I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong? 2nd failed interview, recently graduated M.A degree, and nearly 2 years of experience in substitute teacher work… What am I doing wrong..

37 comments

1. Are you giving off a weird vibe? Not genki enough? This particular eikaiwa isn’t very big on academic teaching, so you may have dodged a bullet if you’re looking to really teach. It’s more of a “make the kids happy and make things look good for the parents” kind of thing. The company itself also has some highly questionable labor practices, which is unfortunate because Shikoku is wonderful but the company is a bit black.

2. You might be over qualified. From my experience, Most Eikaiwa don’t want people who have teaching backgrounds because they really enforce ✨their way✨strictly… you’d have to throw away most of your experiences and what you’ve learned.

   I was in an interview room with 12 other candidates, I was the only one hired despite being the least qualified one.

   Everyone else was studying ESL/education in university or were teachers. I was studying IT.

   I wouldn’t say anything about race but living here there is some idolization of white people. My company only advertises white teachers, I’m majority white but I’m mixed so I don’t look like it and I’m definitely not treated the same as others

   I’d bet you’d have better luck at an actual school

3. OP, I looked through your post history, and you are WISELY looking at a wide range of career options. Good.

   There are many ways to view a career search. For example, you can ask “where do I want to be in 5 years.” You can also consider “What will get me on track to a comfortable retirement?” and “What will help me meet a spouse?” and, of course, “What will just be a unique experience?”

   The overseas teaching positions (Japan, Korea, China, etc.) are mostly fun experiences that are low-paying, and will not prepare you for any job back in the US, and will keep you poor—there is almost no chance to advance.

   If you do really want to come to Japan, try the JET program, where you teach in public schools. It is very competitive.

   The Peace Corps is famously life-changing, but it’s definitely not a career. In the past it used to help you get into diplomatic corps government jobs, but I don’t know if that is still true. Peace Corps is probably more respected and better than most teaching jobs in Japan.

   The military is such a wide-ranging set of jobs, it is hard to say much here. I would suggest you consider the Coast Guard. Or maybe Air Force cyber-security jobs would put you on a good path?

   How much do you want to teach, really? In the USA, teachers are treated badly, but the worst in the South, and better in the North. Like, you definitely would prefer teaching in Minnesota to teaching in Mississippi.

   I suppose it is worth pointing out that you have lots of time, and very few things in life are permanent. You can try things and quit, and try other things.

4. They may have combed your social media and decided you werent weird enough. You have to date a hologram, have a robotic exoskeleton, and cosplay a current manga series. Know some kanji also helps

5. For these shitty eikaiwa jobs here’s what they want. (Not this company specifically)

   – alcoholic
   – no meaningful hobbies, passions outside of work
   – totally open work schedule
   – poor
   – zero ability to speak Japanese
   – genki
   – willingness to grind away on small projects on your down time

   The truth is outside of being “genki” they’re mostly looking for negative traits that will keep you locked into this job forever. They don’t want people who try to climb up or better themselves.

6. I just want to throw my two cents in here because I think it’s relevant. I also interviewed for this job, but I was accepted. I thought about it for a day, and there were too many negatives and not enough positives. I declined the invitation to work for the company. (Forgot to add that last sentence. Had to edit it in.)

   The only difference I can assume, reading only this post, is that I had three years of teaching experience in Japan (two years on Shikoku no less), and I was very passionate about teaching children. (If I teach, the kids/students always come first.)

   I had the same interviewer, and felt the same while I was dressed in business casual attire. (Side note, but I’m in/from Alabama.) He was not very professional towards me, and it seemed like the company was just a way for him and the people who work there to play in Japan. It seemed like his focus was not on the school, but rather that was just something that paid him. (Those are my feelings.)

   All that is to say, I think you would do better at a place that values you more. Shikoku is beautiful, and I would consider it a second home for me, but it is also dying in terms of economy. A job on the mainland would possibly be more lucrative and even give you more networking capabilities.

   (Sorry for the long ramble.)

7. Man, wish you applied to my job! We keep getting crappy people who only stay for a month or two or just plain ol don’t want to work. Sucks because it’s actually a good job. First one where is was ever told I HAD to use my vacation days!

8. I would encourage new teachers to NOT get their masters immediately – it’s cheaper for schools to hire you when you don’t have one. Then you get the Masters while you’re working and get the pay raises that accompany it. Many new teachers think they’ll impress administration with multiple degrees – but multiple degrees = higher salary, and they would rather have the newer teachers paid the lowers amount.

9. What’s your BA in OP? Also History?

10. Need more context. Resume, application requirements. Did you interview? Where is and what is the school?

11. Can you share with us some of the questions you were asked and how you answered or what your saying for your self introduction? Given the information provided, it’s hrs to give a definite answer not getting hired could be a wide variety of reasons some of those being beyond your control, but let’s focus on what is in your control and make sure you’re not unintentionally raising some red flags during your interviews.

12. Just to be bluntly honest, if you got turned down by GEM, something is wrong with how you interview. That place is a revolving door that takes anyone with a pulse.

13. I think you’re better off trying out for some bigger school names, rather than smaller ones. The bigger names would have more positions open, all across the country. If you’re keen to work in eikaiwa – then go for them.

14. You should be applying to universities and international schools.

15. Try schools further out. Maybe in Okinawa or Hokkaido? You may have better luck with private international schools.

16. you sound too expensive and too skilled at teaching.

17. I went through this with JET. Took Japanese in University for two years, did JLPT, had teaching experience at Kumon and another private school, had a bachelors in English, and had letters of recommendation from my Japanese professors. Was put on the backup list along with all the other non-Japanese-Canadian asians. I was still required to get my ass over to all the seminars and preparation only to ultimately not get promoted to go.

18. Type International School and a location you want to go to in Japan, and they will give you the locations of some of the nearby international schools

19. Meh, try not to sweat too much. I once got outright ghosted by an eikaiwa I am pretty sure because I made it a point to confirm that in Japan, hugging/other innocent physical contact was forbidden, then clarified that in China (where I had worked before), the opposite had been true. I told them I had no problems with the rule, just wished to clarify, but the interviewer suddenly looked really upset, and never contacted me again. (Because, like, how *dare* you ask such a thing.)

    Just keep going. Some places are more professional than others.

20. I’m gonna be honest with you your race might have something to do with it if you’re applying to small eikaiwa companies. Big eikaiwa companies don’t really care. As a person of middle eastern descent (despite being born and raised in Canada) I have been treated different because I don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. It’s worse for East Asians imo, my half Japanese friend was treated horribly at half the jobs she worked at.

21. Go to Askamanager.org and look up the section on cover letters, resumes and interview tips. People have had a lot of success, you will too

22. Take it easy, I failed 25 company entry/12 interviews till I find a not so attractive offer.

23. I’ve been a teacher for nearly 20 years, and have taught in East Asia.

    You’re not doing anything wrong, except setting your expectations too high. You just got a Masters, and have a year of subbing as your experience. Most schools don’t really care about the year of subbing (or “nearly two years”). To them, you have zero years as a teacher (whether this is correct or not).

    You’re going to get a ***lot*** of ghosting, and a LOT of rejections. Just keep at it, and perhaps broaden your search as much as you can. Be willing to consider places and experiences you had never thought about before.

    Lower your expectations, too. Two interviews is nothing, really. It’s going to very likely be more than that…many more! I mean, by freaking out about two, you’re saying that you really thought the very first place would hire you, but if not them, then *definitely* the next place. That’s a bit optimistic, don’t you think?

24. So you already live here?
    If not, might also be a factor.

    Youre clearly overqualified as well.
    From my experience, you can answer all the questions “correct” but if you do the “Genki” attitude.. you’re kinda screwed. At least with eikawas

25. **TL;DR** – Bruh. Just chill tf out.

    After reading some of your comments in the responses, OP, there are definitely red flags.

    You keep getting hung up on the interviewer’s “PAC Man Hoodie” while you were in a suit. You come off as stuffy / arrogant.

    You then keep asking people for links, websites, names of companies, etc. It’s really not hard to type things into Google or the Reddit search bar (and look past the first page). This sort of whiny helplessness is really, really, off-putting.

    You’re willing to ~~lie~~ creatively omit details about your education to get a job. Why TF would you **hide** your MA? You’d be taking a job for significantly less pay than you’re worth. It’s batshit crazy. Stop trying to change to fit the job. Have professionals who won’t sugar coat your resume / CV, cover letter, etc. look over it and help you format it to show off your strengths. Own your skills and talents and the right fit will eventually happen.

    The desperation is palpable from a few comments, I can only imagine what interviewers are getting through a conversation.

    What is your goal? Do you really want to teach? Or do you just want an excuse to go play in Japan?

    If it’s the former you need an actual education degree, licensing in your state, and probably two years experience. Then you can realistically compete for international school jobs, which are some of the only English teaching jobs in Japan that are respectable anymore. Do NOT under any circumstances, take an ALT job that isn’t JET. (Honestly, don’t even take the shitty JET job.) It’s NOT worth it.

    If you just want to dick around in Japan, save yourself and everyone else in the industry a lot of time and pain and just take a fucking vacation here. Stop feeding the shitty dispatch machine more bodies so it can’t continue to erode standards for ALT’s and eikaiwa teachers. Until people stop taking the shitty pay and conditions nothing will change.

26. Do you have a teaching credential?

27. You are overly qualified.. maybe try something outside teaching?

28. Too ugly

29. GEM SCHOOL? Do not work for them!!!!

    Let me just tell you … I USED TO. Do NOT WORK THERE

30. Tbh, reading your responses here, your English is quite a bit off, and not in the way native speakers usually make errors.

    So, based off your errors and some of your other comments (e.g. being “educated in the US”, which implies you’re not raised there), I’m guessing you’re not a native English speaker. If that’s the case, you probably have an accent.

    Between having imperfect English (if you make this many strange mistakes in *writing*, then I can only imagine how many you make while speaking) and an accent, it’s going to be an uphill battle to get a job teaching English.

    Not saying this to be mean, btw, just something I noticed.

31. Did you tell them to kill all the magpies and destroy traditional culture?

32. I’m not inclined to immediately agree with people saying that you must be the problem. Some companies really will avoid hiring people if they are afraid that they are over-qualified. Some other companies will avoid hiring people if they are afraid that they will be a “troublemaker” – particularly bad companies; and GEM is a very, very bad company.

33. Having a good profile on paper and passing a good interview in person are two different things

34. What do you look like? Height weight proportional? Or….”obese American”

35. If you have a Master’s you’re overqualified for most of your standard ALT/Eikaiwa riffraff. Try using your university’s connections to get in touch with people at a sister university in Japan?

36. OP, why don’t you try Interac? They hire a lot of Asians. A LOT.

    With Eikaiwas, you have to be another selling point.

    They probably don’t know how to market you well being Asian.

    With Interac, they just have to sell you to the BOE, it’s easier because you aren’t selling yourself every day like eikaiwa.

37. Former GEM teacher. Dodged a bullet. This company should be name and shamed all over this subreddit and no one should work for them. Highly unprofessional, Nik sucks and went stupid with power, literally a glorified babysitting company that won’t pay you properly, will make you live in a dirty apartment and you will never get a break and your health will decline. Oh and when you leave they will try and get all the money they paid you. Also the clown cars they make you drive are not maintained properly so you might also die on the job.

    If they didn’t take you you might have done something wrong but it’s worth it to avoid this godforsaken job.

    ETA Shikoku is great tho. Sucks that such a company is one of the only options in Kagawa and Ehime.