Career path for those staying long term in the biz.

23 comments

1. 6. International School. Get licensed in your home country and hope you get hired.

   Pros: great gig and in English. Proper teaching that can grow your career.

   Cons: unbelievably competitive

2. 6) No desire for a career path.

   Pros: The ALT work hours (or lack thereof) basically pays me enough money while I have ample free time to do other stuff I love doing.

   Cons: I… I guess I don’t get to say I have a career.

3. If you want to go beyond the bottom (Eikawa/ALT), I would say there are a few paths.

   1. Private school
   2. University
   3. International School
   4. Public School with license (meaning you’re a real teacher)
   5. Open your own school
   6. Career switch

   I have various colleagues who did all of the above. They put in the effort/time and were rewarded for it.

   Personally, I’m going from an Eikawa chump to University next Spring. I knew Eikawa sucked and I took steps to improve my situation. I spent several years doing my MA. I took out some loans to pay for part of it. As for time, yeah I was busy with full time Eikawa and my MA and my girlfriend but I made time.

   The “I don’t have time/money to level up!” excuse is a lie. If you have no time, *you make time.*

4. Great post, you basically covered every option anyone who has an ALT/Eikaiwa worker can take. I am an ALT, it is my job but not my career. I love the hours and holidays, as you know the pay sucks. To compensate that shortfall I do some consulting on the side with a few clients from my home country which monthly is double my ALT salary ( of course pay my taxes in Japan for the extra income). If there is a service you can offer that doesn’t require much time. Have a go it makes an immense difference.

5. IMHO, the uni gig is the way to go.

   If you are currently in Eikaiwa or ALT, you can do your M.Ed course online from a variety of respectable universities, and it may not be too expensive. Perhaps take 2 years of part time study.

   Then if you want to get some publications etc done, there are many options. You can join JALT and publish in one of the many special interest group journals there. Plus, if/when you do land a uni gig, every school has their own in-house publication that you can use to pad your CV.

   THe biggest advantage is the free time. I teach two semesters a year of 15/16 weeks each. So, that means 8 week holidays in spring and 6 weeks in summer (paid). Great for travel and pursuing hobbies.

   If you live in a big city area it is not hard to string together a series of classes and make a good living. Plus supplement with Eikaiwa and private work if needed.

6. I don’t see university as a career path as you will almost certainly be let go before you can get tenure. It’s a stop gap on the way to private school hire.

7. I do option 3 and have for years. I have built up a stable of hoikuen over the years I directly contract with and teach at, two afternoons a week I teach at universities, I have a few privates etc. and other classes, I also work 4 hours a week helping a local primary product producer with their exports. The variety is great, I don’t think I could go back to working at one place full time anymore. The money I make is way more than I could make at an eikaiwa and it is satisfying knowing I get paid directly for my efforts without someone else taking their cut.

8. I’ll add materials writing: there are some very few well-known textbook writers who make enough to do only that.

9. Why is getting your own classroom under pros? Do you want to deal with Japanese parents?

10. Since having a ‘career’ implies there’s gonna be some sorta progression/development then IMO it’s a bit of a myth that such tasks are gonna bring long-timers joy/satisfaction.

    I dunno! Put it another way… eikaiwa pay is comparable to what a junior will earn at Maccas… an international school or university might pay you what the shift manager earns at Maccas (as in it does, the pay’s not great and there’s no progression!)

    IMO thinking outside the box is essential. These are ‘gap year’ jobs that enable you to live in Japan (away from what’s happening back at home – maybe for the first time living independently…etc) while working out WTF you wanna do in life.

    Treat it as if you’re a burger flipper!!!! Your options aren’t just ‘working in another restaurant… manning the till… being a shift manager… finding a better restaurant… opening my own restaurant’. You’re allowed to say ‘this is a good start but the pay’s shit, the work’s tiring and I’m gonna leave as soon as a better opportunity comes up’.

    Not wanting to sound like a dick but why does this question get asked sooooo many times? Why is there this inherent assumption that you’re pigeon-holed into teaching just because you’re an in an ALT/eikaiwa gig today?

11. 6. Go to college, get a teaching license, take the 採用試験 and become a public school teacher

    pros: its fuckin awesome

    cons: its not a great work/life balance

12. I teach at a university— I work my ass off but I enjoy my work. Define “less stressful” 😅 parts are certainly stressful for sure, although I do mostly enjoy the work environment and especially my students. Pay is good, semester breaks are awesome 😎 We do have that limit on how many years we can stay, unfortunately.

13. You are not a qualified teacher, so why confine yourself to continuing to pursue a career in education?
    Do you speak Japanese? Do you have any marketable skills or is all you have your native English speaking ability and your physical presence in the country?

14. I’ve mixed 1 and 3. Even though I get great holidays off (about 12 weeks a year) A major con is that when I’m busy I’m mega busy.

15. School owner, Uni part-timer, ALT and wedding celebrant- 24 years in busy everyday but still enjoying it.

16. You missed one, but not far off from number 1: full time teacher at public school. There are more than a few opportunities out there from different prefectures with 国際programs that want special teachers. The licenses are conditional on working at those schools with such programs , but the contracts are permanent with raises and all the benefits of a full time teacher.

17. Probably learn Japanese. And start your own small business selling something. Everything else seems to be a grow old with no safety net option.

18. This about sums it up .

    I have been a teacher here since 2014. Not as long as many people. But I really cannot do the Monday – Friday routine as an ALT (makes me suicidal too) , and I cannot do weekends either to be an eikaiwa (single parent) . I cannot change my lifestyle for my job since I am not very patient and cannot gaman— altho god knows I tried so goddamn hard — so I found the jobs I want to fit my lifestyle.

    Solution :teach business English to salarymen but through the company so you work within company hours .

    PROS :

    I work 19 hours a week. I get paid good money. I don’t have to leave my house. I can choose my schedule. I get motivated salarymen and office ladies as students. They are motivated because they love their jobs, their company, and /or want to get a promotion.

    I can also leave the country (which I did, for a month, in Vietnam) and also in the US in 2021, 2022 . I only need a strong internet connection to do my lessons.

    I teach engineers at a big electronics company, maybe the biggest in Japan and I enjoy talking to them. I’ve been at this job since the start of the pandemic, one of the earliest teachers so I get to be choosy. I also get a bonus (notas big as the salarymen) every time I complete a course.

    As a result, I have a good work life balance. I can spend time with my son, clean the house, run errance. . and I can still go to the gym 3x a week. This has been my lifestyle since I was in my 20s. I don’t want to ever give up going to the gym.

    CONS :

    I have to pay my own hoken, tax, nenkin.

    There is no stability.

    I am a gyomu itaku.

    You have to be good because it is competitive and everyone wants this job.

    You need to type fast.

    You pay for your internet connection and heating / aircon all day. (I file taxes and claim some back)

19. Be a yes man and stay forever at one of those dispatch companies and maybe you can be a trainer or office manager after 20 years.

20. The only true benefit of private school is being able to deal with HR directly and not have to report to a third party or ask your dispatch for permission to get days off.

    There is zero job stability these days. A lot of private schools aren’t doing well due to admission shortage = no profit = budget cuts. They only want to give 1 year contracts out and some avoid running into legalities by not wanting to renew these contracts after 5 years. Most positions that would provide any security are already held by someone else with long term plans (eg, married men to a Japanese), or being switched to contract once the previous person leaves. Or cut out the job although and outsourcing it)

    Also luck if you’re a pregnant foreigner…

    Source: stayed close to a decade working in multiple private school

21. Has anyone landed a job in the office of one of the ALT dispatch companies? If so, what’s it like?

22. I’m no. 1 private high school T1 and love it

23. University is a good job, but you’re right about instability. I guess the five year thing is the catalyst but one big con is that it’s competitive. Meaning you not only need the MA and some publications, but to continually be publishing and presenting and building up the academic side of things. Along with this, Japanese skill can be a factor in jobs. Some you need decent Japanese to even qualify to apply, and then otherwise it will always be taken into account. Therefore, while some manage to keep getting hired without a great academic track record or Japanese skills, you have to at least consider working on these things if you want to stay competitive.

    In general I’d say those with strong academic inclination and good Japanese skills tend to do better.

    Also, I can’t say for sure, but since COVID calmed down, there have been fewer jobs advertised and there are murmurs about the declining population and what impact it will have. Several ex-colleagues of mine have either left Japan or have moved into more corporate working environments. The future is uncertain.

    Some of the pros not to be overlooked is good work-life balance, the lack of full-on Japanese work culture, and that it can be really satisfying (depending on the class). In my experience, yes you have bosses but you manage your own work, nearly all the way down to the schedules and so on. This is actually a god send if you have young kids. I am basically the main caregiver to my kid, while also being the breadwinner in the family.

    Also, the lack of oversight from management means a lot less pressure on you than other situations. A lot of university students don’t really care about learning English, and the universities knows this, so it feels like a lot less at stake than some other teaching scenarios (talking about mandatory classes here).