Applying to Jobs: To Do

[unforth]

So my visa situation has gotten rather critical. When I returned from Singapore, the guy at immigration in Japan gave me the most skeptical attitude ever - "tourism?" he asked incredulously, looking at my passport - which states clearly I'd been in Japan for over a month - my paperwork - which states that I'll be in Japan for another two months - and my appearance. He asked me like four times. So even though it should be technically legal for me to come back again without a proper visa, I fear that I'll be given a very hard time. The problem is - as claireon warned me about a month ago - Nova, one of the biggest English schools in Japan, is expected to announce that they are closing their doors this week, so all of those people need jobs desperately. Oh noes! So I'm applying for jobs, like, immediately, and praying that the competition won't be tooooo stiff, but I'm worried, because all the Nova folks will have actual fricken teaching experience, unlike me.
So far I've...
Updated my resume
Put together a list of likely places
Contacted my references
Put my photograph in my resume - they all want pictures here, just about
Write a cover letter
Now I just need to send out the damn resume

Edit 1: Thanks for the editing help!

Any one awake out there think they might be able to quickly edit this damn cover letter? It'd really suck for me to say in it I have good grammar and then have it be filled with grammatical mistakes, and I've just read it through like four times, so I wouldn't catch any mistakes in it. And obviously, it'll be slightly modified depending on the position, whether it's a teaching or tutoring job, and I'll add something about kids for the children-oriented positions....right. I'm babbling. I've been doing that a lot. This job thing has me freaked.

Dear INSERT NAME
I’m sending this e-mail in response to your ad on INSERT WEBPAGE. I’m interested in applying for the INSERT POSITION position that you advertised. Please find attached my resume.

Born and raised in New York City, I am a native English speaker. My mother, a high school English teacher, worked hard throughout my youth to teach me to use proper grammar and diction. I also studied Japanese while I was an undergraduate student in college, and so I am able to speak and read basic Japanese.

Though I don’t have any formal teaching experience, I have worked and volunteered as support staff for professors and teachers since I was in junior high school. I have experience developing curricula, producing classroom materials, reviewing student work, grading exams and papers, and tracking student performance. I have always loved sharing knowledge and helping people. While I was in college I took on extracurricular activities that allowed me to use what I know to help both my friends and strangers to navigate waters which, while familiar to me, were unknown to them. I’m patient, detail-oriented and very committed. I would love the opportunity to demonstrate my enthusiasm in a classroom at your school!

Please contact me at cphouck@gmail.com or (50) 5539-6330 to set up an interview. I reside in Tokyo, and I am available any time of the week except for Sunday afternoons and evenings.

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
Claire P. Houck

Edit 2: Well, I just sent out 10 applications to the ones that looked most promising and interesting to me and that I was, you know, actually qualified for. Now what, I wait a few days and if nothing happens, I send out more? I'm new to this...

Comments

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

The only ERROR I find is "support staff for !a! professors and teachers"

There are various things I would have written differently, but I don't assert that they'd be better that way.

[nekomata.livejournal.com]

Yeah, no real errors, just phrasing and structural issues.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Well spotted, thank you!! :)

[nekomata.livejournal.com]

I am brain dead but this sentence

"To this, I add a basic familiarity with Japanese acquired through college courses."

and this one

". While I was in college I took on extracurricular activities that allowed me to use what I know to help both my friends and strangers to navigate waters which, while familiar to me, were unknown to them."

sound awkward.

"I’m patient and detail-oriented and very committed, and I would love the opportunity to demonstrate my enthusiasm in a classroom at your school!"

Should probably be

"I’m patient, detail-oriented, and very committed; I would love the opportunity to demonstrate my enthusiasm in a classroom at your school!"

Or split into two sentences somehow.

More.

[nekomata.livejournal.com]

"Though I don’t have any formal teaching experience,I have worked and volunteered as support staff for a professors and teachers since I was in junior high school, developing curricula, producing classroom materials, reviewing student work, grading exams and papers, and tracking student performance."

Could be something like

"Though I don’t have any formal teaching experience,I have worked and volunteered as support staff for a professors and teachers since I was in junior high school. During these periods I worked on developing curricula, producing classroom materials, reviewing student work, grading exams and papers, and tracking student performance."

Overall everything looks good; there are no grammatical errors that I notice. However, you may want to watch out for run-ons.

Re: More.

[unforth.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've made some changes based on what you said, and updated the version in this post. :)

Re: More.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Yep, better style. Or at least I like it more now.

[d-c-m.livejournal.com]

Don't forge to add that you are a brave and venturous soul who moves around the world and experiences awesome things! Oh plus you are cute and sexy and can so sew and bake!!!

In short, I miss you and think you are the tops. :)

[nekomata.livejournal.com]

Looks much better!

[bakanekotoo.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the job hunt! I'm sure you'll find something soon :-)