Ah, help me figure out what I'm gonna do please.

[paradoxbox 0]

Howdy all,

 

A little intro on myself, my name is Cory, 22 years old from Vancouver Canada. The going to Japan-bug has been with me since about a decade ago, now I have finally gotten the opportunity to actually go and do it.

 

I will be giving up a cushy job with a salary far above the average for my age, and far above what people without a degree usually make (I don't have a degree!) I'm leaving on a working holiday visa but will be converting it to either a student or spouse visa after 1 year. I just can't stand it anymore, I can feel myself getting older and roots are starting to grow from the bottom of my office chair. . .

 

I have been offered a job at a mountain in Tohoku, obviously seasonal, I start in March 2008 and will be working there again at the start of the next season.

 

I am concerned about what kind of summer or part time job options a young degree-less gaijinsan has considering the recent deflation of NOVA. Are private English lessons easy to set up or has the nova situation killed any hopes of that? Is there other work available for foreigners without much trouble without resorting to impoverished living?

 

Any help/insight would be appreciated!

[samurai 0]

If you haven't done a search already, I'll make it easy for you-

 

Unless you have plans of setting up your own school, outbidding 4000 experienced ESL teachers who are fighting for their survival, and willing to be a member of the group who actually exist in japan for the sole purpose of teaching, I suggest coming up with something else.

 

I'm biased (see other threads on this forum). But quite frankly, I don't see teaching privates working with your goals in perspective.

[paradoxbox 0]

I'm open to suggestions, as I said english teaching is not the only thing I can do. I have experience managing a 20 employee, multi-branch company here in Canada, and have experience importing and exporting however due to my future location in northern Japan it will be a little difficult to access goods that I would like to export (i.e. starting my own business).

 

I've also got nearly a decade of experience in php/mysql & web design but I'd prefer not to do that for work.

 

Any ideas welcome.

[AK 77 0]

So you wanted to come to Japan and started web-design/computer stuff at 12?

 

You sound far too high flying for any help from me...

Why do you to come to Japan? Primarily to ride? (as this is SJ forum)

 

But wait a second... you say you are planning to convert to a spouse visa within a year?

 

Is that why you want to come here?

[gerard 6]

 Originally Posted By: samurai

Unless you have plans of setting up your own school, outbidding 4000 experienced ESL teachers who are fighting for their survival, and willing to be a member of the group who actually exist in japan for the sole purpose of teaching...

Yeah, and they've got University degrees too.

[paradoxbox 0]

Yeah, believe it or not I was designing web pages and working with databases at 12. That's not that unusual these days.

 

Yes I have a girlfriend in Japan and it's possible that we'll be tying the knot next year, but that's not quite decided yet.

 

My primary purpose for going to Japan is because I want to. Guys, I'm not looking for criticism here, you can either help me out by providing options that in your experience are realistic considering the recent change in the english employment sector of Japan, or you can choose not to participate, I just don't see the need for criticism.

 

The lack of a degree is a minor setback but a large number of NOVA employees were people with 1year working holiday visas who similar to me only had 1 or 2 years of university education.

 

I'm sensing a bit of elitism here, what's wrong with someone wanting to go to Japan and looking for ways to make it work?

[gerard 6]

Teaching English is a pretty safe bet and the money is ...OK... but a Uni degree is often required. I know a few people who are doing it without Uni degrees. They've patched together enough work for an OK income but they can't get the most desirable gigs. Sometimes smaller schools don't care though. They're happy enough if you're young and look like apple pie. If your creative, with an entrepreneurial spirit, then you might be able to come up with other things. Anyway, having a job at a skihill on a working holiday visa sounds like a good way to check things out and have a good time. What resort will you be working at?

[paradoxbox 0]

 Originally Posted By: ger

Teaching English is a pretty safe bet and the money is ...OK... but a Uni degree is often required. I know a few people who are doing it without Uni degrees. They've patched together enough work for an OK income but they can't get the most desirable gigs. Sometimes smaller schools don't care though. They're happy enough if you're young and look like apple pie. If your creative, with an entrepreneurial spirit, then you might be able to come up with other things. Anyway, having a job at a skihill on a working holiday visa sounds like a good way to check things out and have a good time. What resort will you be working at?

Thanks for the info.

I will be working at sansou lodge @ hakkouda mountain. next season I may be working with a local guide at hakkoda, but if that doesn't pan out I'll be back at the lodge.

[AK 77 0]

Sorry, I was only teasing...

 

In my experience, I only know of people with a degree teaching English in Japan (not that having a degree realy makes them more qualified to teach here), and I thought that applied to everyone working for NOVA too...

 

If making money to survive is not that big an issue, then there are some interesting volunteer things like working on an organic farm (people, what is that NGO called??).

 

What is the mountain job? If that is close to you gf then that would be more fun than teaching English probably. Non-English teaching positions are not that many, maybe in the service sector ie. seasonal resort jobs, or in the cities using Japanese.... I don't know of many. If you have cash from current employment and want to see more of Japan, then look into volunteer things maybe. Teaching english in Japan pays less than being an unskilled secretary in the UK anyway.

 

The NOVA thing just means that there are a surplus of teachers here, and very few mid-year positions at the moment. You can always find privates to teach under the table, but that won't keep you in food and rent.

[AK 77 0]

Hakkoda is a great mountain, and being in Tohoku you will certainly 'see Japan' more than being in a city.

 

Working in the lodge and making connections in that area sounds like a much better bet than applying for teaching postions, especially if you want to ride.

 

Being there in person at the right time and meeting people will be more important than a degree (probably).

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Not that I pretend to know a lot about this but some places have summer activities to replace the winter ones - like white water rafting and mountain biking - those area's might be keen for a gaijin to stick around for the odd English speaking Touro...

 

Try the water - if you are close to starving - jet back to Canada for a short working/saving/thinking time and work out your next step.

[samurai 0]

 Originally Posted By: paradoxbox

I just don't see the need for criticism.

The lack of a degree is a minor setback but a large number of NOVA employees were people with 1year working holiday visas who similar to me only had 1 or 2 years of university education.

I'm sensing a bit of elitism here, what's wrong with someone wanting to go to Japan and looking for ways to make it work?

Elitism?

you don't have a degree, you have no teaching experience and you're thinking of setting up privates to sustain yourself. I thought we were giving it to you straight.

That whole "a large number of Nova employes were people with 1 year wroking holiday visas who similar to me, only had 1 or 2 years of university education"... yeah, they're doing real well right now... you should really follow their lead. What do we know?

Dude, teaching is not going to be your gig. There is nothing elitist in that. You're just outbid, and I'm being straight. Take offense if you will.

[Domokun_72dpi 0]

Do the right thing & Marry that girl of yours..

 

that's my only advice

 

Man, a web geek @ 12??? I am impressed.

I am 34 and a web geek, and we started about the same time.

 

Geez.... I feel REAAAAAAALY old now.

[thursday 1]

A large dose of reality given though not asked for.

 

You're far too young to be doing this. You need to go get a Masters or a PhD and then have some fun.

 

Just cos you speak a language dun mean you can teech it mun.

[paradoxbox 0]

 Originally Posted By: thursday

A large dose of reality given though not asked for.

You're far too young to be doing this. You need to go get a Masters or a PhD and then have some fun.

Just cos you speak a language dun mean you can teech it mun.

sorry mate, just no longer interested in handing over cash to the universities. maybe someday but it's pretty low on my list of priorities. going to university does not necessarily mean you are able to teach a language either, even if you studied how to teach languages, a degree does not make you a good teacher.

anyway, kind of straying into philosophical territory and i'd rather keep it on track. i appreciate the insight guys. you are right about local contacts being important. it seems that most of my good job opportunities come by chance encounters with the right people at the right time, the job offer at the lodge was a totally random encounter by email.

i think i will just wait until i get to japan before i start looking for summer work. fwiw i'm bringing about 10,000$ with me so i should be good for a while. free room & board at the lodge while i'm there too.

[Fattwins 0]

Hmmm Higher education doesnt mean a better teacher true but it is a base point for any good job here. If you get married you wont want the standard wage for very long.

 

I would think about web designing mate. You have a booming industry that is in need of bilingual websites at the moment. Stick with what you are strong at and you can do it from home and make money.

 

10000 bucks doesnt last long mate. Its not expensive here but the world is about to go through huge price increases and having no cash isnt going to be good.

 

By next March the Nova problem should be settled with most of the surplus teachers gone or placed.

[bobby12 0]

I would reccomend the web jobs too, though they are generally kansai/kanto of course. I've seen some web jobs going for the real estate agents and similar in niseko, though they are obviously few and far between, and not always going to be LAMP based.

 

But good luck to you, maybe you will be one of the lucky ones who don't have to make these kind of compromises.

[indosnm 0]

Paradox,

If you really want to come that bad, then do it!

At least you will have tried and if it works out... even better!

I came here with no degree, no research and $2000 AUD!

I survived but it was tough at first. Not having a degree made it hard back then, much harder now as employers want so much more for the same money as 10 years ago.. If not LESS!

If you are going to get married and stay long term Buy a school, or specifically mine. (it's on the market now.. PM for details)

Get PT work doing your web stuff and maybe it can happen for you.

By no means is it easy, but it's not impossible.

Good Luck.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

>sorry mate, just no longer interested in handing over cash to the universities. maybe someday but it's pretty low on my list of priorities. going to university does not necessarily mean you are able to teach a language either, even if you studied how to teach languages, a degree does not make you a good teacher

 

thats an excellent point, but its not reality. And the reality is people want the piece of paper here in Japan as well as other countries. "Supposedly" youre supposed to have graduated from a 4 year uni to get a full-time position, excluding working holidays so you'd be fine for a year but what about after your one year? Even if you get married to your Japanese GF, while that will allow you to live here, it doesnt guarantee you will find a good job - all because a lack of paper (assuming you wanna teach that is). Hope you can find something you want!

[fjef 0]

If i was 22 again and heading to Japan for the first time and thinking about getting married, I'd be begging for criticism - not that at age 22 I'd listen!

 

There was no internet when I was 22 and doing roughly the same thing. <rant>Take the criticism and learn from it! Telling people to STFU because you don't like what you hear is not going to help you.</rant>

 

At 22, if you follow all the rules, the answer is usually 'no'. The trick is to 'listen' and LEARN how to break em...

[paradoxbox 0]

just an update

i'm in japan now

it's more awesome than can be fathomed by human minds

hakkouda has some damn sweet snow

however it's getting a bit mushy now, and learning to ski on deep mushy snow has been like starting all over again since i was used to groomers on the north shore mountains of vancouver (also missed most of the season due to injury). nevertheless it's a lot of fun. i'll be back next season, if not at this lodge i'll figure something out at one of the other locations nearby.

 

still don't have a proper paying job but just working for free room and board at a nearby resort. can't complain really. not sure what i'll do in the summer months yet. at least here i'm not spending any money. think i've spent 150yen since i arrived in tohoku a month ago.