How hard is it for a newbie to get a TEFL job in Japan?

[arugile]

I am going to take a TEFL course in Japan and plan to look for work. How hard is it for you to get a job with a new TEFL Certification and a university degree? I have been reading about recessions and people being laid off from teaching positions in Japan.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Alex Case]

It's still fairly easy to get a job if you are flexible and look at the right time of year, the difficult thing is getting a good job!

[arugile]

What is a good time to look? I was planning on doing the course in Sept and looking after Oct. Thanks for your help.

[Alex Case]

The best times to actually start work are, in order:

1) Around April, start of Japanese academic year
2) Xmas, when homesick teachers don't make it back to Japan

How long you have to apply before those dates varies a lot.

[arugile]

Thanks for the reply. When I ask the recruiter about getting a work visa for Japan after the course, he says that the company who hires me will get me the visa. The question is how long can I stay in Japan while looking for a job..and two, if I quit a job due to poor work conditions, do I then I have no visa?

[Alex Case]

Those would be the rules in Korea, but in Japan your visa isn't tied to your employer. However, with less than a year's experience and a history of quitting I can't see how your next job will be much better (especially as good jobs are very few and far between)! Also, you'll want to make sure that they'll sponsor you for the visa extension that you will need at the end of your first year. Basically, if you already think the job you are going to take is so crap that you won't last out a year, keep looking for something better before you go instead.

[arugile]

I do not have a history of quitting and have a good employment record. I have been reading many forums where teachers have been placed in jobs where their contract is routinely broken..ie having to pay time and a half for being sick, not being paid for overtime hours, or being paid at a lower salary than the contract states, or being let go with little notice. I agree about looking for the best possible job.