I'm not dead, though some days I wish I was

It's been 5 months since my last post.
A lot has happened, and don't even know where to begin really.

I guess I could begin that I have begun looking for another job. Things happened earlier this year that made me realize that the years I have worked there don't mean much in the face of the number of business trips and a pattern of fuck ups that has forced me to reconsider whether I want to continue with the company, let alone until the end of my contract next year. Rather than looking for another contract job with lack of security, I have instead started applying to Japanese companies for permanent full-time roles (aka the 正社員/seishain) where I get some better perks, including better pay, not having to worry every year if I have another job, plus access to paternity leave (we're not expecting a kid just yet, but this perk will be helpful when the time does come).

Discussions with my wife and a recruiting agent left me at a crossroads on whether I should pursue a job similar to what I have now, especially with a few years of experience under my belt, or go or a role that best fit my interests. I tried looking at the latter, but found that many of the roles are very competitive, require taking an aptitude test, and/or require experience or skills that I do not have. In the end, we decided to focus on jobs that better match my current skills and experience. 

So far, I haven't had much luck. Some companies have reached out just to ask about my the kind of salary I'm looking for or if I have experience with certain software/applications. 

In the meantime, I'm getting back into studying JLPT again. I've applied for N1, but with the limited time I have these days, I've resorted to using apps to help with my studies, and it is rather useful to be able to spend some time doing studying commuting to/from work. 

On the other hand, I'm on another business trip in a rural part of the Chugoku region. I won't name the city, but compared to some other rural towns/cities I've been sent out to, this particular place isn't too bad. The hotel my employer has put me in has breakfast included, which is surprisingly rare in my experience, but it is welcome, and there seems to be a bit to see and do that's not too far from the hotel. Plus having the company car doesn't hurt in getting around. 

Given how much time it takes to get back to Saitama, going back home every weekend isn't feasible. Fortunately, I won't be here for too long, with the forecast being another 2-3 weeks here before I'm finished. All I can do in the meantime is continue my job hunt and preparing N1 JLPT.

Canary in the coal mine

Work front, I have recently witnessed the canary in the coal mine moment with many people leaving - some after many years of work, some only after one year. I'm not going to lie, I was considering looking for other work too, but due to my circumstances of preparing for a wedding, switching my visa (future post maybe?), I felt that the timing was not in my favor. However, with the fallout of so many people leaving, it means my workload is going to increase - and I predict a lot more business trips for this year. 

As I have committed to a one year contract - and sticking to a contract is a much bigger deal in Japan compared to other countries - my plan is to stick out this year, but I'm going in to this with the expectation that I won't continue after this year is over... unless something pops up at my work that would be favorable to me. 

My wife has suggested looking for work related to my interests, as I'm at stage in my life that I can't keep jumping between jobs every few years anymore, and I am inclined to agree with her on that last point. If we are to start a family, we both need stable jobs, with permanent work being the ideal situation. However, finding a job that I would genuinely enjoy is something that I think is not realistic, and I like keeping my work and hobbies separate, though it is something that I shouldn't quickly dismiss either.

I have asked around about job hunting, as the usual channels are usually advertising ALT work, or work related to ALT dispatch companies. Searching a little bit in to jobs similar to what I do right now, I found I have to search beyond those channels, as those kinds of companies very rarely advertise there. However, someone did point me to a Japanese job hunting website, commenting that with fewer foreigners using those kinds of websites, there will be less competition there - of which I have bookmarked that site for when I will most likely begin job hunting towards the later part of the year.

There has been a lot more that has happened in the last few months, but I may share about them later when the time is right.

English Motherfucker! Do you speak/read it!

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.

More online classes! (and other stuff)

Due to the increasing number of cases of the Xi(aka Omicron) variant of the CCP virus across the country, including Ibaraki Prefecture, for the past two weeks elementary schools have been doing classes online. However, since there has not been a significant drop in cases at the moment (for the past few days, there have have been over 1000 cases in Ibaraki prefecture alone), online classes have been extended for one more week. I have mixed feelings about this.

I have no problem with this going on for my 3rd and 4th grade classes, as I can make progress even if they haven't taken the textbooks home with them (and I have the digital materials anyway), and I can make activities that involve everyone in some capacity. My 5th and 6th grade classes on the other hand... it is getting a little difficult without them being at school to really make progress. However, I am trying to take advantage of the school's online learning system to create some activities/exercises for them to practice what they (are supposed to) have studied. I'm preparing a listening activity which is similar in style to the listening tests that I have prepared, but I'm not preparing this as a test, meaning I'm allowing them to check the resources that I also intend to upload before the lesson.

In other news, I did submit my official resignation to my employer finally. I was bracing myself for some sort of grilling/haggling to get me to stay on board, but surprisingly it never came. I told them how I felt, but was careful not to tell them that I left because of money (even though that is part of the reason I am leaving). The truth was, I've been working as an ALT for over 5 years, and I have just gotten tired of it. Matters that came up back home just before school started last year really hit me hard, and the amount of difficult students I've had to deal with this year have really sucked the drive to continue any further. They extended an olive branch offering me some other positions elsewhere, and while I didn't openly refuse them, I did say I would consider it and let them know. I was expecting some sort of roasting about me quitting the HR training they were giving me, but given that I quit after two weeks, the damage and fallout was minimised on that front, not to mention that the position was never guaranteed in the first place. Besides, they didn't really assign me any important work aside from screening a few sessions with some ALT candidates and assessing their demo lessons. 

Finally, I have an appointment lined up to inspect a potential apartment on the 26th. I am a little bit concerned, as racism is rampant when it comes to renting an apartment in Japan. Up until now, I have been using Leopalace, a rental company that is known having no problems renting out apartments for foreigners, but this specific apartment is not a Leopalace apartment. The company that I have been dealing with asked me some standard questions, althought the questions have the potential to be grounds for refusing to lease an apartment to me. They asked my nationality; how long I lived in Japan; if I had an emergency contact in Japan; if I was a student or company employee, and why I wanted to move. Worst case scenario, I settle for Leopalace apartment that is maybe one or two stops away from my ideal spot. Hopefully, this won't be the case. 

When your employer thinks you'll stay on, but then you submit your resignation

ALT companies desperate for foreigners

 I came across an article on Mainichi Shinbun regarding the effects of the CCP virus on companies that largely rely on employing people from overseas. This article covers the impact on the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program (or as it is more commonly known as the JET program), where foreigners will come to Japan and help teach English as an ALT to elementary, junior high, and high school students, while at the same time taking the opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture. The catch with this program vs. working for a ALT dispatch company, is that you can only stay in the program for 5 years max, as this is never intended to serve as long term work - only a "cultural exchange". 

I have heard from other people also that ALT dispatch companies are feeling the pinch, and - if rumor is true - Interac is apparently not doing so well in terms of retaining or recruiting foreigners. The fact that the Japanese government has effectively locked out foreigners that aren't permanent residents from entering the country, has forced ALT dispatch companies to look within the country for prospective candidates. Most cases though, foreigners living in Japan will probably already have a good job, or at least hold on to the current job, especially given the stress that comes with moving to another part of the country. My current employer has also been pushing on us to recommend anyone to sign up with them, but I always give the same answer: I don't know anyone (or at least, anyone that would want to sign up with them)

I will need to submit my resignation some time soon also, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. My coordinator has made it clear that they would like me to stay on in my current city for one more year, and upper management has finally got its act together in interviewing me and trying to train me up for a position at one of their offices. Fortunately, the pay they're offering is significantly less than the company I'm choosing to jump to, but I still need to confirm some things about this training before dropping the bomb on them.

The World is the ultimate Stand!

When you just took an offer for a new job elsewhere, and suddenly your current employer wants to speak to you about a new position within the company:

New job for 2022

Today, I got an offer for a new job starting April 2022. 

Starting from April next year, my time as a full time ALT will come to a close. I won't name the company as usual, but I will say it is a job related to human resources. It also means, it's a step up from my current job. For starters, it pays a lot more, with the inclusion of bonuses every six months. But the thing that is most appealing, is the opportunity that this could change from a contract job, in to a permanent full-time job. Not quite sure of the requirements that need to be fulfilled to be offered that, but the job advertised for someone who is looking to stay and work in Japan long term. Also, the company was very happy with my work history, noting my time with my current employer has been stable (over 5 years with the company).

Some details need to be ironed out, including where I will be assigned to. They were upfront about this part in the interview, so I'm not fussed. They narrowed it down to a few of places, all of which are reasonably close to Tokyo. 

 So yeah, it's been some good news to finish off a rough day at school. 

Lies! Deceptions!

When you prepared all week for an interview that you were told was going to test your Japanese proficiency for the role, yet the next round interviews turn out to be done almost entirely in English:

While it is a relief that the interview was over, it did feel anti-climatic that I was only asked maybe 2-3 questions in Japanese. Fortunately, they were questions I actually prepared for, and I was able to use the questions I prepared in Japanese to answer the questions that they ended up asking me in English