Encouragement or Reality Check: Odds of Being Hired?
I, F21, am moving to Japan with my husband (M22) early of March next year. I have a BA in English, a TESOL certificate, experience substitute teaching in the U.S., I tutor NNES students online fifteen hours a week, and am currently working on my teacher's certification for Middle-Grade Humanities and English (will be finished in March 2027, right before I move). My husband is a Japanese citizen so I don't have to worry about having a Visa (he is moving earlier than me to get us an apartment set up in Osaka where he will also have familial support). My hope posting here is to hopefully get some encouragement for my move while also being realistic about my situation. I know having more experience teaching in America would be ideal, but that is unfortunately not in the cards for my husband and me.
I've done some research on my own about which certification will help me get hired, and I also talked to my advisor at the university I am getting my certification from (he specializes in international schools and teaching). He said that having a teacher's certificate from America will definitely help my odds with being hired, and if I ever needed to come back to the States, it would keep my options open here (having this certificate rather than a certificate to teach English as a second language). He said in his experience with previous students, most the time schools overseas don't really care what area of teaching certificate you have (K-12 English vs teaching English to NNES, etc.), but do care that the certificate was validated from an English-speaking country.
My hope is to be hired at an international school with the goal of having my own English classroom (I know with my experience that I might have to start as an ALT to get my foot in the door). With my situation, experience, and credentials, what advice, comments, or personal stories would you give to help me out? Last two things: I am currently studying Japanese at an N5 level with the goal to be at an N3 level or above before I move (another reason why I might have to start as an ALT until my Japanese is better), and the second is to please don't try to encourage me to stay in America; my husband is moving, and, for personal reasons, it's imperative that I move close to the same time that he does. I know reddit isn't always the best place to ask for encouragement, but it is a good place to ask for advice, so given my situation, what would you tell me? Thank you :)
