In Japan/Job Search/Job Offers

Okay, okay, it's been a long time and I'm done neglecting this blog-ready to let everyone know how AWESOME it's been since I've gotten to Japan!

Arrival: December 2nd
The first thing that I had to do before I could do anything else is go through about 5 days of horrid jet-lag (wherein I woke up at 1-3 AM every day), and then get a pretty nasty cold (transferred to Paul). That all lasted about a week.
...Did I say I had to do that BEFORE I could do anything else? My bad. Though I was dog-tired and a little sick, it didn't stop Paul and me from running around Kyoto and seeing a lot of amazing things. That first weekend we were downtown checking out temples and retail areas. Paul's friend Pablo (otherwise known as "Paul") stayed the night with his friend Ibuki - with whom I made fast friends. Ibuki took me out in Kyoto with her friend Eriko and I got to see Pontocho Dori (where the Geisha/super powerful business men do their meetings), Nishiki Market (a famous and very Japanese market), and Yasaka Shrine. They were truly invaluable tour guides!

Down to business: December 10th-ish
After the initial sighting-seeing fun-time, I started spending my days finishing my TEFL certificate, studying Japanese, and getting accustomed to my new surroundings. I applied for several jobs through gaijinpot.com and got some interviews! Then I got some second interviews!

I was only invited to interview at two schools, both private schools for children and both fantastic companies. They both offered me a job (about which I was honestly surprised)!! I really, really hate turning down a job offer - but what choice did I have? I chose to work with Kyoshin Company-Universal Campus. It is more of a corporate type of school, but I felt at home when I interviewed and when I sat in during a lesson. I would have been very happy with the other company, but not AS happy :). I'm relieved, excited, and eager to get started. I will be teaching children aged 0-10 in groups of 4 to 5. I will have two months of training, very good benefits, and I get to go school trips!! I can't wait to share my experiences with this school with you all.

So to the people who've seen my blog by searching for how to find a job in Japan, here are my tips:

1) If you, like me, will be in Japan and able to interview in person, set up interviews before you arrive, telling recruiters you're in the area. If you let them know you're in the area, they usually contact you within a day to set up an interview.

2) Figure out which industry you really want to work for (Children's English, Cram School, Business English, etc) and make a killer cover letter for it.

3) Put a really spectacular profile on gaijinpot.com, with a unique title like "Enthusiastic and friendly native teacher with 2 years experience" - make sure you vamp up ANY experience you have with children, teaching, and training - no matter how small the experience

4) If you're in Japan already, get a phone number. Whether that means getting a phone or buying a Japanese phone number through Skype ($18), both recruiters called me directly (on Skype) and didn't email me.

5) If you're going to be in Kansai area (Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Shiga) there are some other good places to look for job listings such as Kansai Flea Market (kfm.to) and KansaiFreeAds.com. Also look at Ohayo Sensai (google search it, it's a really valuable newsletter). I know there are tons of other resources, but these are the ones I used. Gaijinpot.com is how I got my job.

I know there's lots of other tips - these are just the ones that helped me personally. I don't know what made it so difficult for me while I was abroad, maybe I just don't look so good on paper. When you interview, make sure you have a super friendly and concise but excited personality.

More posts to come, I'm going to try and get my photo stream working so you can see what I've been up to!

Ciao for now!