My work has taken me to another part of Japan that I have never been to before - the Chugoku region. This is the first time that I've been here, but due to my work, I haven't had much time to go sightseeing. I had a bit of scare yesterday with a slight fever, but it looks it's gone today, so it's probably more than a slight cold due to the recent cold weather. Glad that it's not the CCP virus again, especially being so far away from my apartment.
In any case, I thought I would talk about some things relating concerning applying for ALT work. Being on the other end of things this time, I see a lot of mistakes that can be easily avoided, and I thought I'd share some pointers. While these pointers are not a guarantee that you will get a job as an ALT with any dispatch company, it would definitely help improve your chances.
1) Any email sent to you by dispatch companies should be read in its entirety.
There's going to plenty of important information sent in emails from employers, so it is important you read it in its entirety. This can range from how orientations or interviews will be run, asking about your availability based on certain dates or times, to what to do in the event that you are not able to make it to an interview or orientation in time. Considering you're applying for a job that requires teaching English to children, not being able to follow basic English instructions isn't a good start in making an impression with your future employers.
Simply replying "I will be there" shows that you did not fully read the email
2a) If you have tattoos - say so
Anyone who has lived in Japan or has learned about Japanese society will know that tattoos are still a taboo thing. This is because tattoos are still associated with the Yakuza - the Japanese mafia. Obviously working in school with children, visible tattoos aren't exactly projecting a kid friendly image.
If you try hiding this fact, it will come out at some point - in which case the school will tell the city's Board of Education, who will give your employer hell for it, which in turn will lead to your employer giving you hell for it. There will be a good chance that the Board of Education will want you kicked out of their city, and if you're lucky, your employer may assign you to a different city but you're more likely to be fired. So basically, don't lie about your tattoos.
And another thing, don't get tattoos after you've been hired - companies still reserve the right to change their minds, and when they find out, they can and will withdraw their offer. I say this because there are people out there that have been dumb enough to do this.
2b) Don't lie about your Japanese ability.
This is more for your sake rather than the employer's sake. While Japanese ability is not necessary to run the classes, you are going to need some Japanese ability to communicate with teachers, especially at elementary schools, where there's not always going to be a dedicated Japanese English teacher, unlike Junior and Senior High schools. Some teachers at Elementary schools may be able to speak English, but to what extent will obviously vary from school to school. If you have over exaggerated your Japanese ability, it's going to unravel very quickly when you begin at your school, which is going to piss off your teachers, and piss off your employer for lying.
I've seen this happen, leading to ALTs resigning, and citing that their Japanese ability is not sufficient enough for their assigned schools. Dispatch companies will assign ALTs to schools after factoring in everything - including Japanese ability.
It's better that you be more modest when it comes to assessing your own Japanese ability - at some point, you will have to demonstrate your Japanese skills to your employers.
3) If you don't pass, don't be a dick about it.
Even though you feel that you did well in an orientation/interview, sometimes things don't turn out the way you want it to. That's just life. But that doesn't give you a free pass to act like a piece of shit about it. You think employers are going to consider you in the future if you send childish or dickish emails that show you for who you really are? If anything, it would confirm the employer made the right choice in not hiring you. If you want to reply, simply leave it at thank you for your time, and would look forward to another opportunity in the future. This will leave a much more pleasant impression of you.
That's all I have for the moment for advice about applying for Japanese ALT dispatch companies. Most of these tips would seem pretty obvious and self-explanatory, but with what I've seen in my job since joining in April this year - there are some pretty dumb people out there.
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