How to teach with no qualifications?

Im from UK and I have always wanted to live in Japan, whether long-term or short-term, but have been reading that the only way to start a teaching career, is to have a Bachelors Degree or a Working Holiday Visa. Does anyone know of any sites/companies/ways of teaching English in japan or ultimately getting a job in Japan short-term without these hangups? I want to do this while im still young and not have to study a degree that i could have done recently. I dont mind studying a little bit and ill definately have to brush up my Japanese! Any help would be much appreciated!!! :]

Axe,

As a British citizen, you qualify for the Working Holiday Visa. If you don't have a university degree, then this will be your only option.

Why is getting a working holiday visa a hang-up? It isn't like Europe, you can't live and work freely in Japan without a visa. All foreigners living and working in Japan are on some kind of visa, whether full working visa, spouse visa etc.

Working holiday visa is by far the simplest option.

I should have said that all foreigners working in Japan *legally* have a visa- don't consider working on a tourist visa, it's far too risky.

As for the lack of qualifications, that's no problem, there are plenty of entry level jobs here. Have you tried Googling "teaching jobs in Japan"? There are loads of sites dedicated to this.

Thanks guys. I thought his would be the best way, but just thought to double check before i was to make a huge mistake.

As for typing "teaching japan"...There a millions of sites! dunno where to begin!! lol. Ill keep looking. does anyone know of any sure-fire sites that helped them?? thanks :]

Atleast you can say you are a native speaker. As for me, a dutchman, it's pretty frustrating when trying to apply for a teaching job ( english). I dare to say that i'm a near-native speaker but still find it very very hard to get a job as a teacher.

Ok, here are the sites I think are most useful:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewforum.php?f=11

http://eltworld.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=35

http://www.ohayosensei.com/

and also have a look at the Japan Association of working holiday makers, which can be a useful source of jobs and information once you get to Japan:

http://www.jawhm.or.jp/eng/index.html

And here is the blog of a young British guy who spent 6 months in Japan this year on a WH visa teaching English- on the page I'll link to he talks a bit about how he got his job and difficulties when he first arrived, also have a look at his posts when he first arrived in Japan as he says a lot about the different jobs that were available and things like finding accommodation, opening a bank account etc:

http://memoirsofagaijin2008.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive....

I am American and lived in Japan 10 years ago. Many of my Japanese friends would pay us just to cime to our house and have conversation in english with them. At the time I did not think it was illeagl. We made a lot of money that way.

My friend is in Japan on a working Visa and every teaching job she has interviewed for told her she needs to have a Bachelors and asks for her college paperwork.

you do not need a degree to work in japan if you have another kind of visa that allows you to work.

the companies only require a degree because they don't want to deal with complicated visa issues.

any company that signs 6 month or no contracts will not care if you have a degree or not.

start working at a place like gaba or aeon. they don't care if you have a degree.

i would recommend that you get some teaching experience beforehand. you may find it's difficult to think on your feet (think obama's recent speech without a teleprompter, it's rough hah!). when i started teaching privates here i had no experience at all and i was faced with a student who spoke NO english, not a single word.

Her friend isn't exactly wrong, she wrote, "all the places she interviewed at" required a degree. And yes there are many teaching jobs that want you to have a degree regardless, and they tend to be the better ones (sometimes). I know many companies like that, but again they tend to be the better companies that don't pay dirt either like Gaba.

But there are also many other companies that don't care if you have a degree or not, as long as you have the right Visa or work permit to work.

Also you say "short term" how short are we talking about here? If less then 6 months, it would be hard to find a company, though I think dirt change Gaba has 4 month contracts.

Thanks alot ill defo check that other guys site forum out!

Im not sure how short short term is, i mean a minimum of 1 year or move for a lifetime. But im unable to do anything at the moment due to finance, so i thought id get the information whilst saving up enough to do it. Im definately going to get a TEFL qualification, makes so much sense, aswell as a qualification in Japanese. Then ill go ahead with applying, but as you guys have said...alot of places want a degree. Ill just have to wait and see. If these dont come off - then ill definately try a Working Holiday Visa.

Any ideas where to start with everything?! lol :]

Yep- those links I gave you... ;-)

When I first came to Japan the internet wasn't in common use (1996), so I just answered an ad in the newspaper, went to the Embassy for info on visas, and knew hardly anything about what I was getting myself into! I have now spent 10 years in Japan.

Things were different in those days :-)

Recently I spoke to someone at the Consulate of Japan in Christchurch New Zealand, they said to me to get a working holiday visa you must have a degree?, is this actually true, as I know many people who have lived in Japan recently on a working holiday visa with no qualifications at all. Recently I got engaged to a Japanese girl who I love and want to be with but im having trouble getting any type of visa at all...Can someone give me any ideas on how to solve my problem?

No, a degree is not required for a working holiday visa- there must have a been a communication breakdown there somewhere.

Try ringing the Wellington Embassy or Auckland Japanese Consulate-General if you can't get the correct information out of the people in Christchurch, but first I would just ring the Chch consulate again and make it very clear that you mean a working holiday visa and not a working visa.

Even 18-year-olds can get WHVs- a degree is just not a requirement.

Gacho,
i did a working holiday visa a few years back with no qualifications. easy as.
Try Aucks if ChCH doesnt help you out..