Quote:
Originally Posted by GregX999
Hi everyone (first post - this thread got me to sign up)
I'm 37 and I've been wanting to try living in Japan, but I also figured it would be next to impossible. Is finding a job teaching Engilsh really not that hard? Is it best to apply while on a tourist visa as opposed to trying to apply from the U.S.? Is it something that could support oneself in Japan? (Assuming living frugally.)
I guess I never thought about using teaching as a way to just "get a foot in the door". I figured if you left a teaching job, you instantly loose your visa.
I've been toying with the idea of getting a CELTA or some other TEFL certificate. I've been a web-programmer for a long time now, but have been wishing I could get out of it and try something else.
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Welcome to (posting in) the forums!
If you got a 4 year degree of next to any kind then getting a job teaching English is a walk in the park unless you're disfigured or dumber than Bush, in those cases it's mildly difficult.
The further you live from a city core the less frugal you gotta be to get by on English teachers salary. If you land a decent gig then it's a cake walk wherever you are.
I did some programming before I came to Japan, working a social job is like a breath of fresh air honestly, I don't think I could go back to cubical coding.
The English certs a plus for sure, but you can get by just as easily without them, I did, still don't have them and I run my own school here. It all comes down to the interview, and they make very little difference for getting your foot in the door.
You can change jobs as much as you'd like on that working visa, even if you change job types most of the time they are so lenient with it all it's kind of funny. I went from the standard "Specialist in Humanities" visa that all teachers get to "Investor/Business Manager" with a 6 month leeway, granted I had an awesome immigrations officer.
I strongly recommend finding a job from here, otherwise you will end up working in butt-kiss nowhere or with the salary of a burger-flipper with some head hunter counting your yen, or both.
If you can do it right (afford it, I mean), imo you gotta take your time to visit the major cities and some token rural places (on a tourist visa) to see what part of Japan you feel suits you most, then look for a job there the old fashioned way, foot and paper.
Oh here's a tip I wish I'd heard: don't put any pressure on the employer about having to sponsor you for a work visa, you'll scare everyone away from giving you a job. The fact is that if you have a contract, even tentative, then you can walk into immigrations and use that, along with a few numbers regarding the company, and come out with a work visa.