Job Discussion Forums

[lyonhead]

Hey guys. After 5 years teaching in Korea, I've decided to make the jump to Japan. Korea has just drained me. I need a change, and I've always been in love with Japanese culture (and women) so I thought, why not?

However, it's still months and months away, so I'm just starting to plan and could really use your help. I have some questions now, but I also plan to update this post every so often when I have some more.

Thanks!

1. How well does it work out to just come over and look for work there? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to go back across the Pacific to the states to look for a job, just to fly back again. The flight from Seoul to Tokyo is like 2 hours and there's no evil jet lag to deal with. Don't even have to reset my watch! So, I know Spring is the ideal time to find a job, but that's just not going to work for me. My job in Korea ends in July, so it's either quit early (I'm just not that kind of person) or hang out for another 6-8 months (not going to happen.) Do you think August is an okay time for job hunting?

2. How much should I budget while job hunting? In Tokyo, given what I've researched in terms of temporary housing costs, transportation, food, misc., I'm thinking about $2,000 a month and that's on a budget. I could afford to spend up to 2 months on that, with some reserve cash, before I lose more money than it's worth (and then have to take a rush flight back to Korea and grab the first hagwon contract thrown at me.)

3. Unlike Korea, Japanese schools don't provide housing. Which is a sacrifice I'm willing to accept (although tearing me away from this posh officetel I'm in now my prove more difficult than I think, lol.) Finding a place on my own doesn't seem too much of an issue. However, given I've lived in Korea all these years, I don't actually have any real furniture. Are there furnished apartments that are affordable? How expensive is furniture there? I don't have super high standards, but I do prefer to have a nice and clean place to come home to. A mattress on the floor and a tv in the corner just isn't going to cut it. Am I going to have to drop have my salary to have a nice place to live?

4. Living expenses - I've made a few visa runs to Osaka in my time here in Korea. Every time though, I'm shocked at the price of food. Maybe it's because I don't know the cheaper places to eat or that if what is considered inexpensive in Korea is the reverse in Japan, but one thing I can't make the points connect in my mind is what I've experienced in terms of how expensive I've seen life can be in Japan vs how I've heard other foreigners live rather frugally there. I've read people living quite comfortably and still managing to save a thousand US dollars a month or more! Can someone help connect the dots on that one for me?

5. Will my experience count? In 5 years I've taught every age from preschool to university. I've taught every English level from ABC to TOEFL essay writing. I have built entire curriculums here. But I do realize a Japanese school may look at me and say "you don't have experience in Japan, therefor you don't have any experience." While I don't see it that way, I'm not going to let that get me upset. It's not my country, not my culture, I understand things are done differently. I just want to enjoy my year or two in Japan and not get too caught up in manufactured drama. But do you think I'd have some leverage to ask for a little more than 250,000?

6. Dating - Okay okay, I know this isn't exactly job related, but come on, throw me a bone. Every time I've been to Japan, I've noticed I get a lot more attention from Japanese girls than I do Korean girls. Maybe it's the xenophobic culture in Korea (some Koreans girls are even made to feel ashamed if they're seen with white guys) or that my appearance is just more attractive to Japanese girls (I'm rather athletic and muscular, Korean girls tend to go for very feminine boy-ish kind of guys.) But there is an old cliche that Jgirls are notorious gold diggers. Only interested in money. And seeing as how your average English teacher doesn't have the kind of money to attract that level of interest, do a lot of you guys stay single most of the time? Am I going to have options when it comes time to find someone?

[Glenski]

[Pitarou]

[lyonhead]

Glenski, as always, is straight forward. Thanks a lot man. You really know your stuff.

So you said, perhaps giving a heads up to a few places before going over to let them know I'll be in town. Exactly, who should I let know? ECC? Aeon? Are there any other big chains?

Since getting a visa takes so long, do you think there might be a chance I could find a school and get the ball rolling on that while I'm still in Korea?

I've got 7 months before my contract in Korea ends and since it's such poor timing, I may extend a month or two. Plus I wanted to take at least a few weeks, maybe a month off to chill on a beach before I went to Japan. So I have anywhere from 7-9 months before it's possible to start working. It just seems like a waste of time to just start looking when I get there.

It might be too much to hope for, but it'd be ideal to have a job, visa, and place to stay all lined up before I even got to Japan. If a school really wanted, I could probably even hop over one weekend if they wanted an in person interview.

I tried to move over a few years ago, but it didn't work out. I really want to make it happen this time. That's why I'm putting in the work now.

[Sour Grape]

[Glenski]