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pedge1
Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:45 am Post subject: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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Hello all,
I'd just like to ask if anybody here gained 6-12 months entry level experience in Korea prior to gaining their first position in Japan? Is this a route many people have followed?
It seems that full time, 250k jobs in Tokyo, my ultimate objective, are highly competitive and not as prevalent as I had previously thought. Would teaching experience in Korea give me any advantage?
Also if, hypothetically, I was to break a 12 month contract in Korea after 6-9 months (i know this is a bit naughty), would this be viewed negatively by a Japanese employer or would it be best to complete the full 12 month stint?
All replies would be appreciated. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| pedge1 wrote: |
Hello all,
I'd just like to ask if anybody here gained 6-12 months entry level experience in Korea prior to gaining their first position in Japan? Is this a route many people have followed? |
Not me, but yes, many have.
| Quote: |
| It seems that full time, 250k jobs in Tokyo, my ultimate objective, are highly competitive and not as prevalent as I had previously thought. |
The market has gone downhill in salaries, that's why.
| Quote: |
| Would teaching experience in Korea give me any advantage? |
Depending on the employer, yes or no. IMO, you'll get more nos than yeses.
| Quote: |
| Also if, hypothetically, I was to break a 12 month contract in Korea after 6-9 months (i know this is a bit naughty), would this be viewed negatively by a Japanese employer or would it be best to complete the full 12 month stint? |
It would probably be questioned at the very least. Whether it actually came up in an interview is anyone's guess. |
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barbaricyip
Joined: 13 Oct 2011
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I now have a swanky job in Japan that I would not have gotten had it not been for my year of work at a nightmarish hagwon in Korea. It's all about the spin with which you sell your experience. |
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nimaime
Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:32 am Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| pedge1 wrote: |
Hello all,
I'd just like to ask if anybody here gained 6-12 months entry level experience in Korea prior to gaining their first position in Japan? Is this a route many people have followed?
It seems that full time, 250k jobs in Tokyo, my ultimate objective, are highly competitive and not as prevalent as I had previously thought. Would teaching experience in Korea give me any advantage?
Also if, hypothetically, I was to break a 12 month contract in Korea after 6-9 months (i know this is a bit naughty), would this be viewed negatively by a Japanese employer or would it be best to complete the full 12 month stint?
All replies would be appreciated. |
I think it would be better if you can at least finish a year in Korea. I'm on my 2nd year here only because I haven't been able to find an ideal position in Japan.
I think experience in Korea is highly beneficial. Kids are kids everywhere and if given a choice between someone who NEVER taught anywhere or was in a classroom versus a person who has experience (even less than a year like yourself), I know who I would choose. Every job I have ever applied to in Japan has asked about Korean experience.
It certainly can't hurt, but like I said, I think you should just finish your current contract. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:59 am Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| pedge1 wrote: |
Hello all,
I'd just like to ask if anybody here gained 6-12 months entry level experience in Korea prior to gaining their first position in Japan? Is this a route many people have followed?
It seems that full time, 250k jobs in Tokyo, my ultimate objective, are highly competitive and not as prevalent as I had previously thought. Would teaching experience in Korea give me any advantage?
Also if, hypothetically, I was to break a 12 month contract in Korea after 6-9 months (i know this is a bit naughty), would this be viewed negatively by a Japanese employer or would it be best to complete the full 12 month stint?
All replies would be appreciated. |
My personal experience:
- I taught for a little over a year and a half in Taiwan before coming to Japan.
- Before I was in Taiwan, I was a student studying abroad in Korea for a few years. During that time in Korea, I got CELTA and JLPT Level 4.
Both those things made me much more attractive to Japanese employers than "I just decided on a whim to move to Japan tomorrow without doing much prior preparation." So I flew to Japan and got a job within 12 days.
So yes, experience outside of Japan does count, at least to employers like mine.
That said, if it's less than a year, it'll raise red flags because they'll see you as a contract breaker. Contract breakers cost local businesses a ton of money because every time they change teachers, some students will inevitably quit. Student numbers don't replenish until the new teacher has been there for a while.
You can avoid being labelled a "contract breaker" by finding a position in Korea or China with a six-month or nine-month contract and finishing the contract, then specifically stating on your resume that it was a short-term contract, and get a letter from your employer (with telephone number) proving it. This should be possible with the TaLK Program in Korea, which has six-months contracts.
Even if you can arrange a short-term contract, though, less than a year of experience is also negligible, to be honest. I've been teaching for about three years and still don't consider myself the world's greatest teacher by any means.
Finally, many jobs in Tokyo won't hire you even if you have ten years of experience abroad for the simple reason that you don't have a valid work visa in Japan. So you might have to do a job in another part of Japan for a while and get that visa, and move onto Tokyo later on when you have the visa. Tokyo is very, very competitive. Competition drops exponentially with every 50 kilometers you put between yourself and Tokyo. |
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nimaime
Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:06 am Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
Both those things made me much more attractive to Japanese employers than "I just decided on a whim to move to Japan tomorrow without doing much prior preparation." So I flew to Japan and got a job within 12 days.
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I also have a CELTA and JLPT 4 but no luck getting anything, at least from abroad. I heard physically being in Japan greatly increases your odds. Do you think that's how you landed your job?
I got a great job in Korea now and was offered to renew but I have always wanted to work in Japan. I worry that if I go there and can't find something, I'm broke, then I don't have a job in Korea or Japan. I'm not sure what to do at this point but I have to give my boss here a heads up about my future plans in case they need to find a replacement for me. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:43 am Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| nimaime wrote: |
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
Both those things made me much more attractive to Japanese employers than "I just decided on a whim to move to Japan tomorrow without doing much prior preparation." So I flew to Japan and got a job within 12 days.
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I also have a CELTA and JLPT 4 but no luck getting anything, at least from abroad. I heard physically being in Japan greatly increases your odds. Do you think that's how you landed your job? |
Yep, it is.
When I was in Taiwan and preparing to go to Japan, I started doing mass e-mail apps shortly before arriving saying "English teacher available to interview in the Kansai Region" and got a fair amount of replies and even one interview lined up before even arriving on Japanese soil! On my first full day in Japan, I had an interview and lesson demo.
| Quote: |
| I got a great job in Korea now and was offered to renew but I have always wanted to work in Japan. I worry that if I go there and can't find something, I'm broke, then I don't have a job in Korea or Japan. I'm not sure what to do at this point but I have to give my boss here a heads up about my future plans in case they need to find a replacement for me. |
Ultimately, it's up to you.
You're unlikely to get hired to work in Japan sitting in Korea. Most employers recruit either within Japan or in your home country, not in Korea, so...
You can come this year and risk it with limited funds (that's what I did last year, coming from Taiwan, and it worked out).
Or you can re-contract in Korea, do another year, and spend that year improving your J-resume (JLPT, additional TEFL quals, etc.) and build some funds for when you come to Japan to job search the subsequent year.
Either way, you probably won't get hired for a job in Japan while living in Korea. It's theoretically possible, but very unlikely. So if I were you, I'd just risk it and come now. Competition is probably slightly lower than in previous years due to the earthquake/fallout and some teachers leaving/being scared off. If you wait until next year, it might get harder again.
And...if you can't find a job in Japan, China or Korea are always close by and their are plenty of jobs to be had for a teacher with CELTA and experience. Think of that as your safety net. |
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nimaime
Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:41 am Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| nimaime wrote: |
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
Both those things made me much more attractive to Japanese employers than "I just decided on a whim to move to Japan tomorrow without doing much prior preparation." So I flew to Japan and got a job within 12 days.
|
I also have a CELTA and JLPT 4 but no luck getting anything, at least from abroad. I heard physically being in Japan greatly increases your odds. Do you think that's how you landed your job? |
Yep, it is.
When I was in Taiwan and preparing to go to Japan, I started doing mass e-mail apps shortly before arriving saying "English teacher available to interview in the Kansai Region" and got a fair amount of replies and even one interview lined up before even arriving on Japanese soil! On my first full day in Japan, I had an interview and lesson demo.
| Quote: |
| I got a great job in Korea now and was offered to renew but I have always wanted to work in Japan. I worry that if I go there and can't find something, I'm broke, then I don't have a job in Korea or Japan. I'm not sure what to do at this point but I have to give my boss here a heads up about my future plans in case they need to find a replacement for me. |
Ultimately, it's up to you.
You're unlikely to get hired to work in Japan sitting in Korea. Most employers recruit either within Japan or in your home country, not in Korea, so...
You can come this year and risk it with limited funds (that's what I did last year, coming from Taiwan, and it worked out).
Or you can re-contract in Korea, do another year, and spend that year improving your J-resume (JLPT, additional TEFL quals, etc.) and build some funds for when you come to Japan to job search the subsequent year.
Either way, you probably won't get hired for a job in Japan while living in Korea. It's theoretically possible, but very unlikely. So if I were you, I'd just risk it and come now. Competition is probably slightly lower than in previous years due to the earthquake/fallout and some teachers leaving/being scared off. If you wait until next year, it might get harder again.
And...if you can't find a job in Japan, China or Korea are always close by and their are plenty of jobs to be had for a teacher with CELTA and experience. Think of that as your safety net. |
Well Korea is my safety net, if I came back here I'd never get a job as sweet as I have now. If/when I leave, there are people who would kill to have my job judging by some of the stuff I've been reading on the K message board. That's what makes this harder to just bite the bullet and leave, I actually like my job. Also, having been to China it's not a place I'd want to live.
The thing is my contract ends in May, one month after the prime hiring season. If I stay here another year I miss it again and I'd have to wait until April 2014. I'm already early 30s, I want to do this while I'm young.
You're right it might get more difficult next year. People will have forgotten about the earthquake and Korean public schools are laying everyone off by 2014 so next year more might migrate to Japan.
I'm ready to say *%@! it and take a shot win or lose. My heart has always been there and I want to finally experience it.
May I ask where you situated yourself (housing and region) while searching? |
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nimaime
Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:41 am Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| nimaime wrote: |
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
Both those things made me much more attractive to Japanese employers than "I just decided on a whim to move to Japan tomorrow without doing much prior preparation." So I flew to Japan and got a job within 12 days.
|
I also have a CELTA and JLPT 4 but no luck getting anything, at least from abroad. I heard physically being in Japan greatly increases your odds. Do you think that's how you landed your job? |
Yep, it is.
When I was in Taiwan and preparing to go to Japan, I started doing mass e-mail apps shortly before arriving saying "English teacher available to interview in the Kansai Region" and got a fair amount of replies and even one interview lined up before even arriving on Japanese soil! On my first full day in Japan, I had an interview and lesson demo.
| Quote: |
| I got a great job in Korea now and was offered to renew but I have always wanted to work in Japan. I worry that if I go there and can't find something, I'm broke, then I don't have a job in Korea or Japan. I'm not sure what to do at this point but I have to give my boss here a heads up about my future plans in case they need to find a replacement for me. |
Ultimately, it's up to you.
You're unlikely to get hired to work in Japan sitting in Korea. Most employers recruit either within Japan or in your home country, not in Korea, so...
You can come this year and risk it with limited funds (that's what I did last year, coming from Taiwan, and it worked out).
Or you can re-contract in Korea, do another year, and spend that year improving your J-resume (JLPT, additional TEFL quals, etc.) and build some funds for when you come to Japan to job search the subsequent year.
Either way, you probably won't get hired for a job in Japan while living in Korea. It's theoretically possible, but very unlikely. So if I were you, I'd just risk it and come now. Competition is probably slightly lower than in previous years due to the earthquake/fallout and some teachers leaving/being scared off. If you wait until next year, it might get harder again.
And...if you can't find a job in Japan, China or Korea are always close by and their are plenty of jobs to be had for a teacher with CELTA and experience. Think of that as your safety net. |
Well Korea is my safety net, if I came back here I'd never get a job as sweet as I have now. If/when I leave, there are people who would kill to have my job judging by some of the stuff I've been reading on the K message board. That's what makes this harder to just bite the bullet and leave, I actually like my job. Also, having been to China it's not a place I'd want to live.
The thing is my contract ends in May, one month after the prime hiring season. If I stay here another year I miss it again and I'd have to wait until April 2014. I'm already early 30s, I want to do this while I'm young.
You're right it might get more difficult next year. People will have forgotten about the earthquake and Korean public schools are laying everyone off by 2014 so next year more might migrate to Japan.
I'm ready to say *%@! it and take a shot win or lose. My heart has always been there and I want to finally experience it.
May I ask where you situated yourself (housing and region) while searching? |
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shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
Posts: 30
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:58 am Post subject: |
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To the OP:
My experience in Korea has helped me get offers to work in Japan (ESL) with two companies (I guess people are recruiting in Korea now - but not many).
They were both impressed with my experience and lesson planning.
My personal opinion though is if you want Japan (as in you are one of those crazy, manga/J-girl/anime obsessed types) then you should really try for Japan. The people I've met in Korea who "settled" usually end up unhappy because they're not getting their fix of Japan like they thought they would by living so close.
If you just want to save money, travel and experience living in Asia (or abroad) then Korea isn't bad at all and I'm still on the fence about leaving - I love it!
To the fellow above: I would seriously consider whether it is worth it to give up your severance to cut out of a contract a month or two early. Maybe you should consider looking at going to Japan in the fall. If you're working at a hagwon and you and the owner are on good terms, you can probably get them to extend your contract for a month or two. They probably wont mind since reliable teachers are hard to find. You'd be doing them a favor.
Last edited by shostahoosier on Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:01 am Post subject: |
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| shostahoosier wrote: |
| My personal opinion though is if you want Japan (as in you are one of those crazy, manga/J-girl/anime obsessed types) then you should really try for Japan. |
Excuse me for asking, but what is that supposed to mean? Are you implying that all/most people who come to Japan are like that? |
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shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
Posts: 30
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| shostahoosier wrote: |
| My personal opinion though is if you want Japan (as in you are one of those crazy, manga/J-girl/anime obsessed types) then you should really try for Japan. |
Excuse me for asking, but what is that supposed to mean? Are you implying that all/most people who come to Japan are like that? |
Glenski absolutely not, and I'm sorry if it came off that way.
I have friends who work in Japan who went because they were interested in Japanese culture. Nothing wrong with that.
However, I've also met people who wanted to go because they were absolutely obsessed. I've met several of the these people in Korea who are bitter and use every other sentence to mention how much better Japan is and how much happier they would be there. I cant put up much of a rebuttal but I'm pretty happy either way.
I'm sure everyone on this board has met someone like this. One of the recruiters who came over even mentioned how much it annoyed their company.
So my point was that if you live and breathe Japan then you might not be happy settling for someplace else. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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| shostahoosier wrote: |
| Glenski wrote: |
| shostahoosier wrote: |
| My personal opinion though is if you want Japan (as in you are one of those crazy, manga/J-girl/anime obsessed types) then you should really try for Japan. |
Excuse me for asking, but what is that supposed to mean? Are you implying that all/most people who come to Japan are like that? |
Glenski absolutely not, and I'm sorry if it came off that way.
I have friends who work in Japan who went because they were interested in Japanese culture. Nothing wrong with that.
However, I've also met people who wanted to go because they were absolutely obsessed. I've met several of the these people in Korea who are bitter and use every other sentence to mention how much better Japan is and how much happier they would be there. I cant put up much of a rebuttal but I'm pretty happy either way.
I'm sure everyone on this board has met someone like this. One of the recruiters who came over even mentioned how much it annoyed their company.
So my point was that if you live and breathe Japan then you might not be happy settling for someplace else. |
Yeah, there are def a lot of those weeaboos. Some people want to live abroad, and it doesn't matter too much where they go. For others, they need to live Japan. Or at least their image of it. |
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Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: Experience in Korea before going to Japan? |
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| nimaime wrote: |
Well Korea is my safety net, if I came back here I'd never get a job as sweet as I have now. If/when I leave, there are people who would kill to have my job judging by some of the stuff I've been reading on the K message board. That's what makes this harder to just bite the bullet and leave, I actually like my job. Also, having been to China it's not a place I'd want to live.
The thing is my contract ends in May, one month after the prime hiring season. If I stay here another year I miss it again and I'd have to wait until April 2014. I'm already early 30s, I want to do this while I'm young.
You're right it might get more difficult next year. People will have forgotten about the earthquake and Korean public schools are laying everyone off by 2014 so next year more might migrate to Japan.
I'm ready to say *%@! it and take a shot win or lose. My heart has always been there and I want to finally experience it.
May I ask where you situated yourself (housing and region) while searching? |
I situated myself near Osaka at a gaijin house called "Banana House" and job hunted from there. I mostly did my hunting with adverts in the Kansai Region. I ended up signing a contract in Yokkaichi, Mie-ken. |
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nimaime
Joined: 14 Aug 2011
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| shostahoosier wrote: |
To the OP:
To the fellow above: I would seriously consider whether it is worth it to give up your severance to cut out of a contract a month or two early. Maybe you should consider looking at going to Japan in the fall. If you're working at a hagwon and you and the owner are on good terms, you can probably get them to extend your contract for a month or two. They probably wont mind since reliable teachers are hard to find. You'd be doing them a favor. |
Your right, it's not worth it. I would lose out on my severance, pension, and housing security deposit, that's over $3000. Furthermore, I am on good terms with my principal/teachers and I wouldn't want to screw them over in any way. I don't work at a hagwon, it's a public school so they have to play by the rules.
I might look into a gaijin house like you did. I guess that would give me flexibility to move around a bit. The only question is "Where". My #1 choice would be Fukuoka but common sense says there are more jobs to be had in the Kansai and Hyogo regions. I might even take classes at a Japanese language school so I don't feel like I wasted all my money if I come back empty-handed. |
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