I’ll be a fresh graduate of BS Biology this coming May and I’m planning to visit Japan in June. I have 2 months of experience as an online ESL tutor at Engoo. I have somewhere to stay in so I don’t mind starting with low pay. I’ll be on a tourist visa and I’ll just go to interviews and come back to my country to process a working visa if I get accepted.
I’ve been doing my research for a while and I know the market is saturated, but I still want to give it a shot. Will TOEIC and other certificates help me? I’m a Filipino but I’m fluent in English. Once again I’m fine with working long hours since I’m also doing it for the experience.
I justreally want to be in Japan but the one supporting me can’t afford giving me a student visa so I have to make do with a tourist one. I know this irks some of you but I really wantsome hard truth advice. Thanks
5 comments
Yes, you have a chance, but be prepared to face a number of hurdles. I’ve heard, from a number of my colleagues, that there’s actually more restrictions on leaving the Philippines for work purposes rather than starting to work in Japan. I think the question you should be asking yourself is whether or not you actually want to commit to teaching as a stop-gap rather than finding work more in line with your current educational background.
I doubt many language schools would even interview you in-country without a visa. Most of them hire from overseas and then bring you in with your visa. That’s your first hurdle.
You didn’t mention whether your grade school education was in English. The second hurdle is that unless you have 12 years of education in English, you won’t qualify for the visa.
Another hurdle is that experience and a TESOL cert mean nothing. They aren’t interested in skill; they hire based on appearance and personality, because these are not educational institutions. They are businesses, and the only thing they really care about is whether you have a sparkling personality and will also be compliant, uncomplaining, and trainable to their way of conducting lessons. If this is you, congrats for being another cog in their giant wheel.
I would also ask you why you would want to be in Japan so very badly that you would take a minimum-wage, no-skills, non-career job just to be here. Why not simply save up and take a vacation? I get that Japan pop culture is totally cool and oh very kawaii, but Japan is not the easiest country to live in, and it’s rigid social structure and adherence to rules and regulations can make it very hard to acclimate for some people. So if you have never been here, and don’t really know what it is like, you should be sure you’re not wearing your rose-colored glasses.
Do you speak much Japanese? Many dispatch companies hire Filipinos for elementary school level but this usually requires some beginner Japanese to get along with the teachers (lessons are English only though).
As someone else mentioned, it’s also very common to do the interview/offer process from overseas, so why not apply online now? As a Filipino, you’ll need to process your OEC at POEA once your work visa is issued, so having the offer ready will get this done quicker.
Aim to teach Biology, ESS and STEM as soon as you can. Compared to 10 years ago, being Filipino might work in favor to you nowadays.
I am not sure if you will be entertained while you are on a tourist visa. Some job applications recently have mentioned that they will only be entertaining applications from Filipinos who are already in the country with a valid working visa and/or OEC.
It has gotten increasingly harder since Immigration is cracking down on visa application changes from tourist to working. Some have also mentioned that you will have to go back home to apply for your working visa once you get a COE. This is where getting a clearance from POEA gets difficult, as you (and your prospective employer) will be asked why you haven’t gotten an accredited partner agency, etc. It’s bureacratic stuff set up that will be your biggest hurdle.