Your Man in Japan

1. Q. What do you need?

A.A college/university degree from a country where English is the main language. Examples are: The USA, Canada, The UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

2. Q. What if I don’t have a degree?

A. If you qualify (usually you have to be 18-30 years of age) and if your country offers it, you can get a “Working Holiday Visa.” Countries that offer this are (at the writing of this blog): Canada, Australia, England, and New Zealand.
For a full list click here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_holiday_visa#Countries_and_territories_offering_working_holiday_visas

3. Q. What would you recommend getting a degree in if your plan is to teach English in Japan? I’m starting university this year, and have considered a major in Japanese, but from what I’ve heard some companies frown upon strong Japanese skills when hiring teachers. I see the Japanese degree as a gateway to many other careers including some in business and translating, especially when coupled with a minor in international business or IT, but I’ve heard that working as an ALT is the best way to get your foot in the door. Would you recommend a different major if my goal is to work in Japan?

A. I would never recommend anyone getting a degree JUST to teach English. I would not even recommend that as a lifetime career. I do that, but I like it. Most people can’t take more than a few years. It’s either too boring or too much of a dead-end job. (I’ve gone on to open my own school, and I do other things so….) So get a degree that you can use later in life. Think about what you want to do, and get a degree in something that will help you forward your career later. A business degree will open doors in almost ANY field, so if you’re really lost, you can major in business and see what doors open for you in the future.

4. Q. WIll getting a Working Holiday Visa guarantee me a job?

A. No, you (EXPLETIVE)! Of course not! You still have to find a job?

5. Q. How can I find a job teaching in Japan?

A. There are many many ways.
-You can come here and look for one. This means cold calling schools and simply asking around.
-You can check the wanted ads online and in your home country before coming here.

6. Q. I don’t want to teach. I’d rather do something else. Is it possible?

A. Yes, but you still need to find the job. If you have a working visa you may find someone who will hire you. If you do not have a working holiday visa, and a company wants to hire you you can get a get them to sponsor your visa application and hire you.

Anecdotes that may or may not give you hope: I know an Italian who came over as a college student, went to school for one year, and was then hired by Apple to sell computes at their store in Nagoya. He told me that Mac was sponsoring his visa.

7. Q. Sorry, what’s a visa?

A. It is permission from a country to enter that country to do certain things. Examples of visas and their limitations:
-a tourist visa: you may enter for a certain length of time (depending on your country) but you may not take part in paid activities. Translation: You can come to visit friends, go sight-seeing, attempt to do business (make deals) etc, but you cannot work and get paid.

Other visas include:
– Visa for Medical Stay
– Working visas

More info here:
http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/

8. How about personality, appearance, and age requirements?

Its really up tot he discretion of the company that hires you. GENERALLY speaking companys prefer the younger bright-eyed and bushy-tailed teachers.

Personality:
I hear some schools interview groups of teachers by throwing them all in a room and having them do activities. They then pick out the most outgoing, friendliest, and approachable teachers for one-on-one videos. GENERALLY speaking that is the kind of teacher that gets the job, the smiling, friendly, approachable teacher.
When it comes to what personality you need to be a happy teacher? Well, that’s a different story. Many schools force you to use a curriculum that may be so boring you’ll cry tears of boredom. Some schools give you more leeway with what you do in the classroom. Some schools will have cameras observing you. Some schools will actually sit a manager or staff member in the classroom to watch you. Can you handle that kind of pressure? Only you know the answer.
Another quality you need is patience. Some students are great and learn so quickly it’s a joy to teach them. Other students seem to forget everything almost immediately. I once had a private class consisting of an old manju maker and his wife. I swear I taught that couple the same lesson every week for about a year. No point losing your temper, though. So grin and bear it and wait for the bell to ring without looking to anxious about it.

Appearance:
GENERALLY they want you to look clean cut and friendly. No one wants to hire a teacher that looks intimidating. While some students like the “authentic” looking foreigner — which may or may not include less conventional physical attributes, like long hair, dreadlocks, tattoos, body piercings, facial hair, etc.– most EIKAIWA (English school) managerial staff prefer the clean-cut, conservative look. Again, remember that these are GENERALIZATIONS, I have seen and have even had teaching jobs where I sported long hair, earings, and facial hair. I’ve seen other teachers with long hair, tattoos, and nose rings, etc. I appreciate that for some of you, cutting your hair or “hiding” your “true apppearance” is a big deal. My advice, do what you have to to get the job, THEN feel out the atmosphere and see how far you can stretch your legs.

Age:
The fresh-out-of-college type of teachder is the most common, but I’ve seen teachers as old as 60 come to Japan and get jobs. Of course, it’s usually harder for the older teachers to land jobs, but not unheard of.

9. Q. What about sexuality? I’m gay. Can I get a job?
A. The short answer: Yes, of course!
I once hired a teacher, and after years of working together I came to realize he was gay. He never told me, and I never asked. Most importantly, it did not change anything in the working relationship either on my end — as the manager — or with the students. Yes, some of the students asked me, “Does Mr. X have a girlfriend?” and even “Is he gay?” I never answered. I just told them to ask him.
I heard of a school in Tokyo that ONLY hired gay men. That was apparently part of the appeal. I was told that gay men (according to this school’s thinking) were thought to be cooler, friendlier, and more stylish than average EIKAIWA teachers. And the fact that they never hit on the students was an added bonus.

10. Q. I don’t have any teaching certificates, but I am American and I have a bachelor’s degree. What are my chances that I’ll get hired?

There are various teaching degrees out there like:  Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) etc. Personally I don’t give such degrees or certificates too much importance, but I suppose some of the larger chain schools might. If your interested in a particular school, I suggest you email them and just ask.

11.  Q. I’m not white, and I’ve heard that if you are not white you are overlooked by most employers. How relevant is race?

A. While I cannot speak for Japanese preferences, my impression is that the blonde, blue eyed foreigner is seen as more exotic and so it might initially increase your chances of landing a job. But I’ve seen people of all races (white, black, asian, indian) get jobs teaching here so it’s obviously not that important. I myself am a pretty tan mix of many races.  Your background will be interesting to many students but in general will not stop you from getting a job.

12. Q. How much of the Japanese language do you need to know to teach English?

A. None at all. Some people seem surprised by this answer, but it’s true. You don’t need any Japanese to start teaching. The more you know the better you’ll get at figuring out what students are trying to say, but I’ve only seen one employer — a high school — require conversational Japanese for a teaching job.

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★Want more detailed information on teaching English in Japan? I’ve made some videos to answer various questions.

What do you need to become an English Teacher in Japan? (Answering your questions.)

Q&A: English 英会話 Teacher in Japan: 20 Questions Answered



How to Get a Job Teaching English in Japan!

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Good luck!

Thanks for reading this. I hope it answered your questions. Do you have more questions?
Email me at gimmeabreakman@gmail.com
I’ll add them to this FAQ in future updates!