Hello denizens of JapanLife.
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After wasting the better part of my youth here, I’ve decided it’s probably high time I say goodbye to Japan and do something else with my life.
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In short, like many others, I’ve gotten stuck in the English teaching rut. I actually don’t mind teaching as a profession- but the low pay and the lack of stability has finally broken me. I’ve also hit that big 3 0, so I’m concerned about being able to transition back into regular working society.
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I’m looking for some advice on what a poor sap who’s only ever worked as an “English teacher.” I’m not licensed in my home country (U.S.) and, to be quite honest, I wouldn’t want to be a teacher there anyway.
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What are my options? On paper I’ve got slightly more experience than your basic ALT gig, but I wont’ sugar coat it: My resume basically screams “I have no skills!” I only have a BA (in English, ouch) and my only other work experience is from before I came to Japan; the usual part time food service/retail gigs one does to fund themselves during high school and university.
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Is there hope outside of English teaching? Am I destined to go back to the U.S. and continue to be married to the ESL industry? Or, worse, am I just stuck in Glorious Nippon forever?
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Side note: I am looking for generalized exit strategy advice here. I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s backed themselves into a corner like this, and hopefully this thread can help someone else as well.
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Thanks in advance for any advice or insight.
2 comments
Step back, take a breather, 30 is not even the prime of a man yet. You’re still a young pup, even though the media wants you to think you’re menopause in order to placate the opposing audience.
This is how it is, you come to Japan, then you do ELT as much as you want. When you’re sick of it, you find a company that’s going to take a chance on you, change your job, and your visa, and then earn more money in the long run.
Most of these success stories of switching industries come from ”the company took a chance on me”, ”I didn’t have a degree in computer engineering, I had a degree in arts, but I got an IT certificate, and an IT company took a chance on me”, ”I used my hobby art skills to become a logo designer”, ”I used my Japanese level to become an interpreter”, ”I didn’t have a computing degree, nor an IT certificate, but this company took a chance on me”.
Either that, or start your own business, something you know would be lucrative to do in Japan after the many years of saving those ELT salary deposits. (hopefully you didn’t live paycheck to paycheck)
Some of the people get lucky, find the woman of their dreams, then get a visa enabling them to do whatever they want.
30 is still young, you’re not old no matter how much the media wants to make you believe you are. A man doesn’t hit his financial prime until he is 45, and his physical prime can be extended provided he workout it will just climb. It’s okay that you don’t have it all together yet. You’re still fertile, and can seed a woman until you’re an elderly old crust, you don’t have a biological clock.
Calm down, whippersnapper.
There are doctors, and lawyers from abroad coming here at 30-35, and doing the ALT thing because they are bored of their careers, and are still considered young eligible bachelors with potential through the roof.
I don’t think 30 is too late for a career change.
You also don’t need to let your college study limit you in any way, as there are ways to pick up skills even without it.
If your Japanese is at least N3 level, you might be able to pick up some “haken work” or find something at Hello Work. Some of those may not pay a whole lot more than an English teacher and there may be some black companies mixed into the bag, but at least it could help you take a step into building your career and there can be other opportunities in the future.