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happiness
Joined: 04 Sep 2010
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 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| Neil wrote: |
| I so more people are willing to accept poor wages just to live here (curse you anime/manga! you blokes had better hope K-pop/dramas never take off in the west or you could wind up with the same problems) |
haha, everyone i know who even knows what a k-drama is says the same thing.
the stories are all the same.
(kind of like the people in the stories)
no, i love Japan for the people..the variety..the women..the fashion sense..the women..sniff snifff...i miss japan.. |
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Bill2K
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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Good luck finding work in Japan. I tried applying to over seventy places, and only got four interview offers. Of those four, I could only take the Skype interviews, since the interview sites were too far for me to attend.
Probably my Japanese ability and freedom not to have to rely on anyone scares most employers in Japan away from me. They probably sense the "he wants a visa for he can get real work in Japan" smell from me. Don't blame them, since I hope to never do this work again after this year. |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:05 am Post subject: |
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| Bill2K wrote: |
Good luck finding work in Japan. I tried applying to over seventy places, and only got four interview offers. Of those four, I could only take the Skype interviews, since the interview sites were too far for me to attend.
Probably my Japanese ability and freedom not to have to rely on anyone scares most employers in Japan away from me. They probably sense the "he wants a visa for he can get real work in Japan" smell from me. Don't blame them, since I hope to never do this work again after this year. |
Yes, it can be tricky getting an EFL job in Japan - at least a half-decent one. It can be well worth it, though, once you get established. Japan is, without exception, the most comfortable place that I've lived in Asia. |
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scratchpiece
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:45 am Post subject: |
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I've applied to well over 40 positions in Japan over the past few months. It led to one Skype interview and 3 phone interviews. Skype interview went well, was offered the job right after. Then she called me the next day because she found someone who is currently in Japan to take the job (I'm in Thailand).
Had a phone interview yesterday, went really well. Next I had to hand-write an essay about my 'dreams'. He got back to me shortly after I sent it and said it was excellent and that I'm the top candidate. I feel like I have about a 15% chance of getting the job.
If I'm not offered the position then I will quit pursuing work in Japan and move to Korea. I'm not really too concerned since Korea is just as appealing to me at this point.
I think I'm just so interested in Japan because of how challenging it is to find work.... if that makes any sense
BTW I'm 26, American, college degree, TEFL certificate and two years teaching experience. |
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silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| scratchpiece wrote: |
I've applied to well over 40 positions in Japan over the past few months. It led to one Skype interview and 3 phone interviews. Skype interview went well, was offered the job right after. Then she called me the next day because she found someone who is currently in Japan to take the job (I'm in Thailand).
Had a phone interview yesterday, went really well. Next I had to hand-write an essay about my 'dreams'. He got back to me shortly after I sent it and said it was excellent and that I'm the top candidate. I feel like I have about a 15% chance of getting the job.
If I'm not offered the position then I will quit pursuing work in Japan and move to Korea. I'm not really too concerned since Korea is just as appealing to me at this point.
I think I'm just so interested in Japan because of how challenging it is to find work.... if that makes any sense
BTW I'm 26, American, college degree, TEFL certificate and two years teaching experience. |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries. |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:09 am Post subject: |
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| silkhighway wrote: |
| scratchpiece wrote: |
I've applied to well over 40 positions in Japan over the past few months. It led to one Skype interview and 3 phone interviews. Skype interview went well, was offered the job right after. Then she called me the next day because she found someone who is currently in Japan to take the job (I'm in Thailand).
Had a phone interview yesterday, went really well. Next I had to hand-write an essay about my 'dreams'. He got back to me shortly after I sent it and said it was excellent and that I'm the top candidate. I feel like I have about a 15% chance of getting the job.
If I'm not offered the position then I will quit pursuing work in Japan and move to Korea. I'm not really too concerned since Korea is just as appealing to me at this point.
I think I'm just so interested in Japan because of how challenging it is to find work.... if that makes any sense
BTW I'm 26, American, college degree, TEFL certificate and two years teaching experience. |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries. |
That's the problem. All the gajin otakus and Japanophiles are willing to come and work in language schools for Yen 190, 000 a month - just to be able to experience Japan. Over the last decade, the average eikaiwa salary was about Yen 250, 000 a month but that has now fallen to about Yen 200, 000 a month. Not a good sign for the future of TEFL jobs in Japan. |
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Bill2K
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries.
That's the problem. All the gajin otakus and Japanophiles are willing to come and work in language schools for Yen 190, 000 a month - just to be able to experience Japan. Over the last decade, the average eikaiwa salary was about Yen 250, 000 a month but that has now fallen to about Yen 200, 000 a month. Not a good sign for the future of TEFL jobs in Japan. |
You know, I would go as low as 190k if I was offered a non-teaching job. I know my salary could go up with experience, plus I would be able able to improve my Japanese (if it's a normal office setting). |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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250k is reasonable. you could save less than half, and still save just as much, foreign currency wise, as in korea.
250,000 yen = 3,360,000 won
let's say you only save 70,000 a month (honestly, you could save 100,000 on that salary if you live like an expat-korea miser and your apartment's rent is reasonable)...
70 000 일본 엔 = 940 600.667 원
pretty similar to what expats in korea save. |
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scratchpiece
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| silkhighway wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries. |
The one I was talking about pays 250. I would then deduct 38 for my accommodation. So a base salary of 212. |
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silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
250k is reasonable. you could save less than half, and still save just as much, foreign currency wise, as in korea.
250,000 yen = 3,360,000 won
let's say you only save 70,000 a month (honestly, you could save 100,000 on that salary if you live like an expat-korea miser and your apartment's rent is reasonable)...
70 000 일본 엔 = 940 600.667 원
pretty similar to what expats in korea save. |
I made 240K+travel expenses when I was in Japan and I struggled on that salary. In the end, I didn't save anything and sunk about $3,000 of my savings to go to Japan, which was totally not worth it. One month I almost went over my monthly income because of a relatively minor unforseen expense and it kind of opened my eyes a bit that it's not healthy to be living in a foreign country and in a situation where your outgoing expenses are more than 2/3 of your income, so I cut my losses and moved on.
To earn in Japan what I was earning at a hagwon in Korea the year before I went to Japan and live a somewhat comfortable lifestyle, I would have needed to at least make 300K/month and that's an optimistic number. There are expenses in Japan you just don't have to worry about at all in Korea. Rent, furnishing your apartment, "tea money" (deposit on your apartment you are probably not going to get back), airfare, and bus and train money in Japan which cost some people over 10K a month.
My friends who remained in Japan and who have near flawless Japanese are doing better than 250K now, but still hardly making a living compared to even the lowliest paid ESL teachers in Korea.
I know there are jobs in Japan that are worth it, but they often demand higher qualifications.They may also have a lot of competition, not hire outside Japan, etc., that part I don't know. It never hurts to try and if you haven't arrived in Japan you've invested nothing in doing so. But I really recommend doing your own research before going. If you've been in Korea or out of university a few years, it's a pretty big investment with maybe little or no return, and you may find an authentic "Japanese experience" of living in a crappy apartment with the Shinkansen or a sewage canal in your backyard, eating cheap food, passing on the quality entertainment available for cheap convenience store drinking, and then digging deep for a cab ride home afterwards may not be totally worth it. |
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silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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| scratchpiece wrote: |
| silkhighway wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries. |
The one I was talking about pays 250. I would then deduct 38 for my accommodation. So a base salary of 212. |
Well I'm going to be the pessimist here, but I don't think a dose of pessimism hurts.
250K before deductions is not very much money. Think of it this way..its about the equivalent of making $18/hr in the States, basically what call centre workers make. in a place that is at least as expensive if not more to live in. And that's not including all the extra costs that are inherent for a foreigner moving to a foreign country for the first time, If it's eikawa/juku/ALT work it's most likely a dead-end from there too, unless you have superior Japanese skills and other qualifications, or you upgrade to MTESOL or B.Ed.
EDIT: I should note that I just looked at the historical exchange rates and the yen has picked up a lot of strength since I lived there so I'm really going by rates that are 6 years old in my mind and much could have changed in that time. |
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TECO
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:06 am Post subject: |
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| Bill2K wrote: |
| TECO wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries.
That's the problem. All the gajin otakus and Japanophiles are willing to come and work in language schools for Yen 190, 000 a month - just to be able to experience Japan. Over the last decade, the average eikaiwa salary was about Yen 250, 000 a month but that has now fallen to about Yen 200, 000 a month. Not a good sign for the future of TEFL jobs in Japan. |
You know, I would go as low as 190k if I was offered a non-teaching job. I know my salary could go up with experience, plus I would be able able to improve my Japanese (if it's a normal office setting). |
I think you're quoting the wrong person here.
There is absolutely no way I would want to live in Japan on a salary of Yen 190, 000 a month. That would be living very close to the edge, especially if you were in one of the big cities where about half of that would be going to rent, whether you lived in a gaijin house or your own apartment. |
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legrande
Joined: 23 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:08 am Post subject: |
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| TECO wrote: |
| Bill2K wrote: |
| TECO wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries.
That's the problem. All the gajin otakus and Japanophiles are willing to come and work in language schools for Yen 190, 000 a month - just to be able to experience Japan. Over the last decade, the average eikaiwa salary was about Yen 250, 000 a month but that has now fallen to about Yen 200, 000 a month. Not a good sign for the future of TEFL jobs in Japan. |
You know, I would go as low as 190k if I was offered a non-teaching job. I know my salary could go up with experience, plus I would be able able to improve my Japanese (if it's a normal office setting). |
I think you're quoting the wrong person here.
There is absolutely no way I would want to live in Japan on a salary of Yen 190, 000 a month. That would be living very close to the edge, especially if you were in one of the big cities where about half of that would be going to rent, whether you lived in a gaijin house or your own apartment. |
Yeah, man 190,000 in Japan is tough, that'd be like 1.4 million won in Korea |
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Bill2K
Joined: 16 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| legrande wrote: |
| TECO wrote: |
| Bill2K wrote: |
| TECO wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries.
That's the problem. All the gajin otakus and Japanophiles are willing to come and work in language schools for Yen 190, 000 a month - just to be able to experience Japan. Over the last decade, the average eikaiwa salary was about Yen 250, 000 a month but that has now fallen to about Yen 200, 000 a month. Not a good sign for the future of TEFL jobs in Japan. |
You know, I would go as low as 190k if I was offered a non-teaching job. I know my salary could go up with experience, plus I would be able able to improve my Japanese (if it's a normal office setting). |
I think you're quoting the wrong person here.
There is absolutely no way I would want to live in Japan on a salary of Yen 190, 000 a month. That would be living very close to the edge, especially if you were in one of the big cities where about half of that would be going to rent, whether you lived in a gaijin house or your own apartment. |
Yeah, man 190,000 in Japan is tough, that'd be like 1.4 million won in Korea |
Still livable. Just means I wouldn't be able to pocket 100k yen a month. I don't drink at all, and not a major social person. You can get by with very little if you cook most of your meals and stay away from izukayas. |
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legrande
Joined: 23 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:38 am Post subject: |
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| Bill2K wrote: |
| legrande wrote: |
| TECO wrote: |
| Bill2K wrote: |
| TECO wrote: |
May I ask what salary they were offering? Personally I would not even blink at anything less than 270K/month. That's an absolute minimum, and I would have to think very carefully about that amount based on location, opportunities for raises, etc. I've lived in Japan and I loved it, but it's not worth pauper salaries.
That's the problem. All the gajin otakus and Japanophiles are willing to come and work in language schools for Yen 190, 000 a month - just to be able to experience Japan. Over the last decade, the average eikaiwa salary was about Yen 250, 000 a month but that has now fallen to about Yen 200, 000 a month. Not a good sign for the future of TEFL jobs in Japan. |
You know, I would go as low as 190k if I was offered a non-teaching job. I know my salary could go up with experience, plus I would be able able to improve my Japanese (if it's a normal office setting). |
I think you're quoting the wrong person here.
There is absolutely no way I would want to live in Japan on a salary of Yen 190, 000 a month. That would be living very close to the edge, especially if you were in one of the big cities where about half of that would be going to rent, whether you lived in a gaijin house or your own apartment. |
Yeah, man 190,000 in Japan is tough, that'd be like 1.4 million won in Korea |
Still livable. Just means I wouldn't be able to pocket 100k yen a month. I don't drink at all, and not a major social person. You can get by with very little if you cook most of your meals and stay away from izukayas. |
Yeah livable, just tight, that's all, making do with very little. Well, if you got good friends it'd be allright. |
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