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[Brandon3519]

Hey everyone, I'm currently in my last year of high school (year 13, since I'm living in New Zealand), and I was planning on going to IPC (link: Welcome ﾂｻ IPC Tertiary Institute) next year, my current plan was to spend my first year completing a diploma in Japanese, then going on to do a Bachelor of International Studies majoring in Language Studies. Since IPC is a highly multi-cultural place I was planning on expanding on my knowledge of Japanese by making friends with some Japanese people (Marjory of the students are international students and most of the international students are Japanese). Currently my plan after university is to go to Japan and find a job in which I'd teach English (IPC also helps graduates find jobs in Japan). I was considering getting a Master's in International Studies after I've completed the Bachelors, I was wondering was it really worth it? And does it make it easier to find jobs/work in Japan? Also I'd like to hear about people currently living in Japan and their experiences.

Kind Regards.

P.S. Sorry if I posted this on the wrong part of the forum (it's my first post)

 

[Mike Cash]

What marketable job skills does a degree in "International Studies" impart?

 

[Brandon3519]

Bachelor of International Studies ﾂｻ IPC Tertiary Institute
With the International Studies I was planning to major in Language Studies, which gives me the basic understanding of how to teach English to non-native speakers of the language, as well as improving my current English skills and also improving my understanding of how languages are acquired, and once that course is complete I can go for a Trinity Certificate in TESOL.
Something else ﾂｻ IPC Tertiary Institute

 

[Mike Cash]

A pulse and a pleasant smile will get you a job in Japan pretending to teach English to people who are pretending to learn it, which covers the bulk of the field here, sad to say.

Get yourself an education in a field you find interesting and which will provide you with MARKETABLE JOB SKILLS that will be useful no matter what country you may end up living in.

Beware of kewl-sounding, amorphous, short-on-specifics BS in catalogs, web pages, and pamphlets written by the faculty of departments eager to attract students and ensure the continued existence of their own jobs.

The only bigger waste than spending lots of time and money obtaining a degree that lands you in a job you hate is spending lots of time and money obtaining a degree that lands you no job at all. Do some research and try to contact people who have degrees in what you're contemplating. Ask them what sort of careers it led to and whether they would recommend it or advise against it.

 

[Glenski]

Any bachelor's degree will make you eligible to get a work visa for teaching English. If you are serious about becoming a teacher, get the right degree, though. Japan doesn't know that much about certification, but Trinity and CELTA are the top ones.

Come to the ESL Cafe discussion group to learn more.

 

[Mike Cash]

And since any bachelor's degree will satisfy the immigration requirements for teaching, you may do well to consider getting an education that prepares you to work in some other field (whatever the country), just in case you get here and find out that English teaching isn't really something you care to do.

It is a fine profession for those who are suited to it and enjoy it. But you can easily find yourself in the conundrum of loving to live here, hating your English teaching job, and not being prepared to earn a living in any other field. Don't be that guy; leave yourself an option.

 

[Brandon3519]

Alright, thanks for everyone's help on the matter it's much appreciated, and I'll continue to look into it some more.

 

[nekojita]

If you have a chance to visit the uni, ask to speak to students currently on the same course - particularly, those who are close to the end of it.
They will be able to give you a much better idea of what the course is like, what their year abroad/summer abroad programs are like, whether they'll help you find summer work placements during your degree, and how much support for job finding the university actually provides. If you can't visit in person, see if there's some sort of forum or mailing list for current or past students. I'm sure you can find somebody willing to dish the dirt.

As Mike says, there will no doubt be some 'case studies' in the brochures of past students who have got good jobs after graduation - whether or not they did so because of the university is another matter. In my mind the two things that matter for that are:

1. Contacts. That is, do the academic staff have them, and will they use them to help you.
In the summer before the final year of my course, we had to do a summer placement which was relevant to the degree and produce a report and presentation on what we'd done. So we spent a couple of weeks contacting various companies - who of course ignored us. In most cases they didn't even bother with the actual rejection. Then we all learnt that the way to actually go about this was to go talk to a lecturer who knew and liked you; the first one I approached organised my placement over the phone while I was still standing in his office.

2. Focused job seeking information/assistance. Mostly, this comes through someone in the university having had a lot of experience assisting students do the same stuff you want to do; they've already helped other people fill in those forms/write a CV aimed at that industry/practice that interview format. It's also about someone having the time to sit down with you and look through your CV/application, rather than just fobbing you off with a book or website.

 

[Mike Cash]

A university is just another business trying to sell you a product; caveat emptor applies.