Hello. Thank you to anyone who has information on how to do this.
So, I do have a Bachelors degree in Theater Arts and minor in Creative Writing. I also studied abroad in Japan for one year with a host family in 2017, and during my last semester studying abroad I worked at an afterschool program "teaching" English to elementary aged kids. Occasionally I would tutor middle schoolers but rarely.
So I do have experience running after kids and trying to get them not to say the Japanese word for penis all day. My experience was actually great. My kids knew English really well already, and they were polite and fun to be around. My hours weren't long at all but I was a student at the time so I understand why it was so great. I was located in Hyogo Prefecture, close to Kobe. My coworkers were even nice and would invite me out to dinner on Friday nights, and the hiring staff was mostly Japanese women so they were sweet to be around. I know some people have horror stories of teaching English in Japan, but I will say mine was easy and dare I say, fun.
I also did get accepted to the JET program once I finished my degree, but I didn't go because of an unforeseen divorce (don't marry young, kids). I'm 28 and I finally want to move to Japan, and I don't mind teaching English. I honestly believe someone reading this might know of a place or places that aren't horrible places to teach English in Japan. There will be those, like me, that didn't hate teaching English AND see it as a viable job and not something to begrudgingly do. I would teach English for a year, maybe two, and then apply for Japanese universities to learn a new skill in IT (Software Development).
I have no idea where to apply to work teaching English that isn't going to be abusive experience and is outside of JET. But I would love to get hired rather soon. Any advice at all would be so helpful.
I would love to live in Kobe, Hyogo, Tottori, Tokyo and maaaybe Chiba or Saitama. But my heart is on Kobe or Tokyo.
I also do know some Japanese, but it's not anywhere near fluent. I basically know how to order things and if I get lost, I can go up to the counter at a train station and get pointed in the right direction.
Other work that I can do:
-I'm pretty good at Graphic Design
-I have hospitality experience, as I worked as a concierge at a high end hotel. We're talking $500 a night in wine country.
-Administrative work at a university (but I think this requires a lot of Japanese)
-I know my way around Social Media sites and could make content
-Hostel Work
I would want to get hired pretty quickly, as soon as July 2024 or September 2024 if July is unrealistic. I would love to start New Years in Japan, my goal just starting.
Thank you so much again for any advice or direction!!
My history with Japan:
I studied abroad 2017-2018 in Hyogo Prefecture and my experience was normal. Nothing flashy but I had a good time. There were ups and downs as I wasn't confident with who I am. I went back to finish my degree and moved to Oregon where I worked at Starbucks and a nice hotel. I moved back to California after my divorce where I started work at a bookstore. I'm a creative person and I know how to be professional and welcoming to most people. I'm in charge of Storytime, so I am still around kids.
If you can see by my past, I'm not a corporate achiever. I am, go with the flow, see where life leads and make decisions from there, type person. And it's worked out for me. I have a lot of beautiful experiences. I decided to take a month off work in 2023 for my birthday to go back to Japan. I spent a month visiting Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Korea. I also did WWOOFING work in Chiba this time around where a Japanese man pulled out his ukele and sung me Happy Birthday. I came back from that trip more determined than ever to go back.
I am very simple person. I love Japan simply by the fact I love the feeling of the weather they have and the delicious egg sandwiches and a carton of tea.
My university in Japan:
Kwansei Gakuin University, is hiring. For part time and full time teacher. I know I don't know anything about teaching English, like as a subject. But, I do like challenges. And I'm not sure with my work experience I would even get hired, but I know no matter where I am and what I am doing, I ALWAYS try to do a good job and achieve objectives. So I would try to teach people English with methods I figured out. It would be a lot of experimenting. I work at a big bookstore and actually would be able to bring books overseas to any school I worked out. I'm a senior manager of sorts and know the process of making book deals overseas. We actually do it all the time for military bases in Japan. Should I apply to be a teacher at my old foreign exchange university? I did get a certificate for being apart of a Japanese Speech Competition. I was really nervous, but I did get a certificate and I'm counting it.
Should I try to work at a military base? Or is that bad karma? I would hate to have Japanese hate me. I don't agree bases should be there in the first place, but I also believe the people there are there and I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them, or me. I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone pretty much every day of my life.
by IndividualCheek9555
