Job Discussion Forums

JaneMansfield · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

Hi, I'm new here and couldn't find a thread about the california language institute and the search function isn't working :/

anyway, I was wondering who's applied before, and what the chances of getting a job are. What's the interview like? I'm about to graduate from university this year btw...

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Try this for some info.
http://www.eltnews.com/community/?board=organizations%3Baction=display%3Bnum=1139346125

JaneMansfield · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

Thanks, there's details about the company but nothing about the interview process.

So maybe if i broaden my question, what do these interviews tend to be like? and apart from JET (which i don't want to apply to) how competitive are these jobs?

I have no english teaching language experience or TEFL degree, but I'm about to graduate from a good UK university and have lived in Japan before, if anyone could offer any idea about where I stand in entry-level requirements.

tttyg · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16

JaneMansfield · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

JaneMansfield · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

seklarwia · Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 5:02 pm Post subject:

Some employers will want young and fresh faced individuals.

But an ever growing number of employers want people with teaching and/or working life experience because they've had too many graduates fresh out of uni who came here to party rather than work or who have no idea how to actually teach. So being young can sometimes prove a disadvantage.

In most cases though, your personality and chemistry with the employer is really what is getting you hired.

Which uni you graduated from matters little. And in entry level jobs, unless you have a degree that is teaching/TEFL related your course will matter little to the employer. In fact, for many the degree is merely for the purpose of getting a work visa and they'd actually quite happily employ somebody who didn't have a degree if they have a WHV, spouse/dependant's visa, permanent residency or the relevant experience to satisfy immigration to get a work visa.

Your chances for getting hired... who can say.
You will have little more than a degree which will place you amongst the majority of applicants for entry level jobs. Whether you get hired will depend on how well your cover letter and CV are written, how well you interview, your personality, (in some cases) how well you know your grammar, etc.

BTW: I'm now in my third year here and am 25 but have met new arrivals only last month who were likely 20+ years my senior.
The age of workers in entry level jobs is gradually creeping up. When I came here I was one of the oldest ALTs in my area, but now I'm being pushed further and further down the age rankings.

JaneMansfield · Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Posts: 16 Location: United Kingdom

thanks seklawria!!

so i guess it's a real mix...does it really not matter at all your degree, even if you go to a respected university (on intl university lists mine is top 10 in the world) ? i was hoping that might give me an advantage
Sad

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I'm considerably older than you and have not applied for an entry level job in a long time, but I keep abreast of many TEFL-related things.

What do interviews entail?
1. Assessing your personality and chemistry. Yes, they want to know how well you might mix with the students and staff. TEFL is a business first and foremost, even in public schools, so employers want to know if you will make the customers comfortable, and whether you can work with the staff.

2. Any J language ability will be a plus, mostly for the sake of communication with staff.

3. Any sense of teaching or making a lesson plan is probably high on an employer's list. Yes, for decades they have hired fresh-faced greenhorns with zero experience and degrees unrelated to teaching. (They still do.) But, if you talk too much even in an interview, but certainly during a demo lesson, you add red marks to your score.

4. That brings up the demo lesson. Even without a TEFL-related degree or any experience, applicants should be able to show some reasonable sense in building a lesson plan. Employers don't give you much time to show it, so aside from your charming personality, they will probably just assess how much you talk in it (compared to students), how applicable it may be for the student level you were told to target, and how complicated it might seem.

5. Experience with Japan is a plus. Savvy employers should be looking for people who will not suffer from culture shock. Even if one has not been here before, knowing something about the culture may help. Just don't go overboard with stories of anime/manga passion, or J boyfriends/girlfriends, or describing the culture itself.

6. Show an interest in the job. Believe it or not, but I think a lot of prospective teachers never really do that. They ask questions about sick leave or whether they can get J lessons or what kind of apartment is available. What they should be doing is show that they have actually researched the company enough to ask sound questions (e.g., about the school's teaching policies) and to demonstrate that they have something to offer the company. Don't ask what the company has to offer you.