I worked for various tech startups and it was so damn mentally exhausting. The only good thing was the pay, but considering the demand on my mental energy it wasn’t worth it. I was often trying to solve problems with no clear solutions, or having to resolve critical time sensitive issues that affected thousands of people. It was just constant stress. I was never able to mentally check out of work.
I was burnt out so I stopped working for some months. After recovering I decided to try out teaching as the job market is really bad right now and I’m still not ready to jump back into it. It’s been a month and so far it’s been surprisingly chill. I get to meet a lot of interesting people, my social skills are improving a lot, and I can easily mentally check out after finishing my job. Since I’m not staring at a screen all day, I have the energy to spend my evenings working on fun coding side projects.
Overall it’s been pretty good. The pay sucks, and the hours are weird, but I don’t wake up with a sense of dread everyday. I guess the grass really is greener. Eventually I’m going back to tech, but it’s been eye opening working a job that doesn’t suck up every ounce of your cognitive ability with complex problems.
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This job is most often super chill. 4chan/kiwifarms adjacent anons will spout classist bullshit, and sometimes “qualified” teachers with an inferiority complex will try to rip into it, but industry problems aside: it’s mostly a chill gig.
I hope you’re able to regain your mental health and I wish you good students and effective management.
Eikaiwa is fine if you take it for what it is. It looks like you don’t need the money (eikaiwa will pay survival wages, not wages you can seriously save and thrive on) and you’re not trying to make a career out of it.
I knew many people who chose eikaiwa after a more “serious” career and they had a good time. It’s also fine when you’re 22 and just want to live in a foreign country for a year.
For me, I was at the stage of my life where I was trying to build a career and make money, and I wasted more years than I should have doing eikaiwa. Oh well.
I love my eikaiwa jobs. 🤷♀️
Some advice for other people.
1. You don’t have to just do only eikaiwa jobs on your visa. You can do that part time and do something else. I’ve known programmers, game designers, translators, etc. Who do eikaiwa as steady income and freelance in other things.
2. You can make more than the average if you play your cards right and find the right part time jobs. That’s how you make money in this industry. You don’t work a 9-5 job at Nova or w/e. Of course that life isn’t for everyone. Some people would rather have one job. For me, the thought of working at the same place with the same people for the rest of my life makes me want to unalive myself. I like the variety.
I’m moving to Tokyo in June and I plan to teach at an Eiakawa after my language school ends. I’ll be transitioning from investment banking. I hope my experience is like yours! Im excited for it.
Not everyone is built the same, and some get “high” under stress, and others buckle.
Neither is good nor bad, but if it fits you, go for it.
A good teacher cares about students and that is all that matters in many cases.
When going back to IT, maybe there are ways to teach or be in the field and be able to check out in the evening without the stress.
I have no skills and very little stress capacity.
Eikaiwa is the perfect job for me. It’s chill and I get to play games, be creative and spend my day making jokes.
The fact I get paid for it is a bonus.
For me it’s a dream job and I’m always triggered when people shit on it.
I’m transitioning from eikaiwa to tech so this post is getting me worried, haha. So I’m curious; what you’re going to do do in tech that’s *less demanding* than your previous job when you go back into that field?
I got the same feeling from Eikaiwa as you got from tech. I feel like it’s just a toxic work environment that makes the difference.
Personally I made the opposite transition from ALT but – “I don’t wake up with a sense of dread everyday” is major! Ive said the same thing. No point in money if you are constantly dreading tomorrow. I still hold off on higher pay for time off, and job stress.
Dude, you’ve only done this a month. You’re basically “on vacation”. Have you even gotten your first paycheck? The economic reality will set in eventually, don’t you worry lol
“I was often trying to solve problems with no clear solutions”
Well, to be truthful, there were probably solutions, but “the rules” say otherwise. Damned rules in Japan.
Read a few comments here. I wonder why we always have to make everything about ourselves. If other people doesn’t find an ALT job or eikaiwa job good for them and would like to branch out to another job..why do we have to talk shit about them and asked them not to pursue it because you came from that line of work and you felt exhausted. What if the other person just wanna try something new or need a higher paying job. Or If a person from another profession find being an ALT or Eikaiwa teacher good for them, then wish them luck. The lesson here is, do what’s good for you and feel right. Let other people decide for themselves and see what’s on the other side. Life is simple why make it complicated.
Good for you mate, going to be doing the same or an ALT job later this year hopefully, I have a bosszilla and I’m bored working from home. Went to Japan in March and loved it so would love a gap year or two over there, will take a career break at work (public sector in Ireland so I can pick up where I left off)and come back to it when I’ve had my fill of life abroad.
Hey mate, I’m happy for you!
It’s a real eye opener huh? I’m a bit similar and I think about it often
COVID gave me a wtf am I doing with my life moment and I quit my job to be an ALT. Planned on exploring Japan when I retired but a pandemic later…
I’m earning less than a third than I was but nowadays I actually get to really USE what I earn for me. I’ve got the energy to as well! I also have more time and strength for my hobbies and interests
That translates to the benefit of my students. Spending time with them has also given me an interest in a bunch of things again! I like that I have a proper goal that might really help instead of catering the whims of the latest insecure prat who thinks they’re the love child prodigy of Steve Jobs and fing Napoleon
Eventually I’ll try and find a job in my field here but this was a wake up call. Somewhere along the line I forgot what was really important or actually made me happy. I like me more now and I intend to find a gig that helps me keep it that way instead of just what pays me more
I transitioned from eikaiwa to software development. I’m still a junior so I took a huge pay cut, work longer hours and don’t socialise as much.
That being said, I am happy that I’m in a field that has career growth, allows me to work remotely and allows me to find work back home if I ever decide to leave Japan.
I do miss interacting with motivated students and feeling like my work had an impact on people. But I did get sick of teaching the same 40 minute cookie cutter lessons day in day out.
I went from ALT to tech and had the opposite experience. A lot less stressed now, and I don’t take any work home. I think the problem for you might have been working at startups.
Hi there. you mentioned that the job market is pretty bad right now. Is this the tech/IT job market? are layoffs happening in Japan too?
If you don’t mind, can you share your field/expertise in IT? I’m thinking of switching my low paying dead end research job to IT but not sure if now is the best time. I know python, have experience in training CVML models and thats about it. Thinking of taking a few courses and getting into data science.