Hey all, I've researched the hell out of this idea and now I figured it's time to turn to some real people for some input. I hope I've come to the right place. I'm currently moving into my senior year of university (studying English) in the United States, and I have just completed a TEFL certification. My ultimate goal is to work as a teacher in Japan, and I'm trying to put everything in place to make it successful. I looked into ALT positions that I could go to straight out of college, but I've found it is probably better to get some experience teaching and being in Japan (plus working on my Japanese lol).
I am planning to attend a Japanese language school in the fall of 2025 for around a year (grants you a student VISA). Which would allow me to work part-time as well, I figured this would improve my Japanese greatly and make me a better candidate. I am also planning to complete my Master's in education during this time (online). My girlfriend lives in Nagoya currently, so I was planning to split rent and things with her to make things cheaper, ultimately I was thinking I could hunt for jobs after/during my time at the language school, and I don't mind being an ALT if that's what I have to do in between finding something a bit better for the future.
My question is, does this seem feasible to those of you who have done something similar? What kind of qualifications do you all have? I have experience tutoring, mentoring, and coaching athletes and students as well. I'm not looking to live lavishly (obviously by my choice of study lol) but I want to set myself up for success while being together with my girlfriend in the process, even if that means doing this for a while and then moving back to the States for better pay.
Thank you all for reading!
by AffectionateEscape43