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Help Advice needed on TEFL and finding a job at a school after TEFL..

Bexy Jones

Registered
9 Aug 2017
14
6
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Hello, I am currently looking for advice on TEFL courses and getting work in Japan.

I plan on starting an online TEFL course next month but I would love to know more about which one would be best to take (which website etc). I would preferably like to find a place that could help me find a job teaching in Japan ASAP after completing my course or if that is not possible I would love hear your advice on how to find a job myself.

I am very serious about living and working in Japan, it has been a dream of mine for many years and I was even lucky enough to visit in 2016. I would also use my experience to get familiar with the Japanese language and culture. Any advice would be great! Please tell me about your own experience with TEFL and employment at schools :)
 
Hi Bexy, welcome to the forum.

What kind of visa do you intend to apply for? Getting hired is moot if you can't legally work in Japan, and visa requirements are separate from the hiring requirements of the employer. For instance, while the schools you teach at might not require a degree, if you want a work visa you will need a 4-year degree or a certain amount of experience. If you have a spouse visa, there is no degree requirement and no restrictions on employement. If you have commonwealth citizenship, you may qualify for a working holiday visa (Visa: Working Holiday Visa : Embassy of Japan in the UK Don't rely solely on the word of strangers on the internet; the Japanese embassy should be your go-to for answers on visa-related questions.

As for TEFL, this certification is not really a requirement for many employers, especially for entry level teachers, and is more a "nice-to-have." I got my TEFL certificate from an online course through i-to-i, back when I was teaching English in Korea (where the rules are similar). I had already gotten the job and visa, but decided to take the course to expand my knowledge, and as a bonus it bumped up my monthly salary. I didn't do a whole lot of research on the competition, i-to-i was recommended to me by a colleague. Although it was fully online and felt a bit like taking an online driver's ed course, the information was still good and you had to understand the material to pass the exams.
 
Hello, thank you for getting back to me :).
I am looking on getting a visa that would allow me to work there for at least year, I know I really need to look into them. I have a 3 year bachelors degree if that could help at all? I don't have experience teaching children but it's something I have always wanted to get into. I will definitely look into the i-to-i course :) thank you.
 
CELTA is usually considered the cert of choice by teachers, but Japan is not well aware of certs. Get it if you intend to apply in a competitive situation and if you are serious about teaching. Otherwise, your degree will be enough to get a work visa, and all you need to do is get hired first. Check out the ESL Cafe for more advice from people who are already in Japan.
 
CELTA is usually considered the cert of choice by teachers, but Japan is not well aware of certs. Get it if you intend to apply in a competitive situation and if you are serious about teaching. Otherwise, your degree will be enough to get a work visa, and all you need to do is get hired first. Check out the ESL Cafe for more advice from people who are already in Japan.
Thank you! I will try ESL cafe :) I will also look into CELTA.
 
Also if anyone has any tips on the best time of year to apply for teaching jobs in Japan please let me know. I'm thinking of early next year, also any tips on the best job websites to apply through that would be great
 
If you are interested in entry level jobs (eikaiwa or ALT), then consider this. ALTs usually start to see ads around the end of the calendar year. Eikaiwas hire anytime of the year, but they have the same starting time for the fiscal year as virtually all companies and schools in Japan, that is, April. So, February and March are also popular times for ads. The JET programme used to hire its ALTs only once a year, with applications taken in Nov/Dec. I heard that recently they are taking applications a second time nowadays, but I don't know when.
 
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