This is a bit of a rant post, but basically I am a university exchange student who also happens to be graduating at the end of this term so I am on the job hunt. Originally, I thought I would be hired at my internship workplace since I know everyone there, get along really well, have worked there since the beginning of last term and feel I have done my job really well (especially compared to the other interns) despite it being an unpaid position. I had convinced myself being unpaid was fine because I was earning university credit and that interns the company liked in the past were generally hired on either as part-time or full-time if they requested it. Well, two positions happened to open up so I applied and my boss made it sound originally like it was a slam dunk and I would be getting it. I think salary would have been around 3.5 million which I guess is fine for a university graduate in Japan, plus it would allow me to live in Tokyo which I need because I actually run a side hustle that has become a full business.
Fast forward to now and I was informed I would not be getting an interview unless this external candidate failed his final interview because the newly elected company board wanted someone with more "experience" (seven months in their company wasn't enough?) in the field…for a position that will pay a fresh graduate salary…what? Anyway, they kind of burned a bridge with me by holding the possibility of being hired over my head in a company with good upwards mobility, so I finished all of my internship assignments and am silently asking that they do not assign me more (they're still assigning me more because they know I do a really good job….fuck) and just want my evaluation in so I can have a good grade in the course and get a good company experience reference in Japan.
So this was a shot in the foot for me, so being that I know Japanese I tried Japanese recruiters Pasona and Geekly… Pasona said basically nothing was available for me to apply to and Geekly asked for my JLPT level and then went on a call spam spree that continues to today like telemarketing for IT positions I don't have experience for. Probably my fault for applying to an IT recruiter when I didn't major in CS, even though I'm pretty good with computers. Another pain point is I can't start April 1 because I don't officially get my Bachelor's degree until May 31, which has eliminated most good jobs for a year. I'm considering applying to Accenture Japan for April 2025 so that I can network with other companies and branch out beyond that, but that's still a year away…and the company reviews online say there's a reason in Japan they're known as 悪センチュア.
Hence, I resorted to the final option of English language teaching. So obviously I can't do JET because I want to stay in Japan, in Tokyo (but Greater Kanto is fine), not reset my residency clock to PR, and the deadline has already passed anyway. So I went on the GaijinPot dumpster dive of submitting the same CV and cover letter to every company to hear very little back from any of them. It's hard to make a GaijinPot resume look good because the website is butt cheeks ass, but I have some real qualifications on there, actual accomplishments to speak of, I triple majored in university, know a conversational level of Japanese, etc. At first, I did hear back from some and even interviewed, but once they learned I couldn't start on April 1 they told me to either come back later or shove a stick up my ass.
I tried NOVA, MLS, Yaruki Switch Group, Interac, maybe Borderlink (I don't remember), English Club, some non-ALT jobs that just happened to be on GaijinPot/Daijob/etc. I tried Meiko Kids as well through a recruiter who spoke horrible English and was incredibly rude…he said I had no experience and I had to tell him to literally just submit the damn application for him to do so… Needless to say the job hunt was not going over well. NOVA I did interview, and I failed the NOVA interview. I think the lady was not happy when I accidentally began speaking in Japanese…but I was in pretty trim condition and polite and thought the demo lesson went okay. Reading about NOVA now, it sounds like a dodged a bullet (I would have just gotten the visa from them and run anyway). I met with MLS in person and while I am aware they have some negative things said, the people there did seem genuinely nice. Interac told me to come back to them in June after I've graduated. Yaruki Switch recently emailed me for more details and I met them even in-person at a job fair but they have not given me an interview date yet.
Which brings me to now where I am now interviewing with Berlitz which has a surprising number of positive and/or neutral reviews on here? I wonder if its because I have experience in the business sector of Japan, but I had no issue getting a first and second interview with them and they already told me placement that I'm under consideration for which is a LC located on the Yamanote Line in central Tokyo. In contrast to other places they seemed very professional, I was actually taken aback and the base guaranteed salary is about the same/a little more than a first-year JET salary plus commute is reimbursed, so I plan on getting a monthly train commuter pass I think.
Another perk with Berlitz is like my internship company, they're apparently hybrid now so I was informed that as long as I can teach online I won't have to commute in every day.
I really don't get it. Why would Berlitz give me no trouble, but NOVA would tell me to go pound sand? It really makes my head spin. Hopefully I can update this post soon with a successful job offer.
EDIT: I'm sorry if this post came off in bad taste, I was not having a good day that day. Fortunately, I have received an offer to teach in Tokyo from Berlitz after passing the second interview and will begin to work there following graduation as soon as I am legally capable of doing so.
by japanlifesucks