RetireJapan

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 12:32 am

TJKansai wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 12:00 am

Kanto wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:28 am 1 Year contracts. Some contracts are per koma some are for year salary.

I know a guy with 30 koma (works 6 days a week, for 30 weeks a year). Pulls in around ¥9,000,000 a year, not too shabby.

That's just... unhealthy

I've done 14 as a part timer (alongside other work) just for a year, and it was tough.

I am currently doing 14. A bit too much considering my current mix of classes.

It all depends on how many of the classes are academic. Academic Writing classes are easily X2 the amount of work.

30 is insane though. The students and quality of courses would suffer.

"I am sorry I teach 23 different Sato-sans. Who exactly are you?"

Can't imagine 30 koma is sustainable.

Yossarian wrote: ↑Thu Jul 01, 2021 1:22 am Can't imagine 30 koma is sustainable.

I agree. For me 3 koma a day is tiring, 2 is ideal. And that is all at the same institution.

He said it was more than usual. Covid cut down his commuting time dramatically, which allowed for more teaching time.

Did you hit the maximum retirement age, or did you get out a bit early?

I am on the fence right now.

Fiscally, I could retire now and the severance would be okay, but if I wait until 60 it would be bumped up a fair bit. The latest we can work is 70, but I see 60-70 as a travel-the-world period.

I was 62 when I retired, but could have continued working full time until 70.

The only drawback to early retirement may be if it affects your retirement bonus. My school greatly boosted the bonus for older profs (40+) who worked there more than 15 years. My wife’s school didn’t have such a system, however, they offered a 25% bonus increase to older profs who retired early providing they had also worked more than 15 years.

As to travel-the-world age, I can only go by the example of my mother & her partner who roamed relentlessly until they hit 80, after which they switched to mostly domestic travel. The issue for them was not health but the cost of travel insurance which jumped greatly upon reaching that milestone. Good luck with your retirement planning!

Network engineer at a Kabu in Tokyo.

Pays pretty well, demand is high for years to come, thus it's not hard to get into. Salary range is 3M to 20M, the higher end requiring 10+ years experience and selling your soul to investment banks. Average pay I think is 5-8M yen, which isn't bad even with a wife and kids. Westerners make the higher end salaries since they usually come up with the newest innovations.

I work 6-7 hours a day, 5 days a week, rarely on weekends. This is highly dependent on the company. Again, investment banks work you nearly 7 days a week, 10-16 hours a day.

Coolest part about this role, or any I.T. role really, is working from home. I haven't been to our Tokyo office in nearly a year. I live 2 prefectures away and turned 1 room in my house into an office with a standing desk. My breaks and lunch are my wife and I driving to Starbucks or the shopping malls.

So can't complain one bit.

unagipants69 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:06 am Network engineer at a Kabu in Tokyo.

...Salary range is 3M to 200M, the higher end requiring 10+ years experience and selling your soul to investment banks. Average pay I think is 5-8M yen, which isn't bad even with a wife and kids....

I work 6-7 hours a day, 5 days a week, rarely on weekends. This is highly dependent on the company. Again, investment banks work you nearly 7 days a week, 10-16 hours a day.

I think that's a typo for the 200M
Foreign IBs are not that bad actually. They've come unstuck too many times to overwork people now. Most would be taking comp days if they worked on a weekend unless it's peak project activity. But obviously there is a trend to outsourcing and fewer juicy roles locally given the cost of this location.
Different story for the domestic IBs even if they outsource, to domestic "specialist" companies which are basically "mega corp +Research" at the end. They still have their own staff work 7 days a week monitoring them as their neck remains on the chopping block. Miserable existance.

Outside this market segment, socially I know people having a similar deal to you. Reasonable work-life balance, etc. One chap was even allowed 10days refresh leave after 20 years service.

Personally, I think the continued commodisation of IT as a service means that whilst Network usage/demand will increase the resources required will slowly shift to fewer larger players. I don't think this impacts job security for anyone technical.

Just to establish my credentials in this field. In the 1980s. first week on the job, I brought down a network using a paperclip as a fuse under telephone guidance. I'd like to say I've become more competent but I did nearly lose a finger to an Air-con earlier today.

I'm almost ashamed to tell people after reading through the replies. I'm an ALT. At least, for the next week and I'll change over to a junior software dev. I'm terrified of what's to come, but I think the experience will teach me whether development is actually for me or not. It sucks that it'll be a pay cut though from an already low paying position. At least I'm here and investing!

MajesticSoup wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:01 am At least I'm here and investing!

That's the main thing. I wish I had started investing when I was an ALT

MajesticSoup wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:01 am I'm almost ashamed to tell people after reading through the replies. I'm an ALT. At least, for the next week and I'll change over to a junior software dev. I'm terrified of what's to come, but I think the experience will teach me whether development is actually for me or not. It sucks that it'll be a pay cut though from an already low paying position. At least I'm here and investing!

Never be ashamed of your job (unless you are a politician or in charge of the Olympics or something). I've had a 'high status' job and now I run an Eikawa school which is just me and my wife. Occasionally people try to tell me what I should be 'trying to get into' as if what I have is not good enough. And that is always from people who have no idea about what my job actually entails and who assume that 'anyone can do it'. You are here and investing. Keep that up and you will be fine, but never let other people's opinions on a job worry you.

goodandbadjapan wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 1:41 pm

MajesticSoup wrote: ↑Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:01 am I'm almost ashamed to tell people after reading through the replies. I'm an ALT. At least, for the next week and I'll change over to a junior software dev. I'm terrified of what's to come, but I think the experience will teach me whether development is actually for me or not. It sucks that it'll be a pay cut though from an already low paying position. At least I'm here and investing!

Never be ashamed of your job (unless you are a politician or in charge of the Olympics or something). I've had a 'high status' job and now I run an Eikawa school which is just me and my wife. Occasionally people try to tell me what I should be 'trying to get into' as if what I have is not good enough. And that is always from people who have no idea about what my job actually entails and who assume that 'anyone can do it'. You are here and investing. Keep that up and you will be fine, but never let other people's opinions on a job worry you.

Absolutely, job snobs are not to be entertained for one instant. A decent ALT can be inspirational for kids, a window to a world of which they would otherwise remain ignorant.