Just Get On With It Already

Subtlety. Not one of my strong points. The fact I'm leaving - planning to leave - has become something that I've not exactly been keeping secret.

When I want to leave, where I want to go, and who I want to work for, I know.

A wheel is turning, no breaks have been applied, and I'm not sure exactly where the station is. Plan A is alive and kicking and is now out of my hands.

Plan B though. Plan B. Plan B. Plan B involves a bit more work. I'm not saying Plan A was simple but... okay, it was simple.

Plan B involves application forms. Probably a fair few of them. If I'm lucky a few CVs may suffice, but mainly application forms and this is the week to apply for summer jobs. This is the week they are a ill being advertised. This really is the week I have to get more cogs turning. The longer stretch - post-summer, I can't really do much about now but, if I am to get out of here by the summer, I need to act now.

But application forms and applying for jobs...

Throughout my working life - and certainly post-university - I've filled out very few application forms. And quite a few of the ones I did fill out where a formality rather than anything else. I'd got the job and the application form was subsequent to that.

In television-land, it's all about who you know or CVs. I don't remember filling out a form for any TV jobs.

My CV and a cover letter always got me the job / the interview / ignored. It was enough.

In my current job - well, at the time I applied teachers really were being recruited in droves. I did my research. Well. Very well. I knew I wouldn't have a problem getting this job. That's not cocky. It's a fact. I knew.

One day I decided I'd had enough of London life and working in TV. I decided I wanted to work in Japan. The name of the company I work for came up and I phoned them to see if they were recruiting. They asked me if I had a CELTA or TESOL. I said I didn't. (I got one a couple of years later). They said they only took teachers with TEFL qualifications. I told them I knew that wasn't true. They laughed and emailed me an application form. I knew I didn't need to know anything about teaching to get a job teaching. Shocking fact. But true. To teach English you don't need to know how to teach English. Apparently.

With the help of a lot of waffle, google and teacher friends I filled out the application form. For some reason I had no doubt I'd get the interview.

I read my head off about Japan. The job was mine. I had to get out of London before going crazy. I put on a suit, slapped on a ton of make-up, and got the train to the interview. It was a bloody hot day. All the make-up melted off by the time I arrived. I babbled my head off in the interview. I wanted the job and I wanted them to give it to me. There was no Plan B. And they did. On the spot.

The timing for the job start was perfect. The company seemed good. My escape plan was coming together. I was very happy. Everything then moved very quickly. Visa. A week of training. Packing up house. Goodbye party. And on a plane to Japan. And the rest is history!

In the interests of my philosophy of not blogging anything that'll come back to bite me I've self-censored the story slightly, but that's how easy it was.

In 10+ years, I've pretty much only filled out one application form. And now I have to write about my achievements and other things that I deem to be totally irrelevant to how I am as a teacher.

It's also the reason I've stayed here so long. People have asked why I haven't left Japan if I've not been happy here, well - it's easy to not apply for other things than it is to apply. Or something like that. And now I'm being baffled with questions I don't know how I should answer.

For I believe there definitely IS a way questions 'should' be answered. And I'm avoiding doing it.

But can't keep avoiding it!

Oh well.

Tomorrow!

Sorry, just to clarify, I believe there is a proper way to answer the questions, I just don't have a clue what it is!