Wow. So happy I stumbled upto this site. I am doing the TEFL course this January. My boyfriend moved to Kobe with JET last July and I'm eager to join him (flights already booked for march)

I have to ask, any other site that I researched about teaching in Japan, seemed to return the same information. That the likelihood of landing a teaching job over there all boils down to whether or not I have a degree (i don't) I'm just wondering if this is true in most cases or an exaggeration? Is it ignorant of me to assume that with luck and determination, I could find a job teaching? Even if it's just tutoring..

Any tips on what I can do over here to secure a job over there? My boyfriend really has no contacts at this point that would be beneficial. Like I said, he went through JET and everything was all set up for him on arrival. Since then he's just been riding that all-illusive gravy train :)

Advice anyone?

Thanking you in advance.

Hi Claire,

I taught in Japan for a year and a half in Osaka about 4 years ago.  All the company required was that I had a degree, which for some reason they think makes you a good teacher!  I would say getting a job at a big company might be difficult - but tutoring is always a strong possibility.  At the end of the day I found in Japan that parents often want their children to be around foreigners than anything!  Also there are lots of businessmen who would like to improve their conversation skills.  But obviously it's not a 100% reliable income.  If your boyfriend is there and has a place, then at least you have support.  I wouldn't say it's impossible....try applying to lots of English language schools directly (google English Language schools in Kobe) and see how the land lays before you go. 

Also try this company http://www.will-square.com I've heard they are ok.  Also have you joined the Japan network?  It's good to have some contacts and up to date advice!

Good luck - I'd say go for it....but make sure you have some savings as Japan is really expensive going from the Uk - I went last April and was shocked at the exchange rate!!

Forgot to say that a TEFL certificate would give you an advantage as not many people have it!  That could be your selling point!

Er...what's the Japan network? Excuse my ignorance. And thanks for all your advice. To be honest, I'm not expecting a whole lot. So I'll be pleased with any sort of work I get. I added the Business English module to my TEFL course too, so that might help if I land a job tutoring.

Well you could either tutor through a company or advertise yourself privately!  A lot of people put adverts up or advertise in the Kansai flee market.  Go to the Japan network on this website and you will see some useful websites I've posted for jobs!  http://www.tefl-chalkboard.com/groups/8-Japan

I have heard that Japanese regulations would usually require a degree, You will find most, nay all, jobs posted online do require a degree, an exception would be 3+ yrs experience. A teaching colleague of mine's brother was able to find a job in Japan once he got there without the degree and he say's it is much easier and slacker on regultions once you are already in-country. Good luck with the job hunt and if you need any other help don't hesitate to contact me!

Hi ClaireL,

I'm looking at heading to Japan also at some point this year and am just finishing off my TEFL course. From what i've seen, it looks as though the Embassy requires you to have a degree as part of the application process for getting a Visa to stay in the country.

It may be best to contact the Embassy to check with them though if that's definitely the case.

Best of luck!

Ohh yes Amo, good thinking!  Although you could go over on a tourist visa first - but check to see if you could convert this into a working visa once you get there - as Ive heard of cases where you need to return to your country to apply for a different visa!

I've been in contact with the Embassy already. I travelled to Dublin to apply for the working holiday visa, but it got rejected because of my information regarding my insurance. I'm getting it sorted as we speak and the lady in the embassy said there should be no problems after that. I'm quickly running out of time though as I'm leaving in 4 weeks or so. Fingers crossed for me.

Don't need a degree for the visa but will need it to get a job. I'm going to try my best. Even if it's not teaching, I really hope I find something. Because I'm after leaving my steady job here, selling my car...etc.

The degree thing is why I gave up on working in Japan, even though I have a Japanese girlfriend.

I really would love to know exactly WHY you need a degree for ANY work in Japan

You need a bachelors degree for the work visa.  Not all schools require a degree, but to legally work in japan you need a visa.  So you're stuck either getting your degree or marrying a japanese national lol.

Hello all I have the same issue of not having a degree. However I did marry a Japanese woman so if I understand correctly I don't have to worry about the work visa. I have already have my TEFL certificates and I would like to move to Japan I have been there three times and love the country and culture. Therefore I am my question is what are my chances of getting a job teaching in Japan?

All responses are appreciated

Hi guys

I work in for the Job Placement Service for i-to-i. We have had a lot of enquiries about getting a visa for Japan without a degree. This is the not-so-definitive answer straight from the mouth of the Japanese Embassy.

In general you do need a degree in order to obtain a working visa. However, it is not impossible to obtain one without a degree. Most teaching companies or schools will consider teaching experience instead of a degree, although he did advise that you would usually have to have at least 5 – 10 years under your belt. As companies sponsor your visa application you could technically find one, but that would be dependant on the company being willing to hire you without a degree of teaching experience.

I think the main problem with teaching in Japan is that so many people want to do it. Normally if a company only says that you need to be a native speaker and has not really requested a degree, teaching qualification or TEFL then the likelihood of this being a good company is very slim, my advice would be to stay clear. 

Just like with any job, especially when lots of people are applying, then the more qualifications you have the better. In this case a degree not only helps with the Visa application but it also shows that you have English skills up to a degree level due to the fact most degrees require a certain level of communication through written work with some courses requiring practical elements, such as running a group seminar.

My advice would be to make sure you have at least a good TEFL course (such as the 100hrs/120hrs that i-to-i offer) and some experience in teacher (even if its volunteering at a youth group). Always contact the companies direct (use skype for cheaper calls) and explain your situation. They maybe able to help with the visa application BUT you will have to be flexible where you go. So if youre bf is in Kobe you may not be positioned there :S...

Unfortunately though without the degree you are going to find it difficult.

Keep us all posted on here if you do manage to sort it because it will certainly be helpful for others

Just thought I would add the conclusions I have come to after lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of random research.

Degree:
1. Spouse visa doesn't require it, but you must marry a Japanese person.

2. Working holiday visa doesn't require it, but you are limited to 12 months, and only once in your life - appears quite a few schools won't hire on this but may be wrong.

3. Some work places will sponsor you if you have plenty of experiance in the relating field. Hard to do as you need to find someone to basically employ you and go through a costly sponsorship without first working for them. 

4. Student visa doesn't require it but you can only work part time. I don't know the details on this one.

Apparently it is possible to go over on a spouse Visa if your husband or wife is currently living and working in Japan BUT you might not be able to work, you'd have to look into that.

It quite rare that you will get a 12month woring holiday visa...normally these are 3-6months and usually to work in travel and tourism

You are also quite right about the sponsoring...in Japan being an ALT is one of the most popular jobs for a foreigner to do and so why would an employer go through all the trouble of sponsoring someone when you can get someone where you dont have to...Japan runs on paperwork and its a lot more paperwork to employ someone with out a degree...it is possible, especially for private schools and English language schools but you'd have to apply direct to them - Try Shane English language school...they are British schools teaching English in 6 different countries, they have about 200 schools in Japan.

Finally with the student visa, normally you are not allowed to work but if you are its only about a few hours a week and in certain areas...you might be able to do private language classes in a cafe but you should be accepting money instead payment is normally a meal etc.

Hi there.

I wanted to go to Japan originally but do not have a degree. Shane English confirmed to me that if I get at least two years experience they will hire me. I am currently in China getting the experience! :)

Ypu are dead right PDixon, without a degree i am really finding it hard to get a teaching job. i am concentrating at teaching in saudi arabia. i had a telephone interview which went well and ended up talking in arabic at the end of the interview. the academic supervisor was keen to hire me and said to expect a contract to sent for me to sign and return to him.

this morning he called me again and tried to find out if i have a degree from a university. no i said but i do have a diploma from oxforshire and several other certificates and that i have 10 years teaching experience under my belt. he explained to me that he will try his best to convince the uni to hire me as they insist on a degree as he felt for me. he said i have 95% chance but cannot guarantee me the job 100%. in the next couple of days i will hear the good or the bad news.

what i fear is that if this fails then my chances of getting a job anywhere in the middle east or even in japan or korea are going very slim...i will almost feel that the 120hrs i did may end up being a waste of time and effort after all. now at 50 looking at doing a degree in anything is not an option, time isn't on my side.

I really feel for you.

Unfortunately as more and more people are wanting to do teaching the more countries are upping the requirements.

I know at one point it was possible to get a job in japan with out a degree.

If you have a diploma is there anyway you can do a topup course to make it into a degree because essentially a diploma is only one level down.

Another things is to still contact companies because it has been possible to get a job without a degree and if you have 10years then if the company is willing there might be away around it.

Also is there any country in the middle east/asia that you like that doesnt need a degree...check out the i-to-i job page - Click Here (opens in a new window)

Also double check about the diploma if they accept it for the visa because some say a degree holder others say a full degree - now at uni you can do combine courses, major and minor course degrees, diploma addons, foundation degrees etc

Thank you for your feedback PDixon, the i to i job page is very interesting but i don't think that i mentioned that i to i is unable to assist me in job placement because i wasn't lucky enough to be born in an english speaking country even though most of my life i lived in one. now i am left to my own devices to land me a job. of course i can go to thailand and wouldn't have aproblem finding a teaching job there; after all it is where i first became an english teacher and continued  doing it for 10 years. i speak the thai as fluently as i speak english; they love it when they find out their teacher can speak their language.

the reason i chose particularly saudi or japan or korea is obviously because they pay well enough to enable me to save. i need that because really time isn't on my side anymore. i just turned 50 so i am looking at another 5 years before i am considered too old. i am prepared to waste another year if i can up my diplome into some kind of a degree. 4 more years to make the best of them will help me settle down comfortably in thailand; my wie is thai, lol and thailand is the best place to enjoy the simple life and live like a prince.

my ultimate challenge though has always been to get a job in the arab world where it will enable me to visit my dying mother who lives in lebanon, before it is too late. it has 25 years since i have not seen her and living here what i call timbuktu makes it difficult. this really is the final challenge and the one that will make me feel proud.

Whilst i took PDixon's advice to see if i can topup my diploma in any way, i came across this website http://www.hilluniversity.com. i tried to find out if this site was legitimate and come across this website: http://www.hilluniversitylegit.com. i wonder if PDixon or anyone else can confirm to me if i can safely go ahead with it. If it is then most of my problems and anyone else in the same boat will certainly benefit.

Has anyone done an online degree?

I know open University and the one Fred posted. Are there any more?

You are right stevebudd they only accept diplomas issued after 1971, check this link for more info http://www3.open.ac.uk/credit-transfer/academic/index.shtm i believe i will qualify for credit transfer which will count as a top up. i did the BEC National diploma in business sttudies and completed it in 1983. i've already contacted them how would i be able to obtain the transcript for my academic record that i am sure i wasn't given one except for the diploma. the whole process could take 4 to 8 weeks till you find out the outcome.

I am still quite tempted about the idea in getting a degree, in this case in business management within 15 days. apparently i qualify for one because they take into account my life experience in the business environment. this degree will cost US499 to purchase and you can do it safely via paypal, so what i thought i would try is to alter my resume by adding 'degree in business managemt hill university usa'. if this ends up landing me a teaching job in saudi or korea or japan then i will go ahead in purchasing this degree. they claim it is internationally recognised.

Then nothing will stop me getting a degree from OU and once i do i'll throw away the one from hill uni. i don't know what you guys are thinking but to me i am facing a dilemna facing desperate times, i feel i need to take  these desperate measures.

Please say you havent paid for this...

You should always check out that a site is legit and generally if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

Open University is the main one i know, especially for the UK and is probably the best option because the degrees are award via recognisable exam boards...

For the HillUniversity it looks like a typical american scamming website...you may get a certificate but it may not be recognised - granted not all degrees require exams but normally you require submission of work - after in this case how can you be issued a degree baed on your work when you can prove the level you are working at...it is like a man who goes round fixing the odd pipe here and there and calls himself a plumber.

The crediting agent for Hill university is IOEAB which is another online american organisation ... unfortunately i dont think this is a legit site and i dont think the degree will be worth the paper it is on...also if you are from the UK it will will look a little suspicious that you got your degree from the US if you have no evidence of having studied there...

my advice is dont do it...stick with a regular uni (sometimes you can do part time or evening study) also sometime colleges can help. OU is a good option...also if you have a diploma then this might be ok...just double check with the company you are applying to or contact the visa (depending who states a degree is required) 

I haven't and i won't pay for it, you are right PDixon, it is too good to be true like you said...too easy and when i started to get the feeling that i am being pushed to purchase, this is when i put a halt. what a world this planet of ours is turning into. what's real and what's not? these scammers didn't leave one stone unturned not even education is sparred.

i am having a little problem already with Open University UK. Now to apply for credit transfer i need a student PI number to complete the form. this is the reply i got from them which was a little confusing:

The majority of our courses are taught by supported open learning with the backbone being the course material which is sent to you at home. For these courses we operate in agreed study areas and only accept students resident in the UK and EU countries. I regret that we cannot accept you with an address in Australia as we are unable to support you either academically or administratively.

There are, however, a small number of courses which you can study directly with us, making use of the internet, email and electronic conferencing. Information about these courses plus details of partner institutions within your country are available using the following web link:

http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses/countries/Australia.shtm

I replied back telling them i didn't need the number for applying for online courses yet but rather for the credit transfer application. i mean i still don't know how much credit i already have and will need to upgrade my diploma into a degree.

I feel like i am begining to fight a losing battle here. hopefully perseverance will prevail but for how long? God knows. it is somehow sad finding myself in this rather awkward position especially after 10 years of a colourful teaching experience. when i graduated in 1983 in oxfordshire i felt really proud and like a true academic armed with a precious diploma, it is a far cry from what i feel right now. i'm the part that you can find in a junk yard, you can't find it new on the market to buy but occasionally becomes useful to the rare few. employers look for the new ones, the ones the holds a degree. lol.

Plan A for me was to score a job in either of those countries for a couple of years for the sole purpose to enable me to vvisit my dying mother one day before it becomes too late. a job in one of those countries would have made it possible. and plan B is of course to go teach and settle down in thailand for good.

Let's see is it going to be A or B?