The Quest Continues
29 April 2013
I'm currently on a quest to find employment in Japan. Up until now I'd been setting my sights on getting a job as a translator of some description. However, my plan of passing the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 hasn't panned out quite as well as well as I'd hoped. I've taken the exam twice so far and whilst my second attempt yielded a slightly better result than my first, I'm still about 10 points below the pass mark. This has made my task of finding a job as a translator a lot more difficult, as employers typically require you to have passed at least JLPT N2. Moreover, because I changed to a History degree in my final year at university, I don't really have anything concrete to show that I'm capable of communicating effectively in Japanese. That's probably why I've not had much success so far.
I've now decided to change my approach. Instead of betting everything on possibly scraping a pass mark on JLPT N1, I'm going to play it safe and aim for N2. Considering how close I was to passing N1, I'm fairly certain that I'll be able to pass N2 without too much trouble. Whilst I wait for the exam date to arrive I'll also be applying to various Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) and English Conversation Schools (Eikaiwa). Even though I'd previously avoided applying for these positions in the past (I didn't think I was really suited to that type of job) I've decided to be a little bit more open-minded about them. It's a more accessible route to finding employment in Japan and it's not like I'll be making a long-term career out of it.
Having researched a little bit about the current market situation in Japan with regards to ALT companies and Eikaiwa schools, I've decided that the most attractive option for me is a company called ECC. It's a well-established company in the language-teaching sector and its training methods and employment benefits are very appealing. I've applied for an opportunity to attend their interview/seminar session in London in June via their website, but I haven't heard back from them yet. I'll have to e-mail them directly and send them my CV and hope that it will make them consider me. I think I could become a half-decent English conversation teacher if I were to work for ECC. I hope Lady Luck is on my side!
Posted byHocchan at 1:19 pm
