Job In Tokyo
 

Hi

I'm looknig to go to teach english in Japan soon and was wondering how to get a job in tokyo. I'm worried if I go with a big company i might not get the choice of where I can live.
Does anybody have any experience with this?
Would it be best to go to tokyo first and get a job.

I have a million Q's but this is my first post so I thought i'd keep it simple

thanks

Perhaps you should give us some more information about yourself. ie. Do you have any teaching experience? Do you have a university degree? Are you fluent in Japanese?

I have no teaching experience, i was thinking of doing more of a conversationist thing. I know people who have worked in Japan with no teaching experience working for companys like nova and geos ( i think)
I'm in my 3rd year of university and hopefully will graduate in the summer.

Is there a reason it must be Tokyo?

Have you ever been to Japan? Do you speak the language? Are you convinced that you want to spend the next few years there? Is Tokyo a preference or a requirement?

Either way, you'll have to get a language school to sponsor you for a work visa if you want to work in Japan. The minimum requirement for that is a university degree but you have to realize that you'll be competing against many other foreigners. Things like teaching experience, living experience in Japan, ability to speak Japanese, etc. will give you an edge on your fellow applicants.

To get a rough idea on the jobs/pay in Japan, head over to gaijinpot.com and check out the Japan Jobs. You'll also have the opportunity to contact the schools to ask them various questions regarding placement, visas, etc.

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I have (Japanese) friends who live in tokyo, also I traveled around japan for 3 weeks (where I met my friends). I really loved Tokyo (the whole of japan aswell) and would love to go back again
I do have some experience in teaching but only in music (1 to 1 tuition), I suppose it's better than nothing.
Thanks again

There are lots of areas around Tokyo that are cheaper and easier to get jobs in that are still less than an hour away from the center of Tokyo...think about Chiba or Saitama or something like that.

From what I know, teachers make a fairly good living, but not a whole lot of cash. It'd be tough to make it in the big city with just a teaching job, but it can be done. I'd look into cheaper areas around Tokyo. Besides, if you're looking to teach for a bigger corporation, then they may be sending you all over the place anyway.

Hi

Thanks again.

I'm not to bothered about living right in Tokyo so it sounds like a good idea to be just outside and save us (I'm going with my gilfriend) some money.

I'll have a look at some of those links you said. i'll prob have some more threds on soon, thanks for the help, any other advice you can think of would be a great hel, thanks

In what capacity will your girlfriend be going? Keep in mind that some companies might expect you to live in their prearranged housing, and live-in girlfriends are not commonplace in Japan, and are not looked upon kindly.

She is looking to get a job too. She would have a better chance of getting a english teaching job than me because she has worked with kids, organising lessons ,workshops etc.
It might prove to be a problem if we are looking to get a job in the same company. That is why were thinking about going to japan first, save some money and get a place while looking for jobs. This may be a bad idea, i dont know. what do you think?

Your situation is difficult because everyone wants a job in Tokyo. Having a girlfriend makes it even more difficult, as the odds of you and her being hired from overseas and getting a job in the same prefecture (let alone the same city) are extreme, to say the least.

When I first applied for a teaching job in Japan I was told not to bother requesting Tokyo, as positions in the city were filled by teachers with more seniority. However, the company I applied to was impressed during my interview, and I was offered a position at their top school in Ginza. That might sound good, Ginza is a great place, but it's expensive, and the nearest housing in my school's price range was a 45 minute commute away, and even then, it was expensive.

Your best bet would be to explore you second option, which is to go to Japan on your own, rent a place temporarily (you won't be able to get a real apartment without a job and an alien registration card), and go out and apply at as many places as you can. You'll need to bring a lot of money, at least enough to get you through 4 or 5 months. It will take time to find a job, time to get a visa, and time for your first paycheck to be processed (up to 8 weeks, if you are unlucky).

You'll need to find a job as soon as possible so you can get your work visa processed within the 90 days you have on your tourist visa. It used to be possible to leave the country before the 90th day, then return and get another 90 day visa, but immigration has clamped down on this practice.

It's pretty much a certainty that you and your gf will not work in the same school (and probably not for the same company), but you ought to be able to find jobs close enough to commute to from the same place.

As for myself, I live in Chiba now, and I'm happy here. I spend my weekends in Tokyo, but enjoy the quiet life here in the country next to the beach. It's laid back, inexpensive, friendly, and the surfing is great in the summer.

Thanks,

I think the best option is to go to Japan first, stay somewhere and appyl for jobs. Chiba sounds like a pritty cool place, sounds like we'd like to live a place like that

thanks for the advice