UNCONVENTIONAL HINTS FOR JOB SEEKERS

(The following comments (modified) were made to a netter interested in working in Japan teaching ESL. He complained that despite his extensive previous experience in Japan as an ESL teacher, he was getting no responses to his job queries. He admitted he had no formal ESL training but that he was currently teaching ESL in Hawaii.)

May 97

Dear Job Applicant:

Here are my unconventional thoughts on your above dilemma...for whatever they may be worth (tho I think they will be the most worthwhile comments you will receive).

1. First of all, it seems strange (to me anyway) that after having spent 6 years in Japan you find it necessary to ask questions about how to look for work in Japan. Seems to me no one would know better than you....but be that as it may...

2. Have you thought of applying to any of your former employers in Japan? Perhaps there's a reason you don't want to....again, I don't know...it's just one of the things that pops into my mind. I've gone that route in the past (in Saudi Arabia) and it has always worked for me.

3. What perhaps is going on is this: based on the academic information you put in your posting, your resume probably sounds too high-powered for a lot of employers. You mentioned, among other things, that you had 6 years experience teaching ESL in Japan, that you have an MA, that you speak Japanese, that you will soon have a PhD or at least are well on your way to it, etc. One would think that with that background, you should be having no trouble at all finding a job in Japan.

But........ GIVEN THE FRAUDULENT AND FLY-BY-NIGHT NATURE OF ESL WORLD-WIDE, this is precisely what employers DON'T want. Let me explain what I mean:

a. the fact you know Japanese (and advertise it) scares a lot of employers....many will feel "HE KNOWS US TOO WELL".....i.e. you could be a lot of trouble for them for that very reason. Whenever I have applied to Saudi, I don't let a peep out about how good and fluent my Arabic really is and how well I know that country and my astounding knowledge of Islam. Were I to do so, no one would touch me, because what they will immediately think is: Who does he know? Does he perhaps know a powerful Prince? If he is as good as he says, what's he doing applying for a lowly ESL teacher's job?....that kind of thing.....No doubt, a similar outlook applies to Japan.

b. the fact that you're going for the PhD is again something that I wouldn't mention. The first thing that will come to many employers' minds is : Oh, Oh, that means we have to pay him more......and he's probably coming back here to do some research for his PhD as his main goal......

In this regard, too, (the PhD), the thinking is that if you have it (or are close to getting it), why, obviously you're not going to want to teach ESL classes!! How could you possibly? That kind of thing is reserved for BA's just out of school, the grunts, the losers that never got beyond teaching in the class etc.

4. I imagine you're looking for an ESL job (you weren't too clear on that) ....that is, teaching 4/5 hours a day...no research or graduate courses in theory etc. But if you mention the PhD, that's what a lot of employers are going to think is the kind of teaching you're looking for...teaching advanced courses etc. OR that if you want to teach ESL classes (with a PhD), that there must be something wrong with you...or at the very least, that you're going to be dissatisfied and resign.

5. The fact is, what employers are really looking for is someone with some experience.....but not too much......preferrably someone from the Midwest who doesn't know too much of anything...that way, they can pay them minimum and don't have to worry about their being too savvy. Also, if you empahsize your Japanese skills, many employers will think that that's what your going to use in class..........i.e. your classes will become more a place where you can improve your Japanese than a place where the students will hear pristine American English. True or not, that's what they are going to think.

6. Therefore, my advise is to minimize a lot of your skills, experience and educational background in future contacts. At the least, I wouldn't mention that you speak Japanese....that's a red flag to many employers. The fact that you don't have ESL training should be no problem especially since you've taught it before AND are currently teaching it without "training" (and can probably get a couple of letters of recommendation). So, DESPITE ADVERTIZING TO THE CONTRARY, I would try to appear as inexperienced and naive as you possibly can. (This wouldn't be true for a USA job, but for overseas jobs, it is.....and even for some USA jobs, actually .You have to develop, as I have, a second sense about this). (As you know, a Phd in ESL is hired to do research or some such about fantasies such as "Eye Contact in its Linguistic Context" blah blah blah etc....or to "head" some program (which is why they generally collapse), not to actually teach ESL classes...which is what most employers really want.

Hope this helps............it's not cynicisim on my part...........it's realism....much to the chagrin of ESL "professionals".

TIM PERIOR

UPSILON@JUNO.COM