Part Five
Securing Employment

Opening Remarks
Finding and securing a job is rarely a easy proposition. In a foreign country the unknown elements increase. I have included this chapter to steer prospective teachers in their search for employment and bolster confidence when going for interviews. While most of this information is for first time teachers, there are some tidbits for those teachers who are looking for new positions.

1. Job Hunting
Rarely will the perfect job land in your lap. Finding the right position usually entails an extensive search and persistance. Some people are hired from their home country before coming to Japan and this situation has its definite advantages. For one thing, you will have your visa taken care of for you and you will also probably receive some help in your search for accomodations. Still, most language teaching jobs will be found right here in Japan.
Some of you will be familiar with the JET program which is sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education and is a system by which native speakers of English (and a few other select languages) are brought to Japan to assist regular teachers in Japanese junior and senior high schools1. This may sometimes entail teaching at elementary schools and there are even a few select positions at universities. This is a reputable program and the renumeration is generous.
There is also a support group in place that can help acclimate new comers to Japan and offer a safety net to those who may experience culture shock. Japan is several thousand miles away from most English speaking countries and the distance in culture may sometimes even seem further.
The newspaper is often a good starting place for job hunters and The Japan Times includes an extensive Help Wanted section in its Monday edition. You can also advertise your services as a language teacher, but this will incur some expense and may be more trouble that it is worth in that you may need to meet for a lot of positions that your really are not that interested in. Other English language newspapers are The Mainichi Daily News, Asahi Evening News, and The Daily Yomiuri. Magazines and other publications are another source, and yoiu can even find postings at universities or on electronic bulletin boards. The Tokyo Journal and Kansai Time Out are two regional magazines that have lots of useful information for English speaking foreign residents in Japan and usually carry a fair amount of help wanted advertisements each month.
Still, finding the right employer is sometimes a matter of luck or just knowing the right person. Connections are extremely important and we will discuss this in a little more detail below in section three on networking.

2. The Interview
As with most jobs, the interview will usually make or break you. Most jobs that new teachers will be interviewing for will require a conservative approach to the interview. I suggest a neat appearance and an upbeat yet serious attitude.

A. Dressing Right
This may seem like such a silly topic, but you would be surprised to see what some people think is appropriate to wear as a teacher of English in Japan. Of course, this depends on your personality and the kind of classes you will teaching or the establishment you will be teaching for. For most occassions, a white dress shirt, that has been ironed, and a decent pair of slacks or skirt for women is enough. If you are teaching businessmen, it may be better to wear a suit and tie or at least a jacket. Japanese people are extremelly concious of clothing and thus you need to look the part of a professional. Honna and Hoffer made the following observation2:

For the Japanese, clothing is worn not so much to express their individuality as to identify themselves with a group to which they belong, whether it is a school, a company or a community. In other words, the Japanese avoid being singled out by dressing like others in the same group. Furthermore, looking neat and appropriate is important since one's group is likely to be judged by the members' apperance. Different groups have different dress codes which are more often than not unwritten but socially understood. Most Japanese businessmen, for instance, dress conservatively in both style and color. Solid business suits in subdued blue or gray are generally considered to be proper for businessmen. Older people, men and women alike, are expected to wear plain clothes and they refrain from harsh or bright colors usually worn by children and young women.
A sloppy apperance gives the impression of a lack of proffesionalism and even disrespect. Neatly combed hair and a fresh shave go a long way in showing your students that you care about yourself and the class.

B. Attitude
Most interviewers will be looking for candidates who will create a pleasant atmosphere and in no way embarrass their establishment. On top of this, they will be looking for individuals who are sensitive to the needs of Japanese students and who can at least get along in Japanese society. For these reasons, the proper attitude in the interview is important.
First, Japan is very status oriented and people are expected to know their place. We will see this in more detail in Part Nine on Japanese history and culture, but for now it is important to know that the people who interview you will most likely expect a certain amount of respect. This is not to say you have to get down and lick their boots, but a humble demeanor and a certain amount of deference will show the interviewer that you appreciate the chance to interview and that you a serious about wanting to work for their establishment.
On the other hand, you don't want to appear too meek or moody. An upbeat attitude and a quick smile will probably be appreciated.

C. Questions
Depending on the job, interviewers will ask questions about methodology and experience. Most of the helpful information in this department can be found within these pages. In particular, I advise reading Part Two on language education.
Some questions for you to keep in mind concerning language schools and other teaching positions are:

How many classes will I be required to teach a week?
This is important since some schools treat their teachers like machines and require forty or more teaching hours. Teaching is not like desk work or other jobs that allow for a certain amount of down time. Teaching requires undivided attention and a great deal of energy and should thus be limited in duration and interspersed with short breaks to keep yourself fresh and active. Ideally, you should limit your teaching hours to something under thirty hours.

What hours will I be required to be available to teach?
You don't want to get stuck being on call all day if you are only a part time teacher and not getting compensated for non-teaching hours. It is much better to get your working hours fixed to certain blocks. This allows you the freedom to look for other part-time work or pursue your other interests. Also, for full-time teachers, it is also better to get a set amount of working hours that are blocked together. It is not uncommon for employers to schedule you for early morning classes and then expect you to teach your regular evening classes. This makes for a real long day with big gaps.

Will all the teaching be done on the premises?
Many companies will send teachers outside to teach at different companies or institutions. Although most will compensate you for your transpotation costs, some will refuse paying you for your time in between companies. A worst case scenario is train hopping around town all day with only three or four actual paid teaching hours. When you decide to take outside classes, make sure to find out the location and travelling time that will be required.

Will I be compensated at a different rate for outside classes?
You should have a slightly higher rate for outside classes.

Am I compensated for preparation time or for correcting homework?
This is important if your classes require a great deal of preparation or include correcting lots of homework. Some classes like the preparation class for the first grade Eiken 3 test require students to write two short speeches in preparation for each class. If you have a class of ten of fifteen students you will be spending about two hours outside of class correcting these speeches. Make sure you are compensated.

Does the school have a central education department?
Most big schools do and this is a great resource. The down side is that you will sometimes not have the freedom to select textbooks or other materials, but they will probably have lots of extra materials and activities prepared for you to choose from or use for other classes.

Who designs curriculum, determines syllabi and selects textbooks?
This is closely related to the last question. Basically, find out how much responsibility or freedom you have.

Do I get regular time off?
The real money making machines like to stay open year round including weekends and national holidays. It is better to find out up front what is expected of you.

How many vacation days am I allowed per year?
As a part-time teacher you may not have classes scheduled for between terms or during school breaks. This can take a substantial cut out of your income so it is better to get a secured number of working hours per week, per month or per term.
For full-time teachers, it is a good idea to find out the school policy for holidays and vacations. Even if you are allowed a certain amount of paid vacation days a year, some schools will penalize you for taking them.

3. Networking
Japan is still very much a country where it is not some much what you know as who you know. This concept is not unique to Japan, but if we look at the history of Japan we will see the tendency to not trust outsiders or those who we don't know. This is not to say that without connections you will never get a job. Still, opportunities will avail themselves the longer you are in Japan and the more people you get to know.
Networking can be done in almost any social situations4. There are numerous groups and clubs that gather to enjoy common interest in everything from F-1 racing to tea ceremony. You can find out about groups in English publications or through your school or company.
Be aware that the perfect opportunity can come from an unexpected connection and that your actions will reflect onto the person who recommends you.

Conclusion
Following the information in this chapter will hopefully be helpful in finding a teaching position that suits your tastes and impressing prospective employers with your desire to work with them. Keep in mind that there are truly some companies or institutions that you do not want to work for. You will want to ask questions, but not in a way that is confrontational or demanding. The longer you are in Japan, the better you will come to know the availability of different kinds of teaching positions. Learning how to approach prospective employers will help you and you will basically have your pick of positions.

Notes
[1] Teach English in Japan (1992) by Charles Wordell and Greta Gorush includes a more thorough description.

[2] Honno and Hoffer made this point in An English Dictionary of Japanese Ways of Thinking, published in 1989 by Yuhikaku.

[3] Mentioned in more detail in Part Eight on Speciality Courses.

[4] Jerry O'Sullivan (1994) gives some creative networking ideas on page 14.

Part Six - In the Classroom