Moving to japan dilemma

Hi, im a native english speaking australian...i am planning on getting a working holiday visa, and coming to japan by the end of january. My problem lies with; i dont have a job lined up yet, because basically all jobs require you to be in japan at the time of application. So, looking at jobs, alot of them
require a degree (im guessing this does not matter if you already have visa???),
require previous teaching experience (from what i know, most jobs have a curriculum they run by, so its all the same anyway, just as long as you can be cheerful and teach to a half decent level, Which means i could tell the employers i have experience anyway, they cant check can they???)
Last Question, my friend says alot of jobs generally start each semester(october and april), and other times it is not easy getting a job, so do you think i'd still get a job no problem in february? ofcourse i would be trying hard anyway.
thanks guys

Yes, they can check. If you claim you have previous teaching experience you will need to provide the name of the school you worked for and contact details, and potential employers really do check these things.

Don't lie to a potential employer.

no you dont need a degree for a work holiday visa just let the employer know that your on a working holiday and are willing to do more flexible hours, they like this and will employ you faster because it saves them having to apply for a working visa on your behalf. dont lie to an employer because if you get caught out that wont look good in future jobs you apply for or if you ever return to japan to work in the future.

yeah seasons are generally april/october however this is more for college and vocational students, high school and elementarys should take you on all year round so i wouldnt worry.

btw look into geting a job b4 you go i know you arent spose 2 and ppl say dont but my friends have done it, this helps considering you will have to find a job quite quickly.

moving to japan now is silly so many people are being laid off, it will be kind of if not imposible to find a job even teaching English. I do wish you luck though if you do come. Terry

- A degree is not required if you are coming on a Working Holiday Visa. (A bachelor's degree is an immigration requirement.)

- As other posters have mentioned, I advise against lying to your potential employer. People can *tell* when they see you in front of a class, how you interact with your students, if you really have experience or not :) And if they ask for your CV, they will simply find out!

disregard what terry said, there is always a market for english. the country is just starting to get over the crash of NOVA. there are PLENTY of english teaching jobs to go around.

that being said - you are not eligible for any of them. why? because your visa is worthless. the working holiday visa restricts you severely - no serious employer will hire you with that visa.

you may be able to get employed at GABA or AEON or one of the other huge eikaiwa. most other schools will not touch you because your visa duration is so short, you won't be able to sign their 1 year employment contracts. gaba et all do 6 month contracts.

Plenty of people on working holiday visas find English teaching work, in fact it is the mainstay of employment for most of them. It may be necessary to piece lots of part time jobs and private students together to make a living, but that is quite doable. Lots of people do what JoelF wants to do every year and it is in fact how I first came to Japan.

JoelF, there are still plenty of English teaching jobs, especially for part timers, and provided you interview well (be honest!) then you have every chance of getting them. Many schools in Japan don't require that you have experience, just a friendly personality.

We can't tell you that you'll "get a job no problem in February", no-one can guarantee you that, but you do have a chance. Bring plenty of funds as even if you do find a job quickly, because of the system in Japan you may not be paid until over a month later (i.e. if you found a job in February you may not be paid until late March- it's just how things are done here.)

that being said - you are not eligible for any of them. why? because your visa is worthless. the working holiday visa restricts you severely - no serious employer will hire you with that visa.

This isn't necessarily true. With a WHV you'll probably be primarily looking at eikaiwa jobs in which temporary employment is normal. In this case a WHV is a benefit as it saves the company the time and expense of getting you a work visa.

Jobs at high schools, elementary schools, colleges, anywhere with yearlong contracts are likely not going to be available to you as you will be coming mid semester and as you mentioned, they typically have specified start dates.


yeah seasons are generally april/october however this is more for college and vocational students, high school and elementarys should take you on all year round so i wouldnt worry.

It has been my experience that high schools, junior high schools, and elementary are also very set on their start dates and will only start new people at the beginning of semesters (April and September) unless its an unusual circumstance such as someone leaving a contract early.