No dice

I went down to Ebina today, near the naval base in Yamato, to talk to the founder of the school. It was an interesting conversation, but no job offer. We talked for an hour and a half, mainly about Meiji Era (ie, late 19th, early 20th century) literature, as he had written his thesis on the same author I did an independent study of last semester. He recommended I go to New York for my Master's. But no job.

Now that it seems things are pretty much over, I have to say I've learned a lot from this trip. I should have waited, I think, until April when the new school year begins. I was a little too arrogant, I think, thinking that my knowledge of Japanese would land me a job as soon as I got off the plane. Now that I look back I realize I really am at the bottom of the barrel - being able to speak Japanese is fine, but schools don't usually care about that. They want qualifications and certifications. And there really is no chance, I don't think, to get a job in translation unless you have a connection or have a visa through some other means.

I may sign up for some interviews over the next few weeks for the next school year. I may not,I haven't decided. I'm really very disappointed at the moment, though in no way surprised.