HELP me guys !! looking for an job as ALT or nanny full time

[camille]

helppppppppp

i'm 18 year old, almost 19 ! (in july !) and i'm native french ! but i know english as a native language, since i lived in the USA for a year as a normal american high school girl !
well, now i reeeeeeeeeaally wanna discover Japan, i wondering what kind of job i could get there.. i wanna start living there in August, or before... well, i was thinking about being an ALT (teacher assistant) but i dont have any license, and i dont know if i'm old enough.
Otherwise, i'm still very interesting about being a nanny for kids ! i just love them ! but the thing is that i dont know any japanese ! but i'm sure, will learn very quickly this language !
please help

dont hesitate to email me !!

 

[Mandylion]

Hi Camille and welcome to JREF!

I have not heard much about nannies in Japan. Thing is, most moms quit their jobs to stay home. Even finding good daycare is tough in Japan and if there is a market for nannies, it is very well hidden. Maybe some forum folks in the big cities have seen them around....?

If you do find a nanny job, I think your Japanese will need to be darn near perfect. You are asking someone to leave their kid with you and they must be comfortable that you can handle any situation. They will be much, much, much more comfortable with your language skills are amazing.

With all that in mind, I would advise you to go to university and get a degree. I know you want to get to Japan ASAP, but going to a university for a few years will really improve your chances of making it in Japan - for a number of reasons. Most Japanese visas want you to have a 4-year degree, and while at university you can study Japanese and equip yourself to find a job in Japan.

Plus, with a degree you can try for a JET teaching position (ALT) or one of the kid oriented programs at the major language schools.

In my experience, Japanese is not something you just pick up. We have all sorts of folk on the forum from a number of different language backgrounds. I'm sure they could help you get an idea of what Japanese is as a language (we even have a French-speaking section if you like, not that your English isn't great ).

Keep at it! You seem to have the right attitiude to make it in Japan - now you just need to find the best way for you to go about reaching your goals. Good luck!

 

[nikki_the_insane]

If you in to technology; computers and such. You could always try to work for a major international corperation that travels to Japan often. You'd still need to know a fair amount of Japanese though or you won't be able to impress them with your product (or whatever you sell.) It really all goes back to learning Japanese, enough that you can talk fluently with the Japanese. I'm planning on taking Japanese online for school, but there is a few websites out there that allow you to take Japanese online and it isn't through a school, though you still have to pay. There is one I've heard of:

http://www.yesjapan.com/main/index.mv?&c=1&cd=

I've never tried it though, but it seems to be a pretty authentic and good place to start learning.

 

[camille]

...

thx guys for helpin me out !


well, i'm not to great in technology, and since i dont know any japanese, goin through this path is gonna be kinda complicated i think !
well, couple days ago, i borrowed a book to learn japanese!! yeahh finally ! i'm reaally motivated to go there !! yeah
well, i was thinkin about findin a school who could hire me... but is that possible?? i mean i could be an assistant in french ?? or even in english !! but at 18 year old is that possible to get a paid job since i dont have the majority there?
does someone know any school who acccept foreigners?
i really need someone to give me a chance...
at first i wanted to go there to learn martial art... but i guess i cant find any Kung Fu school who could accept me in exchange of a little amount of money and i could have worked besides martial arts but teaching french or english in exchange of japanese.. that could have beenn soooooo great !! this was my dream at first... but then, i turned toward china, cuz i thought, there, could be more kungfu school, but then, i realized i wanted to learn more about Japan, about its culture, which is reeeally respectable (i dont know if it s a good english word !LOL) anyways... pleassse, if anyone knows somthin, it's very important to me.. i wanna live there... help me

lemme know if you have informations
++

 

[budd]

chick-fil-a has a free "500 words in Japanese" book (other languages as well) with the purchase of a kids meal -- with pictures and everything! good luck!

 

[camille]

What is that????????????????????

 

[Uncle Frank]

You Could Join The Military On A Guarantee...

deal where you go to a base in Japan for 2 or 3 years. I don't know if they still do it, it might be worth talking to your local recruiter. When I was in the Navy, they had a deal that in their schools, if you finish in the top 3 in the class, you got to choose your duty station. I think the Air Force would be your best bet for a Japan duty station.

Frank

 

[tommyrot]

I'm a native Japanese man. I happened to know this site and to read this thread. I am an English-to-Japanese translator, but am not well used to speaking and writing in English. Despite of that, I'll try to give my opinion in order to help camille. If there are some wrong expressions, just pardon me.

I can't understand the exact meaning of the word 'nanny' and 'nanny job', but if it means children's nurse or kindergarten teacher ('Hobo(female)', 'Hohu(male)', or 'Hoiku-shi(formally)' in Japanese), in any case you will need to go to (native or Japanese) university and get a degree, as Mandylion says, or you will need to pass some related Japanese exams to get necessary certification, I think.

In addition, you may need some other skills such as playing piano or organ(especially Japanese songs), dealing with some Japanese toys, and so on. Not to mention that you need to be fluent in Japanse.

Finally, you will need to find job offers. A few Hobo job offers are seen at Japanese job search websites, but almost all of them are wanting for Japanese natives, so it is very difficult for foreigners to get full-time nanny job in Japan, I imagine.

In my humble opinion, it seems rather easier that you become a French nanny in your country while learning Japanese, and when you are enough old and have enough skills, you could visit Japan to aim a Japanese Hobo. I suggest that now is the time to learn about everything you are interested in, and to cherish your dream until it comes true.


P.S.
If you are interested in Japanese jokes or puns, you could visit my site(sorry, most pages are Japanese, but in some pages English is used.) Even if you can't read them, you may enjoy seeing some videos and photos, and listening to some songs.
http://www.tommyrot.jp/

 

[Uncle Frank]

Welcome Tommyrot !!

Your English is very good. It is good to have a Japanese person post here on the Forum, thank you.
We have so many members from all over the world;
but not enough from Japan it seems at times. People here on the Forum always have many questions about Japan and the more answers the better! Welcome!!

Frank

 

[Mandylion]

i was thinkin about findin a school who could hire me... but is that possible?? i mean i could be an assistant in french ?? or even in english !! but at 18 year old is that possible to get a paid job since i dont have the majority there?

You will become a legal adult in Japan at 20. I don't know about age limits for work visas but this is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. You should check it out and then contact the nearest Japanese consulate of embassy for up-to-date info.

does someone know any school who acccept foreigners?

Do you mean to enroll as a normal student, or that are there any schools that will hire you as a teacher?

 

[Mandylion]

I can't understand the exact meaning of the word 'nanny' and 'nanny job'

Hi Tommyrot and welcome to JREF

I think she means someone who watches children during the day at the parents home while the mother and father are at work.

 

[tommyrot]

Frank & Mandylion:
Hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
(what should I translate this popular and polite Japanese greeting words...)
I appreciate your kind replies. I am greatly encouraged.

I think she means someone who watches children during the day at the parents home while the mother and father are at work.

Oh, I may have to explain the difference in customs of how to raise children...

In general, Japanese parents don't have little or no such customs as 'nanny', that is, I think, 'hiring privately' some other person and having her (or him?) watch their kids at their own home. Instead:

* when kids are of age about 0 to 5, parents usually take care of their babies or kids by themselves, or ask their relative(mostly their grandparents) or a trusted person(such as neighborhood moms) to watch kids at that person's home. And the caretaker never ask to pay for it, usually doing so voluntarily.

* when kids are of age about 2 to 4, many busy parents leave their children with public or private local child-care facilities such as 'Takuji-sho' or 'Hoiku-jo' or 'Hoiku-en', which are surely hiring qualified Hobo's or Hoiku-shi's, but foreigners are seldom seen, I think.

* when kids are of age about 5 to 7, they usually go into kindergarten or nursery school ('Youchi-en'), which also are hiring qualified teachers.

Still, there is a small possibility that some few rich and wealthy Japanese families might seek for a 'nanny', but I think that finding such job offers in Japan seems to be very, very difficult, even for a Japanese Hobo.

Again, if there are some mistakes or misunderstandings, tolerate me.

P.S.
In daily Japanese conversations, we prefer to saying 'Hobo-san' or 'Hohu-san(Hoppu-san)', which makes us feel friendly toward them, rathr than just saying 'Hobo' or 'Hohu'.

P.S. II
I am writing these English by relying on this translation engine 'Eijiro on the Web' at: 株式会社アルク
This engine also has an ability to translate some English words or short sentences into Japanese. I recommend trying using this useful and free tool.

 

[sallyparkernanny]

Au pair in Japan

I have seen on the nanny-agency.com site have some vacancies in Japan and I think aupair-agency.com site too might have some.
Sally

 

[Mike Cash]

Our young friend hasn't been with us since March 13, 2004, so I doubt the information will be useful to her.