For those who finished JET and found other work in japan, how did you pick your next place to live & work?
Especially for those who are single and have more freedom to choose their next location.
What factors did you take into account? Do you regret your new home/city? Did you stay in the same city? Is the default choice just to move to tokyo or another big city? Did you just go with whatever company would take you, not matter where it was located? Also what career field are you working in?
4 comments
Choose where you live?? If you have a lot of skills and can find a job in a place you want, i guess thats considered choosing. But you go where the work is. Many JETS are placed in deeply rural areas, beyond ALT work or perhap Eikaiwa work there is no other jobs possible. In japan, unless you are married you need a job that provides a VISA, which means you are chasing your job/visa, there is little choice unless you are a highly qualified individual.
99% of my friends who stayed in Japan post-JET had to move to Tokyo. That’s where the jobs are, especially if you want to do something besides teach English.
Moved from Kyoto to Tokyo after JET. For what I wanted to do Osaka or Fukuoka could have been good too but I found a job in Tokyo first.
Most people don’t get to pick. You will never realistically find a good job in random mid-small cities as a foreigner, you have to follow the job.