if i don't make it to the country first.

With respect to the Japanese academic year vs Chinese, i see that i either may have to give up my bonuses in China or wait it out for a few months before submitting an application. Otherwise, i may consider compromising on just about everything and getting any kind of teaching job as entry level to Japan. My kids are of a kindergarten age and if i don't get a chance in a uni, i may try a kindergarten where i'd enroll my two little pumpkins. Are Japanese kindergartens strict on FTs applications and their background? Do they have set semesters as unis? I know i know it's a huge switch from uni teaching, but it's not so imposible given my circumstances.

Regarding my background and reasoning behind the decision to move, I am a qualified (not with a Canadian teaching license) and experienced Canadian that is contemplating to move to and work in Japan for a few reasons; one is that i am frustrated with the Chinese educational system and their poorly educated leaders, teachers and administrators, one is that i would like my kids to be trilingual and develop in Japanese language too, one is that the pollution on mainland China has seemingly contributed to my kids, as well as my health issues. We are having some kinds of a lenthy cold/flue/bronochites and troubles with the nose/breathing here in Southern Guangdong. Moreover on the frustration, the mainland academic materials and any access to foreign press here is so difficult. My kids are reading some really shitty books and it's coming to the point when i am very concerned about their growth.

Now, the question is about my wife, a Chinese national with a teaching and business experience on mainland. Do Japanese learn Chinese and how is Putonghua popular there? I know they both hate each other, but business is business, isn't it?

I am hoping for more info and i'd appreciate anything you write.

[seklarwia]

What exactly does qualified mean?

It is no easy thing to get employed in a decent uni position here. You are looking at a relevant masters and possibly publications just to get an employer to look at your application. And of course you will likely need relevant teaching experience. And in Japan, relevant teaching experience may mean teaching experience gained in Japan.

Glenski is one of the forum uni experts here so if you actually give your background and education details, he could probably tell you if you are even minimally qualified for one of the coverted uni slots.

Do people learn Chinese here? Yes, they do (and I should hope that they are learning putonghua and not one of the hundreds of dialects that exists in the mainland). But you may need to be within commuting distance of a proper city to get a job; it's definitely not studied anywhere near to the scale that English is.

I lived in Zhejiang, the silk and textile province... also meant the 24hr factory province, so I hear you on the health issues. I picked up a nasty chest infection and was stuck with it for most of a semester! And blowing your nose was the stuff of nightmares.

[igorG]

For your posts on, I thank you again. It's always nice to see anything from anyone that has had anything to do with the field of biz and the countries in case.

However, to tell you the truth, judging by what you are asking me for on feels like a couple of sharks are sniffing my feet. Yes, I am testing the waters, aren't I? Respectfully, why would i have to post my Resume on.

I still hope to get more on the topic, even though there's plenty in the stickies on the main page of the Japanese forums. There've got to be many FTs in Japan and that've come to the country from China or via daves site.

[Glenski]

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

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[igorG]

Those are mostly my experiences with mainlanders as well. By the same token, i do not believe that Japanese do not hate the mainlanders from China. It's pretty difficult if governments and their educational systems do not rectify that, isn't it?

[genesis315]

Unless I missed it, I did not see a request for you to post your resume anywhere in this thread.

[taikibansei]

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[louis.p]

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