As an English school owner in Japan, I’ve hired dozens of teachers, interviewed hundreds more and read thousands of resumes and cover letters over the years.
Here are my top 5 tips to consider before applying for a job in Japan. I’ve tried to keep this list specific to applying for teaching jobs in Japan. Of course, general resume and interview professionalism should be displayed throughout.
1. First and foremost talk about why you want to teach
A lot of the cover letters that I receive spend the first few paragraphs going into great detail about how much the applicant loves Japan, respects Japanese culture, has always dreamed of living in Japan etc. That may be true, and it’s great that you are pursuing your dream, but it doesn’t help me to select you as a teacher for my school. By all means, please mention your interest in Japan and why you want to move here, but it should be no more than a line or two at the end of your cover letter. When reading your cover letter, I want to know why you would be a good teacher at my school and that should be the focus of your writing.
2. Know what kind of teacher you want to be
There are a wide variety of teaching jobs in Japan, I recommend doing some research on the different types of work available to foreign teachers and decide which type would suit you best before applying. Then tailor your resume to target the type of job you are seeking. There are a multitude of different positions, but the two broadest areas of work are ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) and Eikaiwa (conversation school). I’ll go into further detail about the different types of teaching jobs in a future post.
3. Know who you want to teach
Do you want to teach kids or adults? What are your strengths and weakness when it comes to interacting with people of different age groups? These are important questions to ask yourself as you plan which types of jobs to apply for. Does the thought of singing songs and dancing around with 3-year-olds make you feel nervous or fill you with an exciting, child-like energy? How about the thought of teaching polite, professional expressions to use in a business negotiation? As mentioned in point 2, there are a wide variety of teaching jobs out there. Know which you are suited to and apply accordingly.
4. Know what kind of area you want to live in
As with most countries in the world, big city life and countryside life are very different beasts. Whilst Japan is known for its bright lights, crowded crosswalks and giant robots not every job in Japan is in a big city. Rural Japan is quaint, quiet and keeps itself to itself. Before applying for jobs in Japan, think about whether you want to live in a large city or a backwater town. Both have their merits and both have their challenges for foreigners.
5. Demonstrate that you can thrive on your own
When I hire a teacher from abroad, I need to know that this person is ready to relocate to another country and that they have the nous and life skills to be able to get things done for themselves. I’m very accommodating and will guide my employees through every step of the process from obtaining the working visa to setting up an apartment, connecting to the internet, getting a bank account etc. However, I can’t hold your hand during every single stage of each process. I need to know that if pointed in the right direction, you can get things done.