Working in Japan

[Darwock]

You can keep your fancy non-teaching job. I am in a teaching position that has better salary and benefits than I had after 10 years career in I.T. back home (working for BP at the time I chucked it in and moved to Japan). Better job satisfaction too.

[randombs]

Oh, absolutely. Sorry if I came across as arrogant but I'm not belittling teaching at all or people who teach here in Japan. I've edited my post because it reads like 'here' means this forum when I actually meant this country.

However:

working as an ALT is the fastest route towards developing a massive intolerance for Japan and it's culture. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anybody fresh into the country.

I've just come out of five years as an ALT (going to work at a private kindergarten group next month for big money and proper contract) and hopefully I will never have to go back.

You may well be earning more now than you did in IT before but it took five years of ALTing for you to get there. And it clearly wasn't all roses if you never want to go back to it.

I love education. Maybe one day I'll become an IT teacher. I really enjoyed ALTing here. And I was damn good at it, too. I had none of the problems you guys warned me about(however, advice from yourself and Yakumo has been fantastic and I often relay it to ALT friends in those kinds of situations). I worked at a pair of lovely schools and had no big problems with my dispatch company.

But you can only get job satisfaction from doing a job you love, be that teaching or something else. And I don't love teaching English. I often meet ALTs and English teachers with vastly different qualifications and prior careers who teach here because that's all they could get. And when they inevitably return home they usually have to start from scratch because years of English teaching means nothing if you're trying to resume a career in certain industries. IT is particularly harsh if you're out of the game for too long.

Of course, if Dave Heats wants to get into education then more power to him. But he posted his question with a specific career in mind and I wanted to give him some hope because he will come across people telling him he won't be able to continue that career in Japan, which is utter nonsense.

[Darwock]

Oh yeah I would never teach in a Japanese school again. Kindergartens are a whole new kettle of fish. You made a rather sweeping statement there so I just wanted to let everyone know it is not the case that everyone wants to get out of teaching over here.

[dave heats]

I’d definitely consider teaching over there for sure if it gets me out there next year. However, due to having tattoos on my forearms, I kind of presumed that would be a total no hoper. Am i right to presume this, or are they more lenient than I remember hearing when it comes to tattoos nowadays?

Ideally, as I’ve been working for as a designer for the past 6-7 years, and currently run a small studio doing just that, I’d like to continue in the same profession, albeit in a location and culture I’d want to be in.

But, if the teaching route is still an option with a couple of tatts, then that could be my foot in the door.

[Darwock]

Colleague of mine has ink on his chest, back of his calves and his entire back. If they had known they might not have hired him, however they apparently forgot to ask. The only issue he faces is when we have pool days (large scale paddling pool) he has to get in wearing a wetsuit.

[dave heats]

Haha, that's a brilliant mental image! OK, I'll keep teaching in mind. Worst case scenario, I either won't get hired, or I can just offer to boil myself alive keeping it covered up whilst taking classes. Worth a try.

Incidentally, who are you guys working for / have worked for on the language school front?

[Darwock]

My employer is not an ESL company of any kind, they are a Japanese youchien who just happen to have an english program, and as we double as the hired muscle when we are not teaching we get full contracts and are treated exactly like the Japanese staff (for better or worse).

Before this it was dispatch companies for ALT work (see above quoted rant) and before that it was original Nova (followed by crappy private eikaiwa which kept me in the country when Nova began it's death spasm)

[JU!]

While I'm blasting out the questions....what is the general vibe on tattoos in creative agencies / graphic design / tech based companies? I realise English teachers aren't basically allowed any, but I'm curious about more creative roles in a company, and if the attitude is just as strict?

I've got some on both my arms, but nothing visible under a long sleeve shirt. Presumably this might limit my opportunities, but I'm hoping due to the nature of the job I'd be doing, it might be more lenient! Would be good to hear if it's likely to be a deal breaker.

Tattoos generally frowned opon anywhere no gym and swimming pool a bit of a no go too I gather. People would stare at mine constantly and my family still have a word now an then, so unless you are out with friends, job wise I would keep them covered at all times not accepted culturally at all in general.

[dave heats]

Indeed, I think I may have shat on my chances of working over there by getting tatts....or at least any chance of working as a teacher. Will be submitting applications to a few language schools regardless, as I can cover them up with long sleeves, but most likely a very long shot.

I'd like to think I've got a chance of getting in a creative agency though. Fingers crossed anyway!

[nakamura]

Become a Yakuza?

[DeathAdder]

Just don't mention them and always wear long sleeves. It's unpleasant in the summer, but it can be done. No job had ever asked me if I had tattoos, and I've worked with teachers who did. They just never mentioned or showed them to Hapanese staff or students.

[Ghost]

Just had another interview for Nova but think I did worse on this one than I did the last one lol, so not expecting a job this time.

At the moment Im considering doing a Celta/TESOL course, but the next one that is available near me is in February, however the ?1000 price tag and having to be out of work for a month is going to be tough, especially if I happen to fail the course. Is there any major advantages to having a Celta/TESOL over a TEFL? Obviously it will give you more credibility as an English instructor and may help you get a job at certain conversation schools like Shane but in terms of making more money is there a difference? Looking on Gaijin pot all nearly all of the full time positions are on 250,000 yen a month, even the ones asking for a qualification like Celta.

[Darwock]

No difference. Its not needed.

[Asura]

Bear in mind that qualifications are always good; it just depends on where you plan to go. TEFL/TESOL don't yield much of a different for Japan jobs, from what I heard, but you could end up teaching in Italy, Germany or Singapore one day and in that situation good qualifications can make a difference.

Japan's a strange situation because there is so much demand for ALTs and the like, due to both the common availability of language schools and English being part of their school curriculum.

[randombs]

GABA liked my CELTA when I interviewed there but I didn't go through with it. If you're looking into teaching adults(you mentioned Shane) then it will give you an advantage against others as it's an easy qualification to understand. I did it because I didn't want to take any chances and wanted to progress quickly but if I could go back I would have saved that money.

As Darwock said, it won't necessarily get you a raise. I used to see positions that would ask for like 6 months teaching experience or a CELTA so it could improve your chances. As you've already failed one interview and aren't confident with the Nova one I'd recommend getting something to set yourself apart.

Or try an easier company. I think Interac's requirements and interviews are tougher than some others. Companies like Borderlink and RCS will likely take you but you won't get 250 from them.

What bits went badly in the interviews, you think?

And any good bits?