Getting an English teaching job during recession times?

[elshankos]

Hi there,

Im aiming to head over to Japan around August time this year, try and find a teaching job and get someone to sponsor me a visa. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether its going to get real tough over there because of the recession?

Thanks a lot

Shankos

[nosh276]

I know this is a very late reply, but your best bet to get a visa paid for is to go through one of the big corps: AEON, Berlitz, GEOS, Interac

Personally, I would go with Interac.

None of them pay for your flight, but they all pay for your visa.

If you want your flight paid for, try JET, but the application process is long, and it's far more difficult to get in.

[spicytuna]

Very late reply? You replied 10 minutes after the initial post.

Elshankos, it's hard to predict the Japanese mood in August but there are always English teaching jobs available in Japan.

With that being said, it's up to you to convince the schools to sponsor you over the other applicants who may already have teaching experience and/or an existing visa.

[elshankos]

Hi Nosh,

Thanks for the reply - seems like Interac will get you a 6 month post and sort out the visa and you dont have to pay for it... what happens if you get sick of your job and leave before 6 months though?

[MMM]

I have never heard of "paying for a visa". Your sponsor should be filing any paperwork required and should be paying any fees.

[jasonbvr]

An instructor visa costs like forty dollars. It isn't exactly going to drain your life savings.

If you are worried about job security, go the ALT route versus eikaiwa. ALTs are hired by the board of education, and the numbers needed will increase with the mandatory instruction of English in the elementary schools starting in 2011. That being said, most people who send their kids to eikaiwas or go themselves are in no danger of losing their jobs. The people being laid off are mostly laborers, and in the case of factory workers most of these are the migrant workers.

And here is an encouraging thought: The strength of the yen has increased around 10 percent since summer 08. What is bad for exporters here and retailers just about everywhere has English teachers making bank without taking on extra work or getting a raise.

Oh yeah, and if you do get "sick of your job and leave before six months" it will simply reflect negatively on your resume, showing future employers that you're a quitter and likely wimp out at the first sign of a challenge. The fact that you are already worried you might quit tells me you probably shouldn't even bother coming over. Life isn't always overflowing nihonshu and sakura blossoms, but we stick in there and get the job done.

[tolora]

Hi there!

I know this might be a tad out of place but I'll be having an interview with Peppy's Kids Club on the 24th March and am starting to feel anxious and excited. Although I did send my photo when I sent in my resume,I still wonder at my chances of being selected. I was supposed to go for the interview last year in October but didn't make it due to some last minute commitments. I was surprised when I emailed Mr Jason Wright again this year to ask if it was still possible to have an interview with him and he replied the very next day saying yes.

I am a female Singaporean Chinese but I have a degree from an American university. Is there anyone from Singapore who has gotten a job with an eikaiwa in Japan and is still teaching there?

I will appreciate as much advice as I can get.

Thank you!

[MMM]

Originally Posted by tolora

Hi there!

I know this might be a tad out of place but I'll be having an interview with Peppy's Kids Club on the 24th March and am starting to feel anxious and excited. Although I did send my photo when I sent in my resume,I still wonder at my chances of being selected. I was supposed to go for the interview last year in October but didn't make it due to some last minute commitments. I was surprised when I emailed Mr Jason Wright again this year to ask if it was still possible to have an interview with him and he replied the very next day saying yes.

I am a female Singaporean Chinese but I have a degree from an American university. Is there anyone from Singapore who has gotten a job with an eikaiwa in Japan and is still teaching there?

I will appreciate as much advice as I can get.

Thank you!

I have heard it is difficult for native Asians to get English teaching jobs, as Japanese people want people from "traditional" English speaking countries. I hope that is changing, as my friends from Singapore speak a much more beautiful form of English than I ever could.

[tolora]

Originally Posted by MMM

I have heard it is difficult for native Asians to get English teaching jobs, as Japanese people want people from "traditional" English speaking countries. I hope that is changing, as my friends from Singapore speak a much more beautiful form of English than I ever could.

Hi MMM!

I don't know if this will change anything but I did mention to Mr Wright that I'm Asian and still he invited me over for the interview.I thought they will only invite you over if they felt that the person is worth their time or something?

What do these schools look for in a teacher? The 2 times I applied,I sent 2 different photos of myself purposely to see if he would see me as an Asian and not invite me over for the interview but I was wrong.I really hope I won't be making a wasted trip although I know I have to be prepared for the worst.

Thanks for the reply anyways MMM!Appreciated!

[jasonbvr]

If any questions come up regarding Singapore, remind them that English is an official language there. Second, clear enunciation is a bigger deal than accent. Third, Peppy is all about the children so emphasize singing, games and a kind demeanor. Aside from that you may be asked to provide a demonstration lesson. You could pick something like months of the year. How are you going to get the students to repeat the months over and over again without them becoming bored? How about a time race between the students? All you need is a stopwatch to have them repeat from January to December to record their times. Or maybe you need an activity that is more visual. You can make a set of cards with two cards for each month. On one card you have written the month down in English and then a matching card in Japanese. With the cards face down, the students flip the cards naming the month in English each time. When they find the two that match, they keep that pair of cards.

What companies look for in English teachers: clear enunciation, creativity, an engaging person or one who can encourage people to talk, and as in any line of work a person who is going to really dedicate themselves to doing their job well.