Hey all,
I’m in my 4th year of the JET Programme and have been thinking (\*stressing) about what I want to do after my contract is done. Still deciding whether or not I want to stay the final 5th year (I have until end of Nov to decide). I’ve been reading through this subreddit for some ideas. If you have any advice I’d really appreciate it 🙂
Some background: Since I’ve been teaching for 4 years, I’ve really seen my students grow and they’ve inspired me to pursue education as a career. I enjoy teaching at the preschool-elementary school the best.
I’m originally from the US but I do not possess any teaching credentials. I have a BA in sociology. I’ve been looking at transitioning to International schools but most of them require teaching credential. I’ve also been looking into getting a TESOL certification to boost up my resume.
I did some research on getting a MAT, but I kind of don’t want to leave Japan… But I think in order for me to stay the 5th year on JET, I want to find something productive for professional development and to prepare me for post-JET opportunities.
What are some things I can look into (MAT or TESOL or teaching credentials etc.) that I can do in my final year on JET? What are some job opportunities that I can look into (preferably not eikaiwa…)? Any good recommendations for professional development?
Thanks in advanced!
7 comments
You can do a MA in TESOL online through a US university. 1.5-2 year program.
I have no idea of the job requirements post-JET (I am a future JET hopeful), but I got my TEFL certificate online last summer while working full time with no problem. I have a degree in linguistics and found a lot of the coursework to be very easy, and if you’ve been teaching for 4 years, you will likely find a lot of it intuitive as well. Like I said before, no idea if this will make you more employable but it was very manageable to complete while working full time.
You can do TeacherReady program while being a jet teacher and get your teaching cert. I did while doing epik in Korea.
Maybe worth looking into? Only thing is you’d have to fly to the US to do the final tests. But that can be done at end of program. Takes about 9-10 months to do program and costs like $5000
[deleted]
I got my teaching degree, specializing in secondary education back in my home country before moving to Japan. I also have a certificate in TESOL. Since living in Japan I haven’t had any issues getting comfy jobs at private schools around Tokyo and Chiba. I’m not sure what it’s like to get teaching qualifications within Japan, but it was well worth it getting them in my home country before moving to Japan.
Many jobs in Japan start in April. You can do your fifth year on JET but leave in March if needed. Many people have, and it’s all peachy.
If you’re looking for an April start, you should pay attention to job postings that show up in the summer and continue through the fall and winter. Try to get your resume polished and padded by June, if reasonable, to maximize your chances of getting something good.
Having JLPT N2 or N1 would be good for many jobs. And it would be really useful for your life, when you’re moving to a new city, doing all sorts of paperwork for apartments and whatnot, and making new friends.
Weeeeelll, one of the things is, honestly it is getting late in the JET game to start doing an MA if you want to transition straight into a uni job or something. Ideally you would have been using your time already to get quals.
There are a couple of 1 year intensive MAs in TESOL/TEFL, but if they don’t have a dissertation, not sure what they’re “worth”. Of course, “worth” is in the eye of the beholder and it seems that in Japan, pretty much any English related MA and a publication or two is the minimum “tick the box” to even get in on the floor. Check where you want to be long term. For example, back in Australia my understanding is that for your MA to have any kind of meaning, it needed classroom hours. My distance MA didn’t, but if I ever go back home, for whatever reason, I won’t be teaching, so I didn’t care.
Other than that, join something like JALT and some SIGs and get your name known. It’s all about networks and vouching. Bit of a bummer with corona, not being able to go to conferences and meet people, but you can still do stuff.