The ins and outs of getting a job in Japan

On June 30th, 2024, a panel discussion took place in Kyoto about strategies and expectations for those entering the ELT job market, consisting of 3 ELT professionals representing both secondary and higher education, sharing their experiences as members of hiring committees. Below are excerpts from that discussion.

Topic 1: What are hiring committees looking for?

Secondary: We are looking for someone who can communicate with ALL staff. Japanese proficiency is a big aspect of that, but not necessary. Second, we are looking for someone who can build rapport with the students. Thirdly, we are looking for someone who has background knowledge in the field of TESOL, especially if that person is going to be responsible for curriculum development. Finally, someone who can work both independently and in a group atmosphere.

Higher: Objectively, hiring committees are looking for candidates who check the most boxes. A high degree from a prestigious university, experience and knowledge in TESOL, and research experience. Japanese employers are also interested in candidates who have living/studying abroad experience. Being able to communicate in Japanese is also important as most communications (internal and external) happen in Japanese.

Is one of those boxes having a (working) visa?

Larger universities will sponsor, but there have been cases where long-term or spousal was preferred.

Higher: Keep in mind, your employer is not responsible for you. They verify that you are employed. Once you have the visa, you are not obligated to stay with that employer.

Going back to the original question, employers are looking for someone who understand the school’s context as best as an applicant can, for example mission statements. Find out what they are and pitch yourself towards that context. If the school is seen as one that prioritizes collaboration and your CV shows you as an independent worker, you may not get the job. Getting a sense of what the institution is and does, and matching yourself to it is advised… and you may find out the context does not best fit you. Japanese use may depend on the department or institution, but what may be asked is, “are we going to have to babysit you because you cannot speak Japanese, creating more work for others? Or can you work independently?” So your proficiency is an indication to committees about how you may manage and how you will (or won’t) save others time.

In regards to ticking boxes, how would a recent graduate fit into that? Without the experience, how can they market themselves better?

Secondary: High schools are unique, and it is unlikely that a newly minted graduate would be hired without some experience. For me, I started in a private eikaiwa before moving into an ALT position as a team teacher before finally landing the solo position (which requires a license from the school’s prefecture) I have today.

Higher: Same in university, which may ask for 3 to 5 years experience, so it’s good to target smaller institutions (those in urgent need of teachers) first. Gain the experience before targeting the larger universities.

Higher: Know what context you want to get into. If you’re someone who just wants to teach and not conduct research, don’t aim for the university level. Also, network. Get involved in organizations and get your presence out there. It could happen that colleagues can recommend places for you to apply based on the context you are looking for.

Secondary: Think of yourself in the role of a samurai. A samurai always introduces/announces themself before going into battle, and that in perspective are what employers are expecting, so use entry-level or other experiences to give you that introduction you need to get the position you want.

Higher: Even activities like summer camp or volunteer teaching in communities, you might think they don’t count, but they do show you as being proactive in your field and in the community. They do count!

How old is too old?

Higher: Applying for as many jobs as possible is key. It’s painful, especially as you write all the different application forms, but if you’re not actively searching, you’re not being sought after. I recommend to use MEXT’s resources.

Higher: The age may be a factor depending on the length of the contract being offered, especially if the applicant is close to retirement age. But don’t give up and just keep looking for opportunities. Do what you can to make yourself look as good as possible so that you can wield as much power as you can in what is a powerless position as an applicant.

What about the process? When does the hiring season start? How long do things take? What happens in the process?

Secondary: Budget decisions for the following school year tend to be finalized in July, which includes how many teachers to hire. So, the process can begin shortly after that, maybe as soon as August. It can be months before a decision is made, especially if there are a lot of applicants for a single position. An example timeline might be:

Japan is known for not moving quickly, so it’s key to be patient and let the process play out.

Higher: In my experience, university announcements start getting posted on JACET around August. But, it depends on when they want the position to be filled. So if they need someone right away or to begin from the second semester, then you’ll see them at different times, but most universities who are looking to hire for an April start will usually start posting announcements from August. From there, there is usually a one-month period to prepare applications. Some universities still rely on physical mail-ins for receiving applications, but more are moving toward digital applications, and some are beginning to use the JREC-IN Portal. Indeed is another site some universities might use. Sending in applications is a painful process that will cost you time, money, and energy, so be ready for that.

Higher: The application process can also give you a sense of what kind of institution you’re applying to, so for example if the process requires a lot of paper then you may expect that particular university to have a more traditional or conservative approach to teaching. Universities using a digital application process may be seen as a place that embraces technology a bit more. Keep in mind that they are not just interviewing you, but you are evaluating them as well. A sense to consider is the language the announcement posted in as it can indicate either a barrier or welcoming depending on the language (Japanese, English, or both). If the materials are not in English, then that will indicate how important it is to know and use Japanese.

Higher: The language of the announcement and application forms have a lot to say about what language the interview will be in if you make it that far.

Higher: They want to see how you can handle administrative work in Japanese. If you can’t, then that will indicate that you need to be looked after or babysat (someone will need to be with you to translate regularly).

Will having access to a research fund help get you a tenure position?

It can help. In the current economy universities don’t have as much funding as they used to, so if you do have access to research funding from outside the university, then that would for sure be one of the boxes checked.

Higher: If you’re not familiar with what a kaken-hi grant is, it is a government grant from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Having one is a bonus, but not a requirement. Universities do get a cut of this grant, so if you have one, yeah, it could be a deciding factor for a school looking for additional funding.

Another thing to add, is that Recruit presented research on the state of universities in Japan and indicated that the bottom 20% of universities will go out of business in the next 50 years because of the population decline and the increase in competition for the dwindling number of students, so those universities can be a good place to go to get your foot in the door, so if you need experience, start there. But again, do your research on these schools and their longevity. If they are always advertising for positions, you may want to avoid them to reduce any possible mental strain.

Does having kids (small kids especially who tend to get sick often and.or suddenly) impact a job decision?

Secondary: It shouldn’t, and if it does it’s probably a job you don’t want to have.

Higher: I would have said the exact same thing.

But this information is not on a job application anyways so they wouldn’t know, right?

There are stories where it has been taken into consideration when renewing a contract, which is illegal. But have plan for how you may or will approach these situations.

Does deciding to use one’s maiden name as opposed to their husband’s name affect the application outcome?

Higher: It doesn’t. For scholars, it’s difficult to change names when publishing and universities pretty much understand that.

Secondary: As long as your name is consistent along all the paperwork, it shouldn’t matter at all.

Higher: For Japanese women who marry Japanese men, the situation may be different. So, if an institution requires you to use your husband’s name against your wishes, walk away.

Can the process deter you from applying?

Higher: Yes. But it’s part of being in academia. There are people who have taken the emotional aspect out of the process through the use of spreadsheets, keeping track of which universities they’ve applied to with which cover letter, and so on. Keep notes on what individual universities are looking for specifically so that you can tailor or transition your product (your application) to their needs. Have a mast CV created through brainstorming and use that to copy and paste into job applications based on what they are looking for.

Moderator: I paid someone to translate my CV into Japanese because I couldn’t proofread it on my own.

Higher: The CV we create in English differ from the conventions of creating a CV in Japanese. One example is that in an English CV we list accomplishments and experience from the most recent, but on the Japanese CV it is the opposite. You have to follow the norms that all Japanese know. Another thing not on an English CV is a summary of publications, which can be painful to write as the process to put that together (in Japanese) can take weeks or months depending on the number of publications you have. Things like these need to be prepared in advanced.

Higher: Every time you publish, update your summary.

Also, know that the Japanese word for CV is rirekisho (履歴書、りれきしょ), and there are resources in English on the internet that show you how to write one.

Secondary: A misconception some people might have is that when you look at the announcement and you see a foreign name, so you might think that only English documents are needed, but keep in mind of the bureaucratic process that will include Japanese administrators, so consideration might be taken into the account on whether a hiring committee needs to spend the time to translate documents or not.

Higher: It’s about understanding that element of Japanese culture; considering the work you are creating for other people. If you take into consideration who might be looking at your documents and you make it easer for them, that’s another box checked!

Topic 2: What are some important things to keep in mind for application materials?

Publications: Quantity over quality?

Higher: It depends on the person looking at the application materials. If it is someone from a western university, which publication and its impact factor may be taken into consideration, so having a few in more prestige publications may be ideal, but in Japan, because scholars are publishing mostly in Japanese (low impact journals as Japanese is not a lingua franca int he world), quantity may matter, whether it’s a school newsletter, a textbook, or journal. So in Japan, from my experience quantity does matter.

Secondary: In high schools, we don’t have research grants, so having publications is usually not a factor. However, any publication does paint a picture of whether the applicant is a fit for high school teaching or not. For example, someone publishing on psycholinguistics is probably not an ideal fit for high school teaching, but something like action research or practical classroom publications are looked at to see what kind of projects or activities the candidate can bring. So, even if it’s only a newsletter, it can benefit the decision process.

Higher: There are 2 types of publications: research, and pedagogical, theoretical, or practice-based. All are valuable, and different institutions value things differently. One example as mentioned; published activities or projects will certainly draw the attention of secondary institutions. Even publications on teacher emotions or experiences; talking about your journey as a teacher… all of this matters. So don’t let applications or hiring committees have you think that anything other than research doesn’t matter, because it all matters. If you think that you have nothing to contribute or are experience imposter syndrome… just find a place to publish your experience and publish it, because it doesn’t just have to be research.

The second thing to mention is knowing where to publish. JALT, JALT chapters might have publications. SIGs have newsletters and it’s quite easy to get a publication in one of those, and which are almost all practice-based… no research. Look for such places. And keep in mind that these are not non-academic, because you talking about your theories and why you’re doing what you’re doing in your classes. That also matters. You’re showing your identity as an educator, and that is something that will be taken into consideration when you are job hunting.

Finally… diversify your economy. Don’t only have research… don’t only have presentations. The best applications have a combination of publications and presentations. If an application only has publications for example, then that might be seen as not wanting to interact with other people, doesn’t care about their colleagues, or doesn’t care about the field… they only care about furthering themselves. If I see someone who is consistently going to conferences such as JALT, they are showing that they are active in the community. This can be a trait institutions are looking for because it shows that you have something to bring into the classroom, as well as being able to put their institution’s name out into the masses and publicize them because that is your affiliation. Don’t put all your eggs into one basket.

Secondary: Going to conferences regularly also shows that you take professional development seriously.

What would the role of volunteering such as for JALT have on the CV?

Higher: You may not be asked about it, but it is valued as contributing to your community (社会貢献、しゃかいこうけん).

Regarding 社会貢献, what should you put in that part of the CV?

Anything internally at the school such as committees you’ve been a member of, any level of contribution to your community of practice or even public lectures or events as well as volunteering with JALT and other organizations.

Would the PTA be something I could write on my CV?

Higher: Potentially. There are 3 factors to look at: your teaching, your research, and service… that’s your 社会貢献, service. What are your contributions to the larger community. Japan is a culture that values contribution to the collective, and so it all matters. It recognizes that you belong to a community. If you forgo service, then it demonstrates that you are either not familiar with how Japanese culture/community works, or you don’t care about the larger community, which may not make you a good candidate. Don’t run yourself in tot he ground trying to build but a volunteer background, but be a part of a community.

Can the volunteer work then be outside the academic arena?

Higher: Yes.

Secondary: Adding to what’s been said, demonstrating such commitments to a community shows that you have assimilated into the culture we have decided to live in. And if you can demonstrate that outside the workplace, there is less concern that you would require handholding inside the workplace.

Advice for someone trying to be published but isn’t affiliated with an institution or university.

Higher: For part-time teachers, they usually choose one affiliation, or one university where they spend most of their time at.

Higher: If you don’t have an affiliation with a specific institution, use your JALT SIG as an affiliation. If you’re a member of such a community, show yourself as a member of that community.

Higher: Using their graduate school’s name is also another option

What if you’re an ALT and work for both a high school and a BOD or dispatch company?

Secondary: The one that gives you the paycheck

Higher: As a member of the JET Programme, I listed my high school. As an ALT, it may depend on what kind of ALT you are. For those working in dispatch, you may need to speak with the company before using their name as an affiliate.

Secondary: You also do not want to hide the fact that you’re working for a dispatch company. If references are contacted and the school refers you to a dispatch company that you did not list, then that brings up a red flag.

One last thing, as a high school, if the CV is longer than 2 pages, I more than likely won’t look at it.

Higher: For the university, if it’s only 2 pages, I would be concerned.

Secondary: This would be a key difference between preparing a CV for university and preparing one for a high school, because at the high school level, we are not expecting a long list of publications or summaries. Because there are usually both foreign and Japanese staff on the committee, if the CV gets too complicated for someone to read, then it will more than likely be passed on. So even a letter of introduction, if it gets into the 2-page length, it might be seen as too long or two winded. This might just be the perspective of a high school, but we want to see documents that are precise: this is who I am, this is what I’ve done, this is what I want to do. If we’re asking for a philosophy of teaching statement, again we want it to be precise: this is who I am, this is who I represent.

Higher: I would say cover letters, 3 quarters of a page max… half a page is probably better. When I write a letter of recommendation, I usually only write 1 page, because again, visually if it looks like too much text, I’ll pass.

Would you recommend that any materials submitted be in both English and Japanese?

Secondary: If possible, yes.

Higher: Secondary for sure, but I think it depends on the situation. If the application is in Japanese and you submit it in English, you will probably be passed over. If it’s in one language and you submit both, it’s hard to see how that would work against you.

Higher: I would look at the call instructions and follow that. If the call is in Japanese, I would prepare everything in Japanese.

Going back to the CV, there are usually two documents in Japan, a 履歴書 which would be only about 2 pages, and a 業績書 or list of achievements. Publications and anything else would go into the 業績書 which can go on pages after pages because of all the summaries of all the publications and presentations you’ve done.

Secondary: In regards to documents being asked for. Only submit what you’re being asked for. Very often we get applicants sending us copies of passports and other legal documents that we never ask for, and it’s usually information that we don’t want to hold on to.

Higher: Again, be mindful of the work you create for others.

What if the application doesn’t ask for a cover letter?

Higher: Then don’t send a cover letter.

Higher: It’s actually customary in Japan to have a cover letter that helps identify the contents of the application when mailing documents. So I would do that, and include the number of copies of each document as well.

Higher: That’s a good example of making your application easier for others to look at… which in return puts your application higher up on the pile.

Topic 3: How should I prepare demo lessons? Any tips?

Secondary: That can make or break you. There’s a lot of factors going into what we’re looking at in a demonstration lesson. We all hate it of course, but it’s necessary for a number of reasons.

  1. You’re demonstrating how you communicate with people in the room. Even in setup, decisions have been made based on how the candidate was communicating with the teacher while setting up the lesson.
  2. Usually there are a set of criteria that is expected to be followed, so we are looking to see if they are following it or not.
  3. Do they understand the proficiency level of students they are teaching? These lessons usually are just other teachers or administrators, and one fault I see a lot of candidates do is not teach the adults as if they are students. They see the adults and continue to talk to them as adults, which defeats the purpose of the demo lesson.
  4. How they use the room is also a factor. Are they hiding behind a lectern, are they hiding behind a set of slides, or are they actually trying to try and build a rapport and communicate with the students in the room.
  5. We’re also looking at the materials prepared. Do they match the level of our students, or are they too high or too low? If they are too high or too low, is that because they don’t understand the criteria set, or they don’t understand the rubrics of that proficiency level?
  6. As a high school, we’re looking at how much engagement there is in the classroom. Are you able to adapt? Are you able to move yourself to the level of the students to get them involved in whatever lesson you are demonstrating?

So, there are just so many factors that we cannot fully grasp the potential of the candidate just though an interview alone.

Higher: It’s a good idea to do some research into the curriculum of the university. If you’re applying for a position that involves a lot of communication classes for example, then you want to demonstrate yourself as a communications teacher.

Higher: Think about what are your strengths as a teacher. What kind of activities or things are you good at… for whatever degree of flexibility you have, tilt your demo lesson towards that. Don’t do a grammar activity that you yourself wouldn’t be comfortable doing in your own classroom. Do that thing you are comfortable doing all the time.

I’m a big proponent of reflective practice, learning who you am as a teacher, and being comfortable and confident with who you are as a teacher. People don’t like demo lessons because they feel like they are being evaluated and judged, but that’s why you need to be comfortable and confident with who you are. And if you’re not, then have someone observe you and have discussions about who you are as an educator… peer observation and feedback. peer observation is an effective form of PD because who have a second set of eyes observing you and seeing what you may not be seeing. I’m a devotee of Tom Ferrell and his reflective practice. He says,

If you know the answers to these questions, then you’ll walk into a demo lesson way more comfortable, because you know why you’re doing something. Think about what you are good at, and not just what you think they want to see.

Secondary: And it doesn’t hurt to practice before actually going into the demo lesson and doing it. If you have a group of colleagues who can watch you, that always helps.

Higher: In the worst case, if you don’t have anyone… record yourself and watch yourself. It does help.

Higher: I also recommend reading John Fanselow. He was based in Japan for a while and has written many books on observation and recommends recording yourself.

Is there a trend now about what kind of demo lesson schools want to see?

Secondary: It will depend on the school, but times are changing as schools are looking more for an active learning, content base process… but it will depend on the school and the expectations they send you for the demo lesson. So it will be a school-by-school thing.

Higher: Research about the school, see what others are doing, but taking a more communicative approach would be recommended.

Higher: Diversify your teaching economy. They will want to see how you do something with group activities, how you shift control of the classroom over to the students… they will also see how you lead from the front, so make sure you have a little bit of both of those things. And again, do those to your strengths; the way you are comfortable or the way you are confident doing that.

Higher: And record yourself doing the demo.

Higher: Record yourself or have someone observe you. The sooner you get over any doubt, the more you will feel comfortable and confident in your own skin as a teacher. And it’s totally worth it, even if you feel like it does at first.

Topic 4: How should I prepare for the interview?

Higher: I’ve been involved in interviews multiple times, and I’ve also been on the other side conducting interviews. As an interviewee, preparing is the key. We send so many documents to different universities, so we may forget what we wrote for which university. Before going into an interview, go over and review the documents you submitted to that particular place. Make sure your memory is fresh on whatever you wrote such as your teaching philosophy or whatever cover letter you sent them. You don’t want to make the mistake of mentioning something related to another university.

Can you hold things in the interview?

At least have a printout of your documents on hand and read the room on whether you can have them out or not. You may want to ask if you can look at your documents if you feel you really need to.

The last time I interviewed for a job I was asked to bring visuals such as videos of what I’ve done in class for any research, so I did prepare for that.

Higher: I’ve never interview someone and not give them a desk or table to sit at. It’s a common structure in Japan to not have a desk, but if there is one, I would say it’s okay to use the space.

Secondary: Whether you have copies of documents or not is not so much an issue, but if you’re asked a question about something in those documents and you’re shocked by it, then that becomes an issue. So if you need the papers in front of you… have them in front of you.

Higher: Also, one question that gets asked at the end is, “Do you have questions for us?” So, do prepare for that as well.

What would you say is an appropriate question to ask?

Higher: For example, I would ask how many classes I would have to teach… or if there’s clarification on points you want them to further elaborate on, that’s a good place to look for questions perhaps.

Higher: Another thing I would say to prepare for is the potential of being asked a stupid question, or an unthoughtful question. You would hope the people interviewing you are thoughtful and are asking good questions. The kinds of questions asked can again determine if this is place is the place you want to teach. Remember, not only are they interviewing you, but you are interviewing them as well.

Higher: One difficult question you may be asked is, “Are you applying for other positions?” It’s a tricky question, but you want to be honest. The interviewee does want to make sure that who they are interviewing will take the job if it’s offered. That’s why you might get asked this question.

What did you say?

I said, “Yes, I am, but I’m serious about this position.” And I explained my line of reasoning of applying for that job.

Higher: Another side to that is whether you might withdraw after the paperwork (a few months process) has been put in to hire you, which forces us to start the process all over again because someone else offered you something better. I have honestly recommended people to keep looking even after being offered a position, and I have felt the impact of a candidate withdrawing. But to be clear, you don’t own the institutions anything. Until a contract is signed, if you find something better, you should go for it. But certainly don’t lie that you’re not applying elsewhere. Be honest and respectful.

Higher: I think everyone knows that everyone is applying for multiple positions.

Secondary: Going back to the original question of whether there are inappropriate questions to ask, I think it is more inappropriate to not ask questions during the interview, then email them in later after the interview concluded. Even if it’s a question about salary, ask your question about the salary.

Should we though, ask about salary?

Higher: You may not get the answer you want.

Secondary: As long as the question is relevant to what you’re looking for and to what the school is looking for, ask it.

Higher: That level of transparency… look at how they respond to you asking the question. If you don’t like the response or the way it was answered, that gives you insight into the type of institution you are dealing with.

Try to be as ruthlessly pragmatic as possible and unemotional. There’s also office politics at work, so there might be two competing factions on that hiring committee and one side may like you while the other is trying to undermine you as a candidate because they have someone in mind of their own. So you might get questions to prove that you’re not good or better or something like that, so you might have odd-ball questions thrown at you. But again, I would go back to the statement that such antics might be a reflection of that institution, and so you should be asking yourself, “is that the type of environment I want to be working in?”

Secondary: One more thing about interviews, the manner in how you conduct yourself in these interviews, in terms of how well you understand Japanese culture is equally important. How you enter the room, where you sit down if they don’t tell you where to sit, what side of the room you’re on, how you greet the people who walk into the room or who are already in the room when you walk in plays a huge factor, and if you’re unsure of any of that, it’s highly recommended to find someone who can tell and or show you the appropriate process of the Japanese interview.

What to wear to a university interview?

Higher: Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have. Japan is a country that tends towards formality rather than casual. If you go to an interview in a suit and feel you are overdressed, that’s not going to go against you. That goes back to understanding the cultural expectations here.

Is it appropriate to ask what the process after the interview will be?

Higher: We say at the end of the interview what will happen next. If they can’t bother to explain it to you, then that gives you insight into how their process works. But ask if they don’t.

Higher: Usually that information is given in a follow-up email after the interview.

Should we send an email in reply thanking the committee for their time?

Secondary: Yes!

Higher: It’s never bad to thank someone.

Secondary: It doesn’t hurt to send it. It’s just not one person seeing it, it’s a committee, including our Japanese faculty, and they do have their expectations, and if those expectations aren’t met during the process, that particular person may not be recommended.

Going back to the original question, you should know what the process is and what you are getting yourself into.