Question about IS jobs in Japan

PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@Zors

I dont have a dim view, I just dont have an overly optimistic one either (thats what the Unicorn does). Its easy for those on the inside who have made it past the gauntlet to say its easy, they didnt encounter the challenges that those who were rejected got. To put it in perspective, if you apply to a position at one of those third tier ISs you can find on Gaijinpot, you will get an email acknowledging your application that contains how many applications have been received so far. Its not uncommon to find around 150 for those vacancies and thats early in the process. Even if you assume that 90% of them are unqualified or under qualified compared to you, thats 15 candidates that are and your resume isnt gong to jump out at them. One person is going to get an appointment out of 15 thats a 7.5% probability, thats not great and thats assuming a lot of factors are in your favor.
I disagree with @WT123 Maths certification and 2 years experience will get your application/resume looked at but your not going to be on the fast track short short list and defiantly not at a tier 2 or higher IS.

I disagree with your previous HS DT, a masters is just going to make you more costly a hire (too high on academics, not enough on experience).

You have a chance, but its certainly not something in the bag, lots of ITs have over inflated opinions of their value.
I would agree with @Jverse, while every region has its tiers and its third tier is no exception, third tier IS in JP are generally of a higher quality than you will find elsewhere.

Elite tier ISs generally recruit for other elite tier 1st tier ISs. It would be easier and more efficient working your way up too the upper tier in a less competitive region and then pursing JP, than it would starting at the bottom in JP and working your way up. the problem is that the second tier has a high concentration of IB ISs and while you can break through the second tier without IB its much harder, you would have a higher probability of being stuck between tiers staying in JP.

At some point its better to go IE than stay in DE, there really isnt much of a tier hierarchy in the states, and the bottom of it would be so dense compared to the top. It would be like an iceberg thats 95% below the surface a small peak above (the second tier) composed mostly of Independent/Private DSs and a pole that represents some fractional proportion that would be the first tier.
My suggestion since the third tier in JP is so large varied is doing your 1st contract or two somewhere else in Asia, hopefully a hardship IB IS get the training and experience and then move into an IB IS/DS in JP. You can bide your time there for a contract or two until your in the right place at the right time. So much about the upper tier IS market in JP is timing.

The "great adventures" pitch of @WT123 is only valid if those adventures are actually great your more likely to be disappointed and frustrated with a third tier IS and your initial appointment in IE.
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: Question about IS jobs in Japan

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

PsyGuy wrote:
> @Zors
> The "great adventures" pitch of @WT123 is only valid if those adventures are actually
> great your more likely to be disappointed and frustrated with a third tier IS and
> your initial appointment in IE.
====================
Not really. Great adventures often consist of a combination of really good times (e.g. swimming in the Mediterranean in an ancient city, walking the Great Wall, making good friends with people you never would have encountered back home, connecting with students wherever you are in the world) and the kind of times that aren't particularly enjoyable at the time but that you can look back and laugh at/cherish at a later date (e.g. almost getting run over by a donkey in that ancient city, having countless people want to have their picture taken with you as you are trying to walk the Great Wall, being swarmed by children begging for money or a french fry when you walk out of McDonald's, having to deal with HS boys wrestling and/or giving each other wedgies outside your classroom door).

It all comes with the territory and it's all part of the journey (he says as he rides off on his unicorn into a rose-colored sunset).
Zors
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 10:40 am

Re: Question about IS jobs in Japan

Post by Zors »

@wrldtrvlr123 actually I meant he was my teacher while I was at an intl school as a high schooler! But yes, if you don't remember a recent conversation with me, then you are not him, haha. That's a good point about the local hire thing, if I'm already in the country. One of the best benefits about IS jobs is the paid housing!

The reason I am so insistent on Japan from the beginning is that I have some little kids that I really want to put in Japanese elementary school (they speak the language fluently so it wouldn't be a problem). If I go to another country first and spend a few years here and there, then my oldest would probably nearly be in middle school by the time we get to Japan, and I don't really want my kids in Japanese middle or high school (I'm sure you get that).

@psyguy that's a really interesting point you make about the master's degree. So you'd say the extra qualifications won't negate the low experience factor huh? Do IS teachers get online masters degrees while they work, or is it hard/impossible to get through a program while living abroad? And like I mentioned above, I couldn't go to a hardship IS because my main goal for being in Japan is to give my kids experience of being immersed in the language from a young age. When it comes to language acquisition, time is of the essence, so I wouldn't want to "waste" time going to another country. I know it might seem unreasonable, but that's just a huge factor for me!

My opinion on great adventures is, you can have them anywhere if you're with the right people! I went to an IS in Shanghai for a short time, and it was the best experience of my life! I would love to give my kids that opportunity!
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@WT123

Fair enough, your view is your view and its a really beautiful one. Everyone could benefit with a little more unicorn in them.

@Zors

Youd probably lose out on a lot of opportunity for your kids in primary DS if you did anything but go to JP, the issue is that your not likely to find a second tier IS interested in you at all, and even a third tier IS is going to be a challenge. You very likely might not find anything at this stage.

No not at this stage in you career, a Masters makes you a more expensive hire, and an IS isnt getting a more experienced IT for the coin. In a couple years when your experience is closer to five years than the Masters makes sense your higher on salary, and recruiters see you as worth the coin because you have the experience. Too early of a Masters and the recruiters see it as all academic without practice. You havnet been teaching long enough to know how to apply any of the theory, or even how youd apply the theory. After 2 years in edu. youve just barely figured out planing and classroom management.
The other issue is what you were doing while getting that degree, if you left IE/DE than thats a year or two you werent getting experience, and experience is king in IE.
Understand that outside the US there is an option for a "research degree" this means your course/degree is based almost entirely on completion of a thesis or dissertation and not "(taught" where you enroll and complete courses.

Some ITs do a combination of distance, or online degrees. Some do residential summer degrees, and some attend part time at local Unis. Some also take the time off and study full time for a 1 year Masters. Its nowher near hard or impossible. The issue with online programs is often the time difference depending where your located and where the Uni is. Cohort or independent models can also be frustrating. Those are usually the most difficult and frustrating aspects. The reading is pretty easy to find time for, the writing can be challenging if you dont keep up your academic writing. You could easily do a degree in residence as a Uni like Waseda or if you wanted to spend more and TempleJP.
Zors
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Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 10:40 am

Re: Question about IS jobs in Japan

Post by Zors »

Thanks again for your responses! You guys were all very helpful :)
sanaanddaddy
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 7:23 am
Location: japan

Re: Question about IS jobs in Japan

Post by sanaanddaddy »

Do not go to one of the smaller schools thinking that it will help to get into the bigger schools!! Unfortunately it doesn't really work that way, being female and big breasted might help, as most schools like to hire from overseas as its a free holiday for the principals. Also due to most schools not offering much in terms of PD they like to get teachers from either home countries or schools that provide multitudes of PD.

If you are thinking career, then there are few schools worth coming to Japan for. Those schools would be Yokohama, ASIJ, St Mary`s and possibly Seisen or Sacred Heart. The British school is also ok but extremely stuck up in the elementary section but with poor facilities.

Some of the other schools are ok to work at but are very profit driven and don't offer close to the kinds of packages that they should be able to.

In all honesty, international education in Japan is becoming quite a cesspool with most schools cutting costs and going with younger inexperienced teachers over experienced new hires. Ive been here for 12 years and the past 4 years Ive seen the experience and quality at most of these schools drop quite a bit.
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

@sanaanddaddy

You should consider posting a school and director review.
zeddyau
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:45 pm

Re: Question about IS jobs in Japan

Post by zeddyau »

sanaanddaddy wrote:

>
> If you are thinking career, then there are few schools worth coming to
> Japan for. Those schools would be Yokohama, ASIJ, St Mary`s and possibly
> Seisen or Sacred Heart. The British school is also ok but extremely stuck
> up in the elementary section but with poor facilities.
>

Couldn't agree more with this list (well in the Tokyo 'region')

> In all honesty, international education in Japan is becoming quite a
> cesspool with most schools cutting costs and going with younger
> inexperienced teachers over experienced new hires. Ive been here for 12
> years and the past 4 years Ive seen the experience and quality at most of
> these schools drop quite a bit.



I agree, in a couple years I've been in Tokyo I too have noticed and very surprised at the many teachers who are first timers in International School teaching.
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