Comments on: Teaching in Japan for Mid-Career Folks http://www.japannewbie.com/2007/09/30/teaching-in-japan-for-mid-career-folks/ Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:11:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ken http://www.japannewbie.com/2007/09/30/teaching-in-japan-for-mid-career-folks/#comment-35649 Ken Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:23:46 +0000 http://www.japannewbie.com/2007/09/30/teaching-in-japan-for-mid-career-folks/#comment-35649 It's always easier to find an English teaching job once you get to Japan rather than try to find something abroad, and the choices are better. There's of course the risk that you come all the way to Japan but don't find anything, but, really, there are plenty of jobs out there, and most people find SOMEthing (and on the very off chance that you don't, you can write it off as a one-month holiday in Japan...). I'd add Berlitz to the list of big schools. It's a pretty decent school in my experience. One big problem now--everyone's quitting Nova because of its business problems and lousy work conditions, and applying to other schools like Berlitz, probably pushing up competition for jobs at those other schools. So, now isn't the best time to look for an English teaching job in Japan. You should wait until the Nova situation is resolved. By the way, DON'T, repeat, DON'T take a job with Nova now. Your job would be filling the hole created by a smart Nova teacher leaving the school, and things really don't look good for Nova (teachers being paid late is a BAD sign) so there's no guarantee you will be paid everything due you if and when the ship sinks. It’s always easier to find an English teaching job once you get to Japan rather than try to find something abroad, and the choices are better. There’s of course the risk that you come all the way to Japan but don’t find anything, but, really, there are plenty of jobs out there, and most people find SOMEthing (and on the very off chance that you don’t, you can write it off as a one-month holiday in Japan…).

I’d add Berlitz to the list of big schools. It’s a pretty decent school in my experience. One big problem now–everyone’s quitting Nova because of its business problems and lousy work conditions, and applying to other schools like Berlitz, probably pushing up competition for jobs at those other schools.

So, now isn’t the best time to look for an English teaching job in Japan. You should wait until the Nova situation is resolved.

By the way, DON’T, repeat, DON’T take a job with Nova now. Your job would be filling the hole created by a smart Nova teacher leaving the school, and things really don’t look good for Nova (teachers being paid late is a BAD sign) so there’s no guarantee you will be paid everything due you if and when the ship sinks.

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