(Excepted from email dialogue in January 2006 with T.J. G..., a Stanford student soon to graduate with a B.A. in art (photography) and who is interested in working in Japan)
On the subject of working in Japan.... I have written what I know below– some from what I have heard and some from the few resources I have near by. If there is a certain employer that you might want more specific info about, then I might be able to help. It is likely that I’ll be away from Japan from Feb 16-April 1 (in Malaysia, Hawaii, the US mainland and Europe).
Actually, my classes are finished now (Spring semester April-late July), Fall semester is mid-Sept to Mid January(including final exams for 10 days at the end of each ) so now I only have committee work, entrance exams (our university has 7 different exam dates for prospective applicants) and my own research and preparation for next year's classes, so now is my least busy time of year.
In fact, I’ll be traveling for all of March and probably after Feb 15 (if things go as planned).
Work in Japan: Info and advice
There are some facts that you should be aware of in thinking about working in Japan. (Just randomly organized - -off the top my head). Please be aware that I have NOT looked myself for a job in many years; my own sons are Japanese citizens and read/write it fluently so they have not had the experience of coming to live in Japan as a foreigner.
1)a To stay in Japan longer than 60 days (a tourist) you will need a work visa (or other type such a student visa or spouse visa). A work visa is required for gainful employment and only an employer can provide you with the necessary documentation to support your application for one. Normally, you would obtain a work visa at a Japanese embassy or consulate in the US after your employment contract is signed (you have been hired either by mail or in interview by phone or live). Yes, in fact, some people are hired sight unseen which can be sometimes be very unfortunate for both the employee or even the employer.
If you enter the country on a tourist or student visit, you cannot work legally more than a few hours weekly. Consequently, you are typically obliged to actually leave the country (temporary) to re-enter it on a work visit (6 months, 1 year).
That is an additional expense – which your future employer might pay if they really wanted you. Typically, they would send you (or you have to fly to Seoul) for a few days in order to visit the Japanese embassy there).
b. The academic school year is April 1 – March 31 – very few schools would hire from September -- although it may be possible since the second semester begins in Sept (after the summer break).
c) IMPORTANT- Because the school year starts in April, you would have to apply immediately to start then or you may end up waiting until application are again received or advertised next fall (Sept-Feb). Most hirings probably happened in Nov/Dec for the following April. However, there are always exceptions – with the less well-paid (and crummier) schools trying to hire later (as late as March 1). Other types of jobs (even some teaching jobs are open year round or especially just after summer and winter breaks (HINT: I am presuming that some teachers skip out of the country and fail to fulfill their contracts).
2) Teaching is probably the easiest types of job to get but it may not be the best. It will really depend of who and what type of school / institution you work for. There are several major ELT employers – one of the biggest is the JET program – sponsored by the national government, local school districts are given grant money to hire foreign assistant English teachers.
By the way, if you also speak Spanish too, this could be an asset if your job search goes toward language teaching.
3) Other types of jobs do exist, but generally if the employer is a foreign corporation, they have their own internal practices for filling vacancies so mostly these jobs are completely inaccessible to the average person. Japanese corporations, of course, do hire but generally do so locally from either an employment agency or nowadays they tend to outsource openings with temp staff agencies – such as Adecco, etc.
4) Not being able to speak, read/write Japanese is not a major handicap, but it will tend to severely limit the type of jobs you can apply for (or even have access to). Therefore, English teaching is one of the ways that people cannot speak or read/write any Japanese can work here.
5) Tokyo is the biggest city but it is not necessarily the best place to live and work. If you are willing to live in the countryside or less urban areas of Japan, there may be a chance to actually have a better job and better working and living conditions.
English Teaching Jobs
Actually, there are plenty of lower paying, longer hour jobs where employers will give you a contract for the minimum salary. I think the Japan Immigration Office requires someone to have a contract (or multiple contracts in the case of several part-time jobs) for a monthly gross salary of approx 250,000 yen ( see http://www.xe.com/ for the exchange rates).
Since there are many private languages schools for children through adults who run through young teachers (some who are fresh out of college and looking for a cross-cultural adventure - of sorts and who would like to make enough to survive in Japan for a year or no), it is probably fairly easy to get such a job but I cannot really say there would be much future in it. You could get lucky and get a job at a decent private school or as a teaching assistant for a public school or get hired for adjunct teaching work (outsourced by a private language school as a part-time university instructor). The latter method is way some people without Master's degrees are able to get "credit" [or at least experience for one's resume] for working as a university instructor (sometimes called 'lecturer').
NOVA, GABA, GEOS,
6. Check the JAPAN TIMES or other English language newspapers for the classified ads (some or all of the ads may be online at:
http://classified.japantimes.com/ (click English – small button at the topi). There seems to be another site – I cannot see what the difference it),which it is also mainly in Japanese language, but there is a similar button to click to see at least some of the jobs and info in English: http://job.japantimes.com/
The JT Monday edition is the main Want Ads (Classified Ads for Employment) (and Sunday has fewer but also has some too; if Monday is a holiday (National or just a news holiday, then the Classifieds might be in Tuesdays paper (such was the case on January 10). There is also the Asahi Evening New, and the Yomiuri Daily news which also have ads for jobs – I am not sure exactly what day or days these papers have their job ads. You should be able to find one or all of these in the Stanford libraries. Or these English dailies or even Japanese newspapers might be on sale in the Japanese communities of San Jose or elsewhere.
A few private and large commercial language schools (or other employers) may put ads into US newspaper and on some US Internet-based recruiting sites, such as HotJobs, Monster, etc. So you can check there too.
Here was a sampling of ads in the January 10 Japan Times classifieds:
1. Native English Instructor wanted to teach English conversation at Fukushima High School in Fukushima City. 1 year contract, must be a college grad with Jap conversation ability Age up to 30, Salary 280,000 yen/month incl tax.
Accommodation provided. Please mail resume/photo for interview appointment to Fukushima High School 9-1, Oyamacho, Fukushima City, Fukushima Postal Code: 960-8012
2. US Embassy Tokyo is seeking a temporary administrative assistant for the Financial Attache office. Details on the US Embassy Tokyo website:
http://japan.usembassy.gov/
Address: 10-4, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
3. Kurashiki Board of Education (not far from Okuyama – a hour or more away from Hiroshima) is hiring native English teachers. Deadline in January 25
Download application: www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/hiring/hiring_jt.htm
Or request directly by mail at: 640 Nishi-nakashinden, Kurashi, Okayama 710-8565.
NOTE* There were a few other jobs – but many were for part-time work only (it’s harder to get a successful work visa application through Japan immigration unless a part-time employer is willing to guarantee your wages (as in a signed contract). Still I don’t have experience in these matters so you ask the Embassy or seek out help from people who have.
7.a) Check out other professional organizations – relating to your own major(s), professional fields of interests, private foundations, Japanese corporate sponsors/employers with connections to Stanford or Silicon Valley, etc.
b) Who knows may be your photography skills and English ability might be just the thing that a Japanese wine importer would love to make good use of. Don’t let your need to just ‘get a job’ keep you from looking for or working creatively toward your own professional goals. You may be able to find an internship from a Japanese or foreign company in Japan or you might be able to convince a company or organization or research or marketing group in the US (or Europe) to pay for your to stay and take photos in Japan, working on their project as a freelancer, etc.
c) You could try to get a connection to work as a student (apprentice is called a “desshi” for an artist, writer, photographer or other person in the arts/media, journalism, etc (TV director, film-maker).
d) Use Stanford’s employment services and their myriad of university and corporation connections to help you find a relationship for a job, internship or apprenticeship in Japan.
8. See the link at JALT (Japan Association for Language Teaching) Links Page – Employment
http://jalt.org/links/
Below are copied links – just in case -- It was hard to find this page –since it seems only to to the Japanese language version of the jalt.org page.
Ohayosensei gives the most up-to-date info since it is published twice monthly (or used to be). However, most of the jobs are for entry-level type jobs. It is not slave labor, but you would probably have to work 5-6 days a week (full or part-time those days with not much time off).
Employment
Link/Description
Clicks
121sensei.com - Language teacher and student matching service for Japan based instructors. Teachers can set their own rates/schedule/workplace. Free service for teachers Japan wide.
549
English Job Maze - A wonderful new ESL/EFL job & info site for teachers and employers. Contains one of the most comprehensive guides to ESL pay, taxes, visas in 50 countries (including Japan). Check it out!
1382
ESL Employment - Free ESL/ EFL jobs posting and employment opportunities. Search for the latest teaching jobs and career opportunities abroad in the field of ESL / EFL.
1136
Hokkaido Insider - Hokkaido News and Insider Teaching Job Information broadcast via email to subscribers. Profile of the teacher conducting this service is provided.
607
http://jalt.org/links/linkster.php?LID=235&URL=http://www.englishjobmaze.com/cg-main-jpn.htm - A 6-page guide to teaching EFL/ESL in Japan. Contains information about ESL pay, taxes, visas and the best times to look for work. Also has links to other useful websites for ESL teachers in Japan.
923
Jobs in Japan - The Motherload of Japan Job Information
2819
O-Hayo Sensei - is a free, bi-weekly newsletter that collects and lists currently available teaching positions (at all levels) across Japan.
1273
SearchESL.com - Internet resources for ESL teachers and employers: search jobs, find employees, post resumes and use ESL directory for ESL information.
863
TLT's Job Information Center - Teaching positions in Japan
4309
8. There are international schools (where children of diplomats, foreign business people and even affluent Japanese sent their children). You may be able to get a job – although without a teaching certification you may have to work as an assistant teacher, administrative assistant/clerical work, assistant coach.
9. Have you considered going to school? If you have money to spend, then you also get a student visa or research visa. For example, you could study Japanese or study in a field which is related to your own fields of professional preparation. If you did that for 3-6 months, you could look for jobs while studying and also getting a better idea of where and what in Japan you like to be working at.
There are also graduate and post-graduate programs at some Japanese universities – scholarship may be available for them from either the institution itself or from Mombusho (The Ministry of Education). Japanese language is not always a pre-requisite for some of these Master’s and PhD programs (although there are too many like that).
