Teaching English in Japan truly can be the opportunity and experience of a lifetime. The chance to make life long friends, learn a new language and start your international career off. It can be all this and it can be none of this. Along with the skyrocketing popularity of those hungry to experience Japan has also come the unscrupulous recruiters and job placement organizations who promise the naive teacher the world and give them nothing.
Lets look at some common methods recruiters use to lure unsuspecting teachers into unfair contracts, bad working conditions and poor living conditions.
Often youll see adds that seem simply too good to be true. You may see adds that will promise or guarantee placement, personal apartments, free language lessons, piles of paid vacation all with the added allure of the chance to experience the unique culture of Japan.
Basically, if it sounds too good to be true it is. Because of the competitive nature of running English schools in Japan any one school cant afford to give 10 times what another does. It flat-out doesnt make sense.
Having said this, here is a short list of tell-tale signs that something is fishy...