I have sent a few CVs out 2 months back and no employer have replied so far. The majority of listings that I have came across are looking for people that are already residing in Japan, this makes me consider to just go there and apply once I’m in the country.
I would like to add that have experience being a ESL teacher with relevant degree and certificates but I’m not a Native English speaker.
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You can’t transfer from a tourist visa to a work visa while in the country. It would be a waste of money.
One reason they ask for people already living here because those people already have a resident/work visa. The company can support renewal but they won’t have to do the initial sponsoring and set up, which can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months. Many folks wait close to 3 months, even 4 for the COE that enables them to get the visa. You’d have to leave Japan while waiting anyway.
So, you can’t show up on holiday, apply for jobs, and start working. Once they find out you don’t have a residential/work visa, they will rescind any job offer.
A few CVs, when you are competing against several hundred job-seekers/job-changers already living here with residential visa and country-specific experience, plus the several hundred that apply from overseas, is perhaps not enough.
Google “teach English in Japan,” and the companies actively recruiting overseas pop up. Contact every one of them. Most likely it will be GABA, NOVA, maybe Berlitz and AEON. These might possibly get your foot in the door. (Not being from an L1 country can also hinder, but if you have 12 years of education with English being the language of instruction, you can qualify.)
Are you looking for eikaiwa, Alt or international school? They have different hiring seasons and some will prefer a native speaker.
I don’t think physically being in the country means anything without a relevant visa.
I would like to ask what are your certifications and experience in ESL teaching?
I don’t work in Eikawa but a friend told me you can get better jobs in teaching English and you don’t have to go to those crappy eikawa schools with that certificate.
If you are not a native speaker/do not have 12 years of English education you won’t be able to apply for ALT jobs as you won’t meet the visa requirements. You will likely only be able to work in Eikaiwa but with your ESL qualification you might be seen as overqualified.
Right now is a lull in the hiring season. Companies are getting ready to welcome September hires who have already applied and got their visas. You might get lucky and pick up a last minute position.
The next hiring period will start from October for April starts.
no japanese really wants to learn english, they just use dmm as a mental health and ego booster.
We’re talking about a country that can teach glaciers how to take things slow, bureaucratically speaking. One thing out of place and you have to start the whole process over again.
Basically, just keep applying to anything you can and hope you get in. Otherwise you’re SOL. Japan is not yet quite over it’s COVID restrictions, in spirit. Until the domestic market has gone dry, most companies will not look abroad.
If the job is asking for a native, it isn’t teaching. If they are asking for professional qualifications like advanced degrees and licenses, it’s likely a real job and they shouldn’t care about you being native.
Just rocking up and applying is only viable if you can get a working holiday visa. It is (or was for me anyway, a while back) relatively straightforward to convert that into a work visa once you actually find something.
It’s like I am looking at myself with those problems.
Don’t just go there unless you have too much money to spend, it doesn’t really help.
For non natives it takes a long time, I am searching as we speak since most will just ignore you. 1 whole month of being able to start working ASAP and only 1 interview for me. Before being ready to work ASAP there were no interviews so I guess it is something.
Around December there should be more jobs available. Keep it up if you really want to, but be advised that eikaiwa is not a job from which you can progress.
Hiring season is usually in fall/winter because the new job openings start in April. So you’re trying to get a job slightly too early. Things will open up closer to November. Mid season jobs usually only go to people currently in Japan or if you’re lucky to find a sudden opening.