Comprehensive question about teaching

Hi guys,

Kind of new to this board and have a few questions. I'm sure many of these questions have been asked before, just want to advice to my personal situation... see where i can take it from there.

I have completed a bachelor degree in Australia [but I have a Dutch passport so yes, no working visa] in Accounting. Got a few years work experience in this field and currently doing post grad [Chartered Accountants course], but want to postpone that for a while.

GF is japanese, have been together for about 3 years now. She moved back to Japan to work there, and I want to be with her. So am trying to see what my options are.

Japanese - no ability at all unfortunately [been busy with study, work & postgraduate study] and my GF wanted to learn English, not teach Japanese. However, I am more than willing to learn the language and am usually quite good with picking up new languages.

English - fluent, but not native level. Have worked in England for 3 years, and have lived, worked & studied in Australia for 3 years. My Dutch is native level, but I highly doubt anyone in Japan would want to learn it.

2-3 years work experience as an accountant, before that and before my study I had a few years in the insurance industry. All english spoken jobs by the way.

Have been looking into the teaching industry [well there is not a lot else for foreigners that don't speak business level Japanese, I guess...]. So I have no teaching degree or experience, but willing to take up intensive TEFL / TESOL course, if that would improve my chances.

Unfortunately, I cannot apply from within Japan. Am still with my job, and cannot risk quitting my job, move to Japan on a tourist visa and not finding a job in 3 months time. I therefore prefer to find a company that recruits from overseas. Of course they would need to be willing to sponsor me for the relevant visa I assume.

Long story short, you guys got any idea of what might be best suited to my circumstances [if anything at all]?

btw. Not yet willing to marry my GF hehehe [maybe in a few years].

Appreciate any feedback I can get from seasoned travellers / teachers or anyone else really. Thanks!!

L.

Interac might be the most likely option as they conduct interviews in Europe. You will need to have studied English for 12 years though. Another issue might be that the school year started 2 weeks ago so very few new ALTs will be hired at the moment.

"L.",

I guess you know about the ALT / foreign language teaching business over here in the "land-of-the-not-always-rising-sun"!?

Lots of folks want to teach, not that many Japanese want to study. Salaries are stuck (seems that all established language schools got a monopoly and "coordinate" the salaries??) at a pretty low level.

If I were you, come over here for a vacation and look around whether or not you can get a job and first of all whether or not you like it here. Japan is not always the place people expect(ed) it to be.

Get with English schools, either in person (when or if you are over here) or by mail, send job applications and see what will happen.

Thanks for the answers...

Ehm yeah, been to Japan about 5 times now, absolutely love it. Having said that, i've lived (not just holiday) in 6 different countries and I know how just how different living & holidaying in a country is...

I'll have a look around & see my options. Doesn't appear to look to promising. Nevertheless if i get a chance i'll go for it.

Ta!

L.