Career Trajectory of ALT

5 comments

1. It is intended for fresh grads but there are many older ALTs also. It is extremely difficult (but not impossible) to transition into a more permanent position. It usually requires additional education or skills. There is not a lot of upward mobility and very few opportunities for pay increases. There are people who have been doing it for 20 years and still make the same 250k as a new hire.

   The advice is to make your career change in your country, and then move to Japan based on your new skills/qualifications. Whether that is education related or another field is totally up to you. It is easier to retrain for a new career in your home country than it is after coming to Japan.

2. >But I’m concerned that the position is really intended for people fresh out of college and looking to explore for a year or two rather than someone entering their 30’s

   That is *precisely* who it is intended for. It’s designed as a gap year activity, not a career.

   ***There is no “career trajectory”*** ***for an ALT***.

   Salaries are flat. There’s no promotion opportunities.

   >Is it typical for ALTs to transition into more permanent teaching positions?

   It is not. ALTs are not teachers according to Japanese law, so there’s no mechanism for them to become “real” teachers outside of going back to school and getting a teaching license.

   >Or is pretty much as I said where there’s no upward mobility at all.

   That’s pretty much it.

   >I’m specifically looking at THIS listing.

   Borderlink is one of the absolute *worst* ALT dispatch companies.

3. I’m 32 going on 33. First year alt. However, I was a full time teacher at an international school in Taiwan before this. I’m currently getting my teachers license so I can move back into teaching at an international school.

   Being an alt gives you the head space and leeway to pursue higher education if you so please. Many get licenses and masters while doing alt work.

   So there is no direct progression, no. However, like most things in life, it is what you make of it.

4. ALT is not a career. There is no trajectory. There are no promotions and raises are none at all or a few yen as it’s cheaper just to drop you and get someone new. There is no job security as it’s typically contract work on one year contracts and no matter how good you are you are replaced with ease.

   Wages are going down as the race to the bottom is still ongoing.

   It might be okay for a year or two but it’s not long term gig and if anything it can actually hurt your future opportunities.

5. ALT is a dead-end.

   From there, you can go to international schools, teach at universities, and become an actual Japan-teaching license holding teacher and get really lucky with a private school taking you in. All of this is based on harder and harder qualifications, and fewer and fewer positions. Disclaimer: None of this is really respected, though.

   This is why the vast majority of ALTs and Eikaiwa teachers return home where they can do anything they want in the degree they studied in. It’s just a job. Within the minority of the folks who stay in Japan, quite a lot get into IT, and others get into specific fields they were lucky enough to get into. But of course, there’s the 10-15+ year teacher hanging around, still making 2.5M a year since they started.

   I always tell folks: If you want to do it, do it. Fucking have a blast. But don’t put weight on the future if there’s no workable career future in Japan.