I am an American who recently moved to Tokyo under a student visa for language school while I explore career opportunities. Finances are not an issue for me at this time, but there is no point in doing nothing while I attend lessons and try to secure a position. I am 29 years old and have 8 years of experience in IT. For the past 5 years, I have been involved in asset management for satellite communications at an international company in Europe.
Given my background and pre-N5 level of Japanese, it seems that eikaiwa would be the easiest thing to jump into part-time while I network. In this market, would it look bad to immediately take on a baito for some extra funds? I have read suggestions that people make about doing private lessons, but I can’t imagine building a clientele with no experience in “teaching English,” even if it is just conversation practice.
Additionally, should I lie about my previous salary? I knew that making this switch would greatly reduce my potential pay, but I don’t want to scare away potential employers by giving the impression that I expect a Western tech salary with my years of experience.