Hi all, I’m a 27-year-old maths teacher in Australia, now in my second year of teaching ( I know it's a late start due to covid) , and I’m struggling with whether to stay in my career here or move to Japan to be with my partner.
My partner is in their first year at an IT company in Japan. We’ve known each other for 10 years and have been in a long-distance relationship for more than three years. It’s very unlikely we’ll break up, we’re both committed, but the lack of day-to-day companionship is becoming heartbreaking. We usually meet once or twice a year (I fly to Japan), spent 2-3 weeks each time, and I’m seriously considering moving so we can live together. My partner has JLPT N1, and I’m somewhere between N3 and N2. We both love Japanese culture and city life.
My biggest concern is the career change:
- Although teaching might not be the best job, I really value the work–life balance of teaching in Australia: decent flexibility, long holidays, and fair enough pay to save and travel. My family lives here, so housing and transport costs are low, and even though teaching isn’t highly paid, I can live comfortably.
- I don’t have experience outside teaching, so I’m unsure what jobs I could apply for in Japan. I’m worried the pay might be much lower and affect my quality of life. I've also heard from my partner that the working pace is way more intense than how I experienced in Australia.
Moving would mean giving up a stable job with a manageable pace and being far from family. But staying means reunion with the most important person in my life.
I’d love some advice from anyone who’s faced a similar decision, about how to weigh career stability against moving abroad for a partner. And what career paths in Japan might suit someone with teaching experience and intermediate Japanese? Thank you all.
by trxsummer