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| Which city in Japan has the lowest applicant-to-job ratio? |
| Tokyo |
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37% |
[ 3 ] |
| Yokohama |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Osaka |
|
12% |
[ 1 ] |
| Nagoya |
|
25% |
[ 2 ] |
| Sapporo |
|
12% |
[ 1 ] |
| Sendai |
|
12% |
[ 1 ] |
| Kobe |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Kyoto |
|
0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Fukuoka |
|
0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Kawasaki |
|
0% |
[ 0 ] |
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| Total Votes : 8 |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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 Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:38 am Post subject: Best City for Low Applicant-to-Job Ratio |
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Which city in Japan has the lowest applicant-to-job ratio? I'd prefer to work in northern Japan (Tohoku or Hokkaido) but getting any job at all is more important to me than being in northern Japan.
Here's the time frame that I'm talking about:
Until February 27: Work on finding a replacement for my job here in Taiwan, and prepare to pound the pavement in Japan (buy a plane ticket, make gaijin house reservations, cram more Japanese, and tie up loose ends here in Kaohsiung).
February 28 - March 5: While still in Taiwan, blitz schools on Gaijinpot and Ohayou Sensei with about 20 job applications/cover letters/resumes.
March 6: Arrive in Japan. Begin another blitz of about 30 more job apps and begin attending job interviews/demos in that city, and also, for good measure, purposely apply to some out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere schools where hopefully the competition rates are lower, and use a special train pass (likely the Seishun 18 ) to commute out to them cheaply.
Hopefully that'll work, and I'll find a job. And if it doesn't, I will stay into April and May hoping there will be openings for schools that had a midnight runner or for whom things didn't work out.
My quals are a BS, CELTA done in Korea, 1.5 years of experience in Taiwan, and JLPT Level 4 (though I took that test in '08 and my Japanese is much better now).
Which would be the best city for me to apply? Please don't say Tokyo, because I know most jobs there are like 50:1 or 100:1. |
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sabina
Joined: 11 Nov 2010
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:25 am Post subject: |
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Hmm I know you said you wanted to work in Northern Japan but I constantly see ads for/hear about available jobs in Hiroshima. I live there now and I can say it's a very nice city!
(I was going to post a link to the site where I saw the majority of the job ads but it seems to be down for some reason...sorry about that!)
Good luck! |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:43 am Post subject: |
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| sabina wrote: |
Hmm I know you said you wanted to work in Northern Japan but I constantly see ads for/hear about available jobs in Hiroshima. I live there now and I can say it's a very nice city!
(I was going to post a link to the site where I saw the majority of the job ads but it seems to be down for some reason...sorry about that!)
Good luck! |
Hiroshima would have been next on my poll, but it limited me to ten options. 
You know, unrelated to Hiroshima, I've noticed something strange -- a lot of jobs on Shikoku.
Was that just a temporary anomaly on O-hayo Sensei, or are there a relatively large number of jobs on Shikoku?
Teaching in northern Japan specifically isn't all that important to me. Although sledding and skiing and making snowmen and snow forts and igloos is something I've been craving after a year and a half in tropical Taiwan, it's not the end of the world if I have to settle for a job farther south. 
To be honest, with the competition rates these days, I'm deathly afraid of not finding any job at all... |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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I don't think you're going to find the data you're looking for. I realize you are looking to optimize your chances of landing work here, but you shouldn't think like this. Apply to as many decent-looking places as possible and hope for the best. Really.
| Quote: |
| blitz schools on Gaijinpot and Ohayou Sensei with about 20 job applications/cover letters/resumes. |
In just a week's time? That's not a blitz. It's a blip.
| Quote: |
| March 6: Arrive in Japan. Begin another blitz of about 30 more job apps and begin attending job interviews |
More blips. You need to send out this many resumes per day! |
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sabina
Joined: 11 Nov 2010
Posts: 75
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:44 am Post subject: |
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I've seen a bunch of jobs in Shikoku, too...I forgot mention that you should check out japanenglishteacher.com....that's how I contacted my current employer and ended up with a job in Japan!
That site seems to get less traffic than gaijinpot so I'd say it's worth a look. |
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the4th2001
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 130
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2011 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Where exactly do you plan on staying? By the sounds of it, you're going to apply to anywhere and everywhere and assuming you do get interviews, the traveling costs are going to add up fast. Hopefully you've factored that into your plans. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:13 am Post subject: |
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| the4th2001 wrote: |
| Where exactly do you plan on staying? By the sounds of it, you're going to apply to anywhere and everywhere and assuming you do get interviews, the traveling costs are going to add up fast. Hopefully you've factored that into your plans. |
Three-week JR Rail Pass  nearly unlimited Shinkansen usage for three weeks.
After that runs out, in order to conserve money on transportation, I'll either:
1. Limit my search to a local area (and deciding which local area is why I started this thread)
OR
2. Get the Seishun 18 Kippu and continue to hunt for jobs in the middle of nowhere with low competition (however, not quite as far away as when I had the JR rail pass, because with only the regular trains, I won't be able to go very far in one day to get to a job interview).
As for where I stay, well, that's the purpose of this thread -- to find a good city in which to base myself after the JR Rail Pass runs out and transportation costs become prohibitively expensive. |
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the4th2001
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 130
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 11:30 am Post subject: |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| As for where I stay, well, that's the purpose of this thread -- to find a good city in which to base myself after the JR Rail Pass runs out and transportation costs become prohibitively expensive. |
It's probably just me, but you didn't communicate that very well. Non-the-less, good luck. Hopefully you can put your 69,200 JPY worth of tickets to good use. |
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inuzuki8605
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Posts: 98
Location: America
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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I think he is asking what city would be the best city to station himself while looking for work. (least competition and less amount of travel for interviews) To be honest, I would actually look in places like, Kobe, Nagoya, or Mie. I say this because of the location. Most people want to work in or near Tokyo, but Nagoya, Osaka, and other cities like that are also tourists type places and they are cheaper and closer together, so the travel costs and lodging expenses would be lower for you after your JR pass runs out and you would be able to interview in different big-ish cities and small towns to give yourself more variety. Good Luck! I really hope this helps!
BTW, finding a job might be more difficult than you think. So I would take Glenski's advice on putting in 30 apps a day. It's really tough competition, some company's take forever to get back to you, some require two interviews, and, on top of that, you kind of missed the job entry window for the spring. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| inuzuki8605 wrote: |
| I think he is asking what city would be the best city to station himself while looking for work. (least competition and less amount of travel for interviews) To be honest, I would actually look in places like, Kobe, Nagoya, or Mie. I say this because of the location. Most people want to work in or near Tokyo, but Nagoya, Osaka, and other cities like that are also tourists type places and they are cheaper and closer together, so the travel costs and lodging expenses would be lower for you after your JR pass runs out and you would be able to interview in different big-ish cities and small towns to give yourself more variety. Good Luck! I really hope this helps! |
Thank you. I finally decided on Osaka. I analyzed various job postings that claimed to offer sponsorship, plotted them on a map, and Osaka was basically the center of the visa sponsorship-offering cloud (although Tokyo has a lot of jobs, most do not offer sponsorship, according to my research).
| Quote: |
| BTW, finding a job might be more difficult than you think. So I would take Glenski's advice on putting in 30 apps a day. |
Yeah, actually, for once, I agree with even Glenski on that. I originally said "50 resumes is enough," but I'm going to aim for at least a few hundred. Once I get a system going, I bet I can do an application every 15 ~ 30 minutes (of course I will spend more time on applications for jobs I think I can realistically attain, and less time on applications for jobs that appear to be out of my reach).
| Quote: |
| It's really tough competition, some company's take forever to get back to you, some require two interviews, and, on top of that, you kind of missed the job entry window for the spring. |
I believe you on the competition. Things are getting brutal. Here in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, I just put up an ad on a local Internet bulletin board for my job (cram school, low-end job), and got 13 apps (including one from a guy with a master's degree, and another from a guy with ten years of EFL experience). It's incredible how many people want to apply for a $1,000-a-month job... I would imagine that with the yen so strong, there's a lot of demand to teach in Japan.
One thing that I take issue with, though, is "kind of missed the job entry window for spring." Ummm, how so? Isn't it February right now? Assuming that I start sending out apps right now, doesn't that give me the end of February and all of March, both of which are prime hiring months, to find a job?
I agree with you guys that it'll be competitive and that I may not even find a job (this I begrudgingly concede), but how can I have missed the boat on spring when spring hasn't even begun yet?
Plane ticket bought:
Arrival: 3/7/2011 (11:55 AM, Osaka's airport)
Departure/onward ticket (if I fail to find a job): 6/2/2011 (headed for Busan, Korea, so I can find a job in Korea as a last resort and bail myself out economically)
Last edited by Rooster_2006 on Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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inuzuki8605
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Posts: 98
Location: America
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
One thing that I take issue with, though, is "kind of missed the job entry window for spring." Ummm, how so? Isn't it February right now? Assuming that I start sending out apps right now, doesn't that give me the end of February and all of March, both of which are prime hiring seasons, to find a job?
I agree with you guys that it'll be competitive and that I may not even find a job (this I begrudgingly concede), but how can I have missed the boat on spring when spring hasn't even begun yet?
Plane ticket bought:
Arrival: 3/7/2011 (11:55 AM, Osaka's airport)
Departure/onward ticket (if I fail to find a job): 6/2/2011 (headed for Busan, Korea, so I can find a job in Korea as a last resort and bail myself out economically) |
You know what? You are totally right! I was thinking about trying to find a job when you are in America. I just recently got hired for a position in Japan for the spring and I'm in America now. The window is earlier in my cast because of the visa and COE issue. So I was putting you in the same boat as me. Sorry about that! You should be fine because you are actually over there and can start work right away. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| One thing that I take issue with, though, is "kind of missed the job entry window for spring." Ummm, how so? Isn't it February right now? Assuming that I start sending out apps right now, doesn't that give me the end of February and all of March, both of which are prime hiring seasons, to find a job? |
Since you're going to be job hunting in country I wouldn't say you have missed the hiring season completely but you are cutting it pretty fine and you may be working illegally as it is thanks to your schedule.
It's already the end of February now. And you are going to arrive a week into March. Even if you managed to get hired in only a week that would leave you with only about 3 weeks to get your COE processed and submit it at your local immigration before many jobs start. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| One thing that I take issue with, though, is "kind of missed the job entry window for spring." Ummm, how so? Isn't it February right now? Assuming that I start sending out apps right now, doesn't that give me the end of February and all of March, both of which are prime hiring seasons, to find a job? |
Since you're going to be job hunting in country I wouldn't say you have missed the hiring season completely but you are cutting it pretty fine and you may be working illegally as it is thanks to your schedule.
It's already the end of February now. And you are going to arrive a week into March. Even if you managed to get hired in only a week that would leave you with only about 3 weeks to get your COE processed and submit it at your local immigration before many jobs start. |
True, it is cutting it close.
I would have liked to have arrived earlier (say early February) but that would have required breaking my contract in Taiwan. Unfortunately, March 7 is the best I could do without double-crossing my school (however, I can start sending out applications now).
My buxiban here in Taiwan has treated me very decently (I was financially devastated when I started working there, but under their decent and honest administration, I turned myself around financially and also finished my bachelor's degree), and I want to repay the favor. Although I will arrive in Japan later than I would like, at least it will be with a positive reference, an additional month of experience, a contract completed, a bit of extra pocket money, and a sense of a job well done.  |
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lisa111082
Joined: 20 Sep 2007
Posts: 37
Location: Too close to Mt. Fuji
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| inuzuki8605 wrote: |
| I think he is asking what city would be the best city to station himself while looking for work. (least competition and less amount of travel for interviews) To be honest, I would actually look in places like, Kobe, Nagoya, or Mie. I say this because of the location. Most people want to work in or near Tokyo, but Nagoya, Osaka, and other cities like that are also tourists type places and they are cheaper and closer together, so the travel costs and lodging expenses would be lower for you after your JR pass runs out and you would be able to interview in different big-ish cities and small towns to give yourself more variety. Good Luck! I really hope this helps! |
Thank you. I finally decided on Osaka. I analyzed various job postings that claimed to offer sponsorship, plotted them on a map, and Osaka was basically the center of the visa sponsorship-offering cloud (although Tokyo has a lot of jobs, most do not offer sponsorship, according to my research).
| Quote: |
| BTW, finding a job might be more difficult than you think. So I would take Glenski's advice on putting in 30 apps a day. |
Yeah, actually, for once, I agree with even Glenski on that. I originally said "50 resumes is enough," but I'm going to aim for at least a few hundred. Once I get a system going, I bet I can do an application every 15 ~ 30 minutes (of course I will spend more time on applications for jobs I think I can realistically attain, and less time on applications for jobs that appear to be out of my reach).
| Quote: |
| It's really tough competition, some company's take forever to get back to you, some require two interviews, and, on top of that, you kind of missed the job entry window for the spring. |
I believe you on the competition. Things are getting brutal. Here in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, I just put up an ad on a local Internet bulletin board for my job (cram school, low-end job), and got 13 apps (including one from a guy with a master's degree, and another from a guy with ten years of EFL experience). It's incredible how many people want to apply for a $1,000-a-month job... I would imagine that with the yen so strong, there's a lot of demand to teach in Japan.
One thing that I take issue with, though, is "kind of missed the job entry window for spring." Ummm, how so? Isn't it February right now? Assuming that I start sending out apps right now, doesn't that give me the end of February and all of March, both of which are prime hiring months, to find a job?
I agree with you guys that it'll be competitive and that I may not even find a job (this I begrudgingly concede), but how can I have missed the boat on spring when spring hasn't even begun yet?
Plane ticket bought:
Arrival: 3/7/2011 (11:55 AM, Osaka's airport)
Departure/onward ticket (if I fail to find a job): 6/2/2011 (headed for Busan, Korea, so I can find a job in Korea as a last resort and bail myself out economically) |
Osaka sucks for jobs, which is why I'm leaving here... good luck anyhow, and avoid all the ALT dispatch companies in Kansai. They're all crooked. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:25 am Post subject: |
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@lisa
It's not so much that I want to work specifically in Osaka as I think Osaka is a good base from which to hunt for jobs in other areas (not just Kansai). It's in a good strategic location. It is possible to hunt for jobs in Kansai, Chugoku, Chubu, and Shikoku without crossing an entire region first.
If I were to put myself in Tokyo, then attending job interviews in Kansai, Shikoku, or Chugoku would require crossing an entire region en route. For example, to get to Kansai, I would first have to cross all of Chubu, and only then could I enter Kansai. If I wanted to job hunt in Chugoku, I would need to cross both Chubu and then Kansai.
The beauty if putting myself in Osaka is that I can reach any point in any region (except Kyushu and northern Japan, with their dearth of jobs) relatively quickly. |
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