Hey buddy, I am also Australian and I lived in Japan for around 2 years from 2005 til 2007.
To answer a couple of your questions. At 18, and with little experience you will struggle to find work as an English teacher. Most companies/schools require a 3 year degree minimum.
You may be able to find work doing private conversation classes, and there are a few small companies that do this. But, it can work out better if you manage yourself.
For 3 months, you might be able to pick up some short term work, the ski fields in Sapporo? Bars or restaurants.
To be really honest, your chances of employment are very very low.
If I was in your situation I would save up as much as possible and spend 1 - 2 months travelling through Japan! You're 18, be a tourist for a while. There are very cheap ways to do this and it will help you get a feel for the place. There are places in Japan (incl. Tokyo) that are as cheap as $10 a night. If you know where to go!
Then get yourself a degree!
I really hope you get to fulfil your dream of living in Japan! I was 22 when I moved there. One of the greatest experiences of my life. I may even live there again one day!
All the best
Matt
Quote:
Originally Posted by cxeq
I am an Australian citizen (18) who is finishing school very soon, me and a few friends have this pipe-dream idea that we have a chance of going to Japan for a gap year, and working as English teachers. I understand this is a flawed plan, and I'm sure there are problems both in it and my thread selection (hope its OK ) but I have a real desire for this so I'm hoping some more experienced people can help me fix my shit.
In our group we have:
* One with no Japanese experience apart from what they can learn outside of school in spare time.
* One who does not turn 18 until March. This poses a problem because we planned to leave in early December and it appears that you need to be 18 to get a working holiday visa.
* No one with a university degree, a teaching qualification, or experience.
So my questions are, I guess:
* What difficulty does no knowledge of Japanese pose if the aforementioned is living alone/with others/trying to find a job in Yokohama or Tokyo for 3 or so months?
* What kind of additional funds would the above entail?
* Is there a way to circumvent this visa restriction for the person who is under 18? Can he travel to Japan on a different visa and change it? Is he able to work in this period?
* The above are all theoretical legal questions, but how feasible is this plan in terms of actually getting a job? Is it even possible that anyone will hire us without qualifications?
* How is the environment for prospective job-searchers; particularly in the field of instructors?
* Is it possible for the us to come into Japan under learning(?) (the Japanese language) visas and work?
* Does the national public employment office (of Japan, Hello Work) or the Employment service center in Tokyo offer any real opportunities for us?
* One other plan is that some of us wanted to join another schoolies group who were planning on leaving Australia, flying through Japan to Korea, then returning to Japan and then back to Australia, of course, the members of our group would simply not book the final return flight, and would stay in Japan. Does this create any visa or other problems? (I'm guessing the single entry clause might come up here)
* What determines whether our holiday is primarily a holiday or not? How is this proven? Some sources say you need to prove you have employment before you leave.
* 一般社団法人 日本ワーキング・ホリデー協会 says that in 2008 only 805 working holiday visas were issued working holiday visas, are there any more figures like this, espescially of the application to acception rate?
* How much would two teachers working without university degrees, etc, make at local little schools (To be speculative, the type that would hire us), a month?
I think that's all but I'm probably think of some new questions a second after I post this...sorry for the long post. I truly do apologize for wasting everyone's time if I'm in the wrong thread or these questions have obvious answers. Please let me down lightly and don't ruin my dreams too badly but I appreciate any and all input
Edit: Fixed a tiny list issue! |