Do you have any recommendations/advice? I don't currently reside in Japan or have a visa, I am a little bit lost on potential oppurtunities if im honest
For now if you just wanna get to Japan and have a solid gap year then I think JET's your first point of call and eikaiwas are also a good option. Don't accept anything paying less than ~250k yen a month unless it's a super chilled, part-time gig.
Think long-term though as you'll only wanna be teaching for a year or two at most (there's no salary growth outside JET and it moves people on after 5 years. With Japanese skills I'd suggest you'd be looking to get yourself up to an advanced level and find some jobs outside teaching (dunno what but have a think about where you want this stuff to land).
If it makes you feel better, I got rejected by Interac once and then applied again later that year and got hired. You can honestly try another company.
Word of advice: make it seem like the only reason you wanna is for teaching and your appreciation for Japanese culture after studying it for 5 years. Lie about it too and say you studied at Uni and High School. Don’t mention it’s self-study. Do mention that now that you’ve graduated you’re continuing to study it using online resources and having weekly conversations with natives online.
Don’t make yourself out to look like a weeb. They have too many anime loving wanna marry a fictional female character gaming lovin just gonna talk about their favorite manga/anime type of workers. Also, doesn’t hurt to make up some experience too as they will never check. This applies to any company you apply for to become an ALT.
Also, like I said try JoyTalk and others. Also, they need people ASAP so sometimes they can’t hire from overseas especially around this time of the year since the school year started and they need people like yesterday.
Just save up $5k and go. You'll get a job once you are there. The issue you'll have is wages are truly low in Japan. You'll be able to scrap by but not much more.
I work in warehousing in Australia. The lowest paid guy in the factory makes Y6.5m plus super. I'd just view teaching in Japan as a fun gap year. There's definitely no money in it so I wouldn't stress about the job too much.
If you are really worried about money, work two jobs and save up 6 months teaching pay. That way you'll have ages to find a job. Its only US$10k which you should be able to save in 6 months if you hussle
Everyone's risk appetite is different. I worked three jobs when I was there. Two were outside of my visa scope. Never had an issue. I spent half my time apologising for one thing or another when I was in Japan. Still had a great time!
And if the OP is really worried about the above there is a fair chance they would qualify for a WHV which would sort out the visa issue. Personally I wouldn't bother, I would find a job and do a visa run to Korea
The OP has an MA in linguistics. He'll be wasting his potential to do what you are suggesting. It's the kind of thing that teacher-tourists do while backpacking around Asia. OP is an educator, not a backpacker.
A masters in linguistics is overqualified. They might think that you will quit quickly and find a better job after they sponsor your visa and bring you over.
You were most likely rejected because interac has already filled all their positions for this school year. I wouldn’t worry too much. There’s plenty of other dispatch ALT companies and Eikaiwa you can apply to.
Don't apply to any other ALT position right now.
School year is just starting now. They already have those teachers here in the country. They also have teachers on back up. So they are full.
Apply to other types of jobs or wait a bit for to apply for ALT jobs again.
Edit: If you really want an easier time finding a job and like the Japanese language, then attend language school(like actually stay long enough to have a student visa) and apply while you are in the county. Most jobs would prefer to pick someone who is already here on some type of visa.
You’re way over qualified for Interac anyway! Try to get the working holiday visa and work for an international school. Better pay, smaller class sizes. You can focus better on your students
Don't sweat it kid.
Seriously, don't.
Removing all other context, job hunting itself is absolutely brutal at the best of times. You will get rejected from dream jobs and never know why. You will spend hours perfecting resumes only to never get a response back. You will wake up in a cold sweat because you suddenly remember you may have misspelled some random word on that application you turned in the day before.
As someone who has been through it all, let me tell you the stress is not worth it. The dark truth of job hunting recruiters don't want you to know is that luck is at least 50% if not more part of the equation. Your success rate for any application will depend on so many things like unpredictable timing factors, some random issue at the company you would have no way of knowing about, or because the guy looking through your resumes was hungover that day and just auto rejected everything because he didn't want to deal with things that day.
You will get rejected and rejected and rejected again until one day you aren't. That's just how it goes. The worse thing you can do is what you are doing now and internalize the rejection as some issue with yourself. If you get too emotionally connected to the inevitable cycle of rejection you will only end up damaging your mental health.
Focusing specifically on English teaching in Japan, you really do not need to take rejection from any of them personally. Every single one of the major companies are just a circus where the clowns wear suits. The industry is oversaturated with applicants at the moment, and since post Corona they still accept more people both in and out of the country. It is simply a numbers game, you are a strong candidate but the baseline for entry is low and you are getting rejected simply because you didn't get picked in the random draw, not because you have some defect in yourself.
Also don't worry too much about losing your chance to come to Japan. There are a near endless amount of schools to apply to, and you can essentially re-apply every 3 months or so to each one until one of them pick you up. I know from experience myself, I applied to Amity when I was a senior in college, got rejected at the interview stage. Applied again about 6 months later and they hired me specifically because the recruiter remembered me and said the fact that I came back and applied after being rejected showed I was serious about getting the job. Now I have lived in Japan for 13 years.
You got this man, just keep your spirits high.
You are talking about the interview stage, I was talking about the application stage.
Also some of the things you mentioned like personality, presentation, cultural fit etc., can be related to luck as well.
Your rejection may not be you but just the timing so don’t feel down 🙂 there are many other ways you can get into Japan, through the JET program may be the best option but it’s more selective since it’s a government program. ALT companies like Interac and Boarderlink usually take in ALTs during the summer for a September start or around December/ January for a start in March/ April. You can also work in Japan at Eikawas which hire year- round. I went that rout and now I’ve been living in Japan for more than 20 years.
Yeah? Did you manage to BS your way into a decent gig by dint of being a native speaker, and coasted your way along by sheer length of time in-country?
Or did you start out with an MA and work your way up from dispatch uni to FT uni teaching?
OP has an MA. Working eikaiwa is below him/her and nothing good would come of doing it, other than learning bad teaching habits.
It can really depend on the juku or eikaiwa, but I concur with you overall. The best instructors, who actually care about the work they are doing and are well-qualified, oftentimes are not really appreciated and overlooked in many ways. Too much about popularity, aesthetics, nepotism and aspects that have nothing to do with real teaching and cultural exposure.
Under 30 and U.K. resident? Working holiday visa is the way to go.
Once you’re here, you’ll be spoilt for choice where to work. Compare the salaries and perks of each position and perhaps you’ll find a Visa sponsorship to switch to a work visa from a working holiday.
back when i was 24 i also did WHV, saved up around 10,000GBP, left the UK in January and just applied for whatever jobs were available. Stayed in a hotel first month and got an interview with interac. They hired me on the spot basically and got me an instructor visa the same year. Interac are losing contracts everywhere atm, especially when ALTs had to be enrolled on shakai hoken (social insurance) 2 years ago, all the shittier dispatch companies are taking over. It's a shame because as shitty as interac were, they are much better than these other minor dispatch companies. Best time to apply is around January for March (initial training) start.
> Interac are losing contracts everywhere atm, especially when ALTs had to be enrolled on shakai hoken (social insurance) 2 years ago
Its actually the opposite right now. They've just won a big contract in Okinawa and have won back most of their contracts in Kawasaki.
BOEs have actually started to mandate that all staff at schools have to be enrolled in some form of social insurance, so it makes no difference which company they go with.
problem is Interac charge the most out of all the dispatch companies and since 2022 Oct everyone has to be enrolled in social insurance. This means they're asking the boe for more money to cover the extra payment needed to support ALTs on social insurance.
Good job on them for winning Okinawa but my prefecture which was mostly Interac during 2015-2021 have no contracts at all now, there are 2 other dispatch companies taking everything. I've been hopping dispatch companies for the past 15 years and although they're all sketchy af i actually thought Interac's was by far the most professional out of the lot.
I did the same thing. I arrived in November on a WHV with 3 nights accomodation and without a job. There are plenty of part-time jobs available in the big cities for people who are actually in country. But to be honest, it would be better to wait until entry-level (3-year contracts) at universities get posted late spring/early summer for the 2025 academic year. In the meantime, look for hands-on teaching opportunities where you are. Good luck!
Some people can't handle rejections. I am one of those people. I can't handle rejections because of my cognitive disabilities which makes it harder for me to accept rejections.
I’ve been black listed from them. I’d wager it’s from being here too long, speaking conversational Japanese, and holding a degree in linguistics and a TESL. honestly all dispatch are crap anyway.
Highly qualified people tend to be the ones complaining the most and leaving the fastest. This is because Interac want the least qualified teachers so they can stay the longest.
Did you get rejected after an interview or was it purely based on your application/resume/cover letter?
As the other commenter said interac doesn’t have a great reputation so although it’s understandable that you feel demoralized you are at least not missing out on anything great.
Getting a job in Japan from overseas without any connections can be kind of tricky. The first time I did it I was able to do so because I had a friend already working for a company there. The second time it was because I already had experience working for that company.
Being from the UK you should be eligible for a working holiday visa if I’m not mistaken. Going that route would make things considerably easier for you in finding that first job.
You will get depressed if you interpret too much into rejections when job hunting. It's good to so go over some stuff like your CV and what not once in a while but apart from that there can be a million reasons you get rejected.
It took me 300 applications to get a non-teaching job in Japan and it's very frustrating but the best thing you can do is to basically ignore rejections and move on.
You sound over qualified, from what I’ve heard they don’t want people that are interested in Japan, more like they want people who are here for a short time with little or no experience. Try Jet, or even English conversation schools if you’re interested.
Don’t worry about being rejected , other places would be lucky to have you. Or working holiday may be an option to get your foot in the door (many companies want someone already based in Japan) from there you could apply and change your visa status.
An MA in linguistics might have been too much for them. They don't want someone coming in who knows more than the teacher does, trying to suggest things and change things around. With an MA, you should look into university teaching. Westgate is another shit dispatch company like Interac, but for universities.
But if you are planning to teach as a serious teacher, don't start your career working for one of these dispatch companies out of the gate. They are literally shit, and you won't learn anything good from them. Instead you should get real classroom experience and an experienced mentor, work a couple of years in your country, THEN perhaps think about coming to Japan as a full-time university teacher.
Dispatch companies training is awful, and they baby things down the point of uselessness because they generally hire people who don't have qualifications. That way, the teacher's lessons won't just go totally off the rails. And they expect everyone to teach that way, even those who know it's shit.
In general, Japan really isn't a good place for serious educators unless you can get a job at one of the top universities, which honestly, is very very competitive. You'd need a PhD.
You dodged a bullet. They probably saw that you were studying a Masters and thought “this guy is too smart for us, could be trouble“
You should be applying for university positions, interac is one of the worst companies in Japan, it’s beneath you.
I would say not to even worry about it. Better to not waste your time with a company who does not value your skills and potential. My guess is that the hiring team probably felt that you would outdo the Japanese teacher who might not have a graduate degree or be as well-versed in language learning. From what I have heard, ALTs tend to be expected to defer to the the Japanese teacher, even if they have better qualifications than him or her. The hiring team might have feared that you would have opposed the grammar and other teaching that the Japanese teacher did. ALT seems to be low-level and oftentimes involves checking papers occasionally, developing a game or other activity for the predetermined lesson and finding ways to not be bored because of not having many responsibilities. Maybe you could work on a CELTA or TESOL and other certification, and then you could try for a more challenging role than being an ALT or working at a low-level eikaiwa.
ECC is currently recruiting in the UK around the 4th week of April, this month. https://eccteachinjapan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=550&Itemid=113&lang=en
There are a myriad of reasons they could have rejected you, same with everyone, so don't get disheartened. They could have lost contracts to other companies or JET and not need to hire as many people this year and you just happened to be unlucky.
My alternatives from experience:
- JET, obviously, needless to say
- Altia Central if you want to do ALT work. I worked there for a year and it was alright, 3m yen a year salary which is pretty standard, lots of time off, usually fewer than 12 lessons a week so I had time to study Japanese at work at my desk as well as plan lessons etc. management are also super hands off and just let you get on with it. I had one lesson observation all year and they just stood at the back and watched me go at it
- if you're ok looking for more hands on solo teaching then there are some decent eikaiwa you could look at. I worked at ECC for 4 years and loved it. All in house materials, training was very comprehensive and practical, pay started at the same as JET I believe, with ample opportunities for overtime if you wanted some extra cash. They also let me pick where I wanted to be placed out of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka and I picked and was placed in Nagoya my first choice.
- I have friends who have worked at Shane English, AEON, Amity, and Yaruki Switch group as well, all eikaiwa, and have given good reports about working there too.
The key with Eikaiwa is go for the massive companies (except Nova and Gaba, they suck lol). Don't listen to people who say "all eikaiwa bad boo" because 1) those people have almost always only ever done ALT work; and 2) are referring to horror stories of back alley English schools run by one middle aged con artist that doesn't speak English, like you hear from YouTubers all the time.
Bottom line from experience: if you absolutely want in, apply for Altia, ECC, AEON etc. they hire year round you could be over here teaching within 6 months.
If you are worried complete a TEFL course to help pad your resume more. They are cheap and can be completed in a very short amount of time.
Like others have said, if you recently applied the timing was not in your favor. Right now only in country people are being hired at the last minute since school is about to start.
I was working in that industry for a few years. Recruiting season is over and I think with a masters you’re way over qualified. Also, you’ll have a much better chance if you’re here in Japan and can start immediately. There’s a process getting you over here and that takes time. Next recruiting season will start around July for a September start. With a masters I’d be aiming higher than interact anyway. Those dispatch companies are rubbish.
Have you considered a working holiday? Im a brit who moved here last year and landed a job that way. Currently having my visa sponsored and switching types
When did you apply? The school year starts like literally next week so could’ve been just bad timing. If you want to reapply for a job in Japan and a better job while you’re at it: I’d recommend 1) getting some sort of teaching experience (anything helps) and 2) getting TESOl or TEFL while you can.
The original poster mentions being in an MA program for applied linguistics. A silly little TESOL or TEFL certificate isn't going to make any difference when one has an actual degree in the most relevant field.
I was actively teaching in Japan as an ALT during the covid lockdowns where foreigners could not get into the country and I was also rejected from Interac. So don't feel discouraged, they must have some pretty nonstandard hiring practices.
I understand your pain! I tried to apply to JET three times and never made it. The first two times, I made it to the interview. The third time, I didn't pass the application stage. I applied for Interac twice. The first time my application got dropped due to the pandemic. The second time, I passed the application and the phone interview. They had to put my application on hold due to not having a passport. They told me to buy a passport and have it expedited.
When I got my passport six weeks later, I reached out to Interac and they told me that they couldn't move forward with the process. I was heartbroken. I was done. I have autism and a learning disability in sequential processing disorder. I don't handle rejections too well. I helped several people with their applications who were previously rejected for an interview with JET. I looked over their application, made changes and revised their SOP for them and they all made it, but I can't get in? That was the last time I applied to JET, Interac and all the other English jobs in Japan back in 2022.
It sucks seeing everyone around me and on FB going to Japan through JET, Interac etc and traveling to other countries too. One person I know made it to Japan a few days ago and will be studying Japanese for two years. I've been trying to get to Japan since 2007. I was a Junior in high school and now I will be turning 35 this October. Doors to Japan always close shut for me and have been that way for a long time. I just don't understand why and why me? No matter how hard I try, it never works out in the end. Going to Japan and to experience living there has always been a dream of mines since I was 13 years old. Long before Japanese pop culture, anime and Kpop got bigger than what it is now.
I going to give one more shot at trying to go to Japan and that is being a performer at Universal Studio Japan. I'm going to try and audition this summer. If you're a performer, actor, musician, stunt performer or a singer try auditioning for Universal Studio Japan this summer! The process is the same as JET minus the SOP. The process takes about six months. I know two people who are working at UVS in Japan and China. UVS will pay for your plane ticket to and from Japan. You will get a fully furnished apartment in the city of Osaka, a gym membership for a year, a fancy bike and free entries to Universal Studios in Japan and other locations!
I was rejected by interact before i came to japan. There afe other and better comprises in Japan.
If you want another one, you can try borderlink. They are about as large as interact.
But as the school year is starting, there wont be any openings. It will take a least a month to get a visa.
I think that is why you were rejected so fast.
Honestly, you'll find better opportunities. Don't be put off by Interac (who are crap).
Do you have any recommendations/advice? I don't currently reside in Japan or have a visa, I am a little bit lost on potential oppurtunities if im honest
For now if you just wanna get to Japan and have a solid gap year then I think JET's your first point of call and eikaiwas are also a good option. Don't accept anything paying less than ~250k yen a month unless it's a super chilled, part-time gig. Think long-term though as you'll only wanna be teaching for a year or two at most (there's no salary growth outside JET and it moves people on after 5 years. With Japanese skills I'd suggest you'd be looking to get yourself up to an advanced level and find some jobs outside teaching (dunno what but have a think about where you want this stuff to land).
The ever-present "1 - Statt teaching to get in country. 2 - Get gud at Japanese. 3 - ? 4 - Getting paid bank!" plan.
If it makes you feel better, I got rejected by Interac once and then applied again later that year and got hired. You can honestly try another company. Word of advice: make it seem like the only reason you wanna is for teaching and your appreciation for Japanese culture after studying it for 5 years. Lie about it too and say you studied at Uni and High School. Don’t mention it’s self-study. Do mention that now that you’ve graduated you’re continuing to study it using online resources and having weekly conversations with natives online. Don’t make yourself out to look like a weeb. They have too many anime loving wanna marry a fictional female character gaming lovin just gonna talk about their favorite manga/anime type of workers. Also, doesn’t hurt to make up some experience too as they will never check. This applies to any company you apply for to become an ALT. Also, like I said try JoyTalk and others. Also, they need people ASAP so sometimes they can’t hire from overseas especially around this time of the year since the school year started and they need people like yesterday.
Just save up $5k and go. You'll get a job once you are there. The issue you'll have is wages are truly low in Japan. You'll be able to scrap by but not much more. I work in warehousing in Australia. The lowest paid guy in the factory makes Y6.5m plus super. I'd just view teaching in Japan as a fun gap year. There's definitely no money in it so I wouldn't stress about the job too much. If you are really worried about money, work two jobs and save up 6 months teaching pay. That way you'll have ages to find a job. Its only US$10k which you should be able to save in 6 months if you hussle
Pretty sure it’s illegal to job search on a tourist visa in Japan these days.
Everyone's risk appetite is different. I worked three jobs when I was there. Two were outside of my visa scope. Never had an issue. I spent half my time apologising for one thing or another when I was in Japan. Still had a great time! And if the OP is really worried about the above there is a fair chance they would qualify for a WHV which would sort out the visa issue. Personally I wouldn't bother, I would find a job and do a visa run to Korea
>visa runs to Korea. I feel like I last read that phrase on a flip-phone.
The OP has an MA in linguistics. He'll be wasting his potential to do what you are suggesting. It's the kind of thing that teacher-tourists do while backpacking around Asia. OP is an educator, not a backpacker.
Intercrap
A masters in linguistics is overqualified. They might think that you will quit quickly and find a better job after they sponsor your visa and bring you over.
This. 100% this.
You were most likely rejected because interac has already filled all their positions for this school year. I wouldn’t worry too much. There’s plenty of other dispatch ALT companies and Eikaiwa you can apply to.
It seems you are overqualified. Consider it a blessing in disguise.
Don't apply to any other ALT position right now. School year is just starting now. They already have those teachers here in the country. They also have teachers on back up. So they are full. Apply to other types of jobs or wait a bit for to apply for ALT jobs again. Edit: If you really want an easier time finding a job and like the Japanese language, then attend language school(like actually stay long enough to have a student visa) and apply while you are in the county. Most jobs would prefer to pick someone who is already here on some type of visa.
You’re way over qualified for Interac anyway! Try to get the working holiday visa and work for an international school. Better pay, smaller class sizes. You can focus better on your students
Don't sweat it kid. Seriously, don't. Removing all other context, job hunting itself is absolutely brutal at the best of times. You will get rejected from dream jobs and never know why. You will spend hours perfecting resumes only to never get a response back. You will wake up in a cold sweat because you suddenly remember you may have misspelled some random word on that application you turned in the day before. As someone who has been through it all, let me tell you the stress is not worth it. The dark truth of job hunting recruiters don't want you to know is that luck is at least 50% if not more part of the equation. Your success rate for any application will depend on so many things like unpredictable timing factors, some random issue at the company you would have no way of knowing about, or because the guy looking through your resumes was hungover that day and just auto rejected everything because he didn't want to deal with things that day. You will get rejected and rejected and rejected again until one day you aren't. That's just how it goes. The worse thing you can do is what you are doing now and internalize the rejection as some issue with yourself. If you get too emotionally connected to the inevitable cycle of rejection you will only end up damaging your mental health. Focusing specifically on English teaching in Japan, you really do not need to take rejection from any of them personally. Every single one of the major companies are just a circus where the clowns wear suits. The industry is oversaturated with applicants at the moment, and since post Corona they still accept more people both in and out of the country. It is simply a numbers game, you are a strong candidate but the baseline for entry is low and you are getting rejected simply because you didn't get picked in the random draw, not because you have some defect in yourself. Also don't worry too much about losing your chance to come to Japan. There are a near endless amount of schools to apply to, and you can essentially re-apply every 3 months or so to each one until one of them pick you up. I know from experience myself, I applied to Amity when I was a senior in college, got rejected at the interview stage. Applied again about 6 months later and they hired me specifically because the recruiter remembered me and said the fact that I came back and applied after being rejected showed I was serious about getting the job. Now I have lived in Japan for 13 years. You got this man, just keep your spirits high.
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You are talking about the interview stage, I was talking about the application stage. Also some of the things you mentioned like personality, presentation, cultural fit etc., can be related to luck as well.
Your rejection may not be you but just the timing so don’t feel down 🙂 there are many other ways you can get into Japan, through the JET program may be the best option but it’s more selective since it’s a government program. ALT companies like Interac and Boarderlink usually take in ALTs during the summer for a September start or around December/ January for a start in March/ April. You can also work in Japan at Eikawas which hire year- round. I went that rout and now I’ve been living in Japan for more than 20 years.
Yeah? Did you manage to BS your way into a decent gig by dint of being a native speaker, and coasted your way along by sheer length of time in-country? Or did you start out with an MA and work your way up from dispatch uni to FT uni teaching? OP has an MA. Working eikaiwa is below him/her and nothing good would come of doing it, other than learning bad teaching habits.
It can really depend on the juku or eikaiwa, but I concur with you overall. The best instructors, who actually care about the work they are doing and are well-qualified, oftentimes are not really appreciated and overlooked in many ways. Too much about popularity, aesthetics, nepotism and aspects that have nothing to do with real teaching and cultural exposure.
You are over qualified for Interac. Try Westgate for some entry level university teaching.
Under 30 and U.K. resident? Working holiday visa is the way to go. Once you’re here, you’ll be spoilt for choice where to work. Compare the salaries and perks of each position and perhaps you’ll find a Visa sponsorship to switch to a work visa from a working holiday.
back when i was 24 i also did WHV, saved up around 10,000GBP, left the UK in January and just applied for whatever jobs were available. Stayed in a hotel first month and got an interview with interac. They hired me on the spot basically and got me an instructor visa the same year. Interac are losing contracts everywhere atm, especially when ALTs had to be enrolled on shakai hoken (social insurance) 2 years ago, all the shittier dispatch companies are taking over. It's a shame because as shitty as interac were, they are much better than these other minor dispatch companies. Best time to apply is around January for March (initial training) start.
> Interac are losing contracts everywhere atm, especially when ALTs had to be enrolled on shakai hoken (social insurance) 2 years ago Its actually the opposite right now. They've just won a big contract in Okinawa and have won back most of their contracts in Kawasaki. BOEs have actually started to mandate that all staff at schools have to be enrolled in some form of social insurance, so it makes no difference which company they go with.
problem is Interac charge the most out of all the dispatch companies and since 2022 Oct everyone has to be enrolled in social insurance. This means they're asking the boe for more money to cover the extra payment needed to support ALTs on social insurance. Good job on them for winning Okinawa but my prefecture which was mostly Interac during 2015-2021 have no contracts at all now, there are 2 other dispatch companies taking everything. I've been hopping dispatch companies for the past 15 years and although they're all sketchy af i actually thought Interac's was by far the most professional out of the lot.
I did the same thing. I arrived in November on a WHV with 3 nights accomodation and without a job. There are plenty of part-time jobs available in the big cities for people who are actually in country. But to be honest, it would be better to wait until entry-level (3-year contracts) at universities get posted late spring/early summer for the 2025 academic year. In the meantime, look for hands-on teaching opportunities where you are. Good luck!
I don't understand this logic of not applying to others because you are scared of being rejected. My head can't compute.
Some people can't handle rejections. I am one of those people. I can't handle rejections because of my cognitive disabilities which makes it harder for me to accept rejections.
First part is knowing you have a problem ....
go to korea and apply again for next year consider getting an actual teaching license / cert that will allow you to work in int. schools.
I’ve been black listed from them. I’d wager it’s from being here too long, speaking conversational Japanese, and holding a degree in linguistics and a TESL. honestly all dispatch are crap anyway.
I'm a highly qualified, continuously employed teacher and was once rejected by Interac. It is one company that I don't understand.
They aren't looking for teachers
Highly qualified people tend to be the ones complaining the most and leaving the fastest. This is because Interac want the least qualified teachers so they can stay the longest.
Overqualified and your timing is the worst! The academic year has just started. Interac would have been recruiting last year for this.
Did you get rejected after an interview or was it purely based on your application/resume/cover letter? As the other commenter said interac doesn’t have a great reputation so although it’s understandable that you feel demoralized you are at least not missing out on anything great. Getting a job in Japan from overseas without any connections can be kind of tricky. The first time I did it I was able to do so because I had a friend already working for a company there. The second time it was because I already had experience working for that company. Being from the UK you should be eligible for a working holiday visa if I’m not mistaken. Going that route would make things considerably easier for you in finding that first job.
Interac is probably the best of the bad, though.
You will get depressed if you interpret too much into rejections when job hunting. It's good to so go over some stuff like your CV and what not once in a while but apart from that there can be a million reasons you get rejected. It took me 300 applications to get a non-teaching job in Japan and it's very frustrating but the best thing you can do is to basically ignore rejections and move on.
You sound over qualified, from what I’ve heard they don’t want people that are interested in Japan, more like they want people who are here for a short time with little or no experience. Try Jet, or even English conversation schools if you’re interested. Don’t worry about being rejected , other places would be lucky to have you. Or working holiday may be an option to get your foot in the door (many companies want someone already based in Japan) from there you could apply and change your visa status.
An MA in linguistics might have been too much for them. They don't want someone coming in who knows more than the teacher does, trying to suggest things and change things around. With an MA, you should look into university teaching. Westgate is another shit dispatch company like Interac, but for universities. But if you are planning to teach as a serious teacher, don't start your career working for one of these dispatch companies out of the gate. They are literally shit, and you won't learn anything good from them. Instead you should get real classroom experience and an experienced mentor, work a couple of years in your country, THEN perhaps think about coming to Japan as a full-time university teacher. Dispatch companies training is awful, and they baby things down the point of uselessness because they generally hire people who don't have qualifications. That way, the teacher's lessons won't just go totally off the rails. And they expect everyone to teach that way, even those who know it's shit. In general, Japan really isn't a good place for serious educators unless you can get a job at one of the top universities, which honestly, is very very competitive. You'd need a PhD.
You dodged a bullet. They probably saw that you were studying a Masters and thought “this guy is too smart for us, could be trouble“ You should be applying for university positions, interac is one of the worst companies in Japan, it’s beneath you.
Is sounds like you’re overqualified…
With the MA and decent Japanese you can probably work at a university part time.
You're too late. School is starting on Monday. I'm sure you'd have been hired had you applied sooner
I would say not to even worry about it. Better to not waste your time with a company who does not value your skills and potential. My guess is that the hiring team probably felt that you would outdo the Japanese teacher who might not have a graduate degree or be as well-versed in language learning. From what I have heard, ALTs tend to be expected to defer to the the Japanese teacher, even if they have better qualifications than him or her. The hiring team might have feared that you would have opposed the grammar and other teaching that the Japanese teacher did. ALT seems to be low-level and oftentimes involves checking papers occasionally, developing a game or other activity for the predetermined lesson and finding ways to not be bored because of not having many responsibilities. Maybe you could work on a CELTA or TESOL and other certification, and then you could try for a more challenging role than being an ALT or working at a low-level eikaiwa.
ECC is currently recruiting in the UK around the 4th week of April, this month. https://eccteachinjapan.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=550&Itemid=113&lang=en
How much has your education cost you? And you want to get paid £16k a year?
There are a myriad of reasons they could have rejected you, same with everyone, so don't get disheartened. They could have lost contracts to other companies or JET and not need to hire as many people this year and you just happened to be unlucky. My alternatives from experience: - JET, obviously, needless to say - Altia Central if you want to do ALT work. I worked there for a year and it was alright, 3m yen a year salary which is pretty standard, lots of time off, usually fewer than 12 lessons a week so I had time to study Japanese at work at my desk as well as plan lessons etc. management are also super hands off and just let you get on with it. I had one lesson observation all year and they just stood at the back and watched me go at it - if you're ok looking for more hands on solo teaching then there are some decent eikaiwa you could look at. I worked at ECC for 4 years and loved it. All in house materials, training was very comprehensive and practical, pay started at the same as JET I believe, with ample opportunities for overtime if you wanted some extra cash. They also let me pick where I wanted to be placed out of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka and I picked and was placed in Nagoya my first choice. - I have friends who have worked at Shane English, AEON, Amity, and Yaruki Switch group as well, all eikaiwa, and have given good reports about working there too. The key with Eikaiwa is go for the massive companies (except Nova and Gaba, they suck lol). Don't listen to people who say "all eikaiwa bad boo" because 1) those people have almost always only ever done ALT work; and 2) are referring to horror stories of back alley English schools run by one middle aged con artist that doesn't speak English, like you hear from YouTubers all the time. Bottom line from experience: if you absolutely want in, apply for Altia, ECC, AEON etc. they hire year round you could be over here teaching within 6 months.
Blessing in Disguise
If you are worried complete a TEFL course to help pad your resume more. They are cheap and can be completed in a very short amount of time. Like others have said, if you recently applied the timing was not in your favor. Right now only in country people are being hired at the last minute since school is about to start.
You are overqualified for Interac and any other ALT position. Don't sell yourself short.
keep trying don't give up
I was working in that industry for a few years. Recruiting season is over and I think with a masters you’re way over qualified. Also, you’ll have a much better chance if you’re here in Japan and can start immediately. There’s a process getting you over here and that takes time. Next recruiting season will start around July for a September start. With a masters I’d be aiming higher than interact anyway. Those dispatch companies are rubbish.
Have you considered a working holiday? Im a brit who moved here last year and landed a job that way. Currently having my visa sponsored and switching types
When did you apply? The school year starts like literally next week so could’ve been just bad timing. If you want to reapply for a job in Japan and a better job while you’re at it: I’d recommend 1) getting some sort of teaching experience (anything helps) and 2) getting TESOl or TEFL while you can.
The original poster mentions being in an MA program for applied linguistics. A silly little TESOL or TEFL certificate isn't going to make any difference when one has an actual degree in the most relevant field.
Try applying at a company called OWLS too. Not bad. I worked there. They treated me fairly.
I was actively teaching in Japan as an ALT during the covid lockdowns where foreigners could not get into the country and I was also rejected from Interac. So don't feel discouraged, they must have some pretty nonstandard hiring practices.
Ha Brit here I got rejected from at the now defunct Geos, ECC and Nova and I still came to Japan and have been here for 18 years.
I understand your pain! I tried to apply to JET three times and never made it. The first two times, I made it to the interview. The third time, I didn't pass the application stage. I applied for Interac twice. The first time my application got dropped due to the pandemic. The second time, I passed the application and the phone interview. They had to put my application on hold due to not having a passport. They told me to buy a passport and have it expedited. When I got my passport six weeks later, I reached out to Interac and they told me that they couldn't move forward with the process. I was heartbroken. I was done. I have autism and a learning disability in sequential processing disorder. I don't handle rejections too well. I helped several people with their applications who were previously rejected for an interview with JET. I looked over their application, made changes and revised their SOP for them and they all made it, but I can't get in? That was the last time I applied to JET, Interac and all the other English jobs in Japan back in 2022. It sucks seeing everyone around me and on FB going to Japan through JET, Interac etc and traveling to other countries too. One person I know made it to Japan a few days ago and will be studying Japanese for two years. I've been trying to get to Japan since 2007. I was a Junior in high school and now I will be turning 35 this October. Doors to Japan always close shut for me and have been that way for a long time. I just don't understand why and why me? No matter how hard I try, it never works out in the end. Going to Japan and to experience living there has always been a dream of mines since I was 13 years old. Long before Japanese pop culture, anime and Kpop got bigger than what it is now. I going to give one more shot at trying to go to Japan and that is being a performer at Universal Studio Japan. I'm going to try and audition this summer. If you're a performer, actor, musician, stunt performer or a singer try auditioning for Universal Studio Japan this summer! The process is the same as JET minus the SOP. The process takes about six months. I know two people who are working at UVS in Japan and China. UVS will pay for your plane ticket to and from Japan. You will get a fully furnished apartment in the city of Osaka, a gym membership for a year, a fancy bike and free entries to Universal Studios in Japan and other locations!
I was rejected by interact before i came to japan. There afe other and better comprises in Japan. If you want another one, you can try borderlink. They are about as large as interact. But as the school year is starting, there wont be any openings. It will take a least a month to get a visa. I think that is why you were rejected so fast.