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Rio*
Joined: 12 Apr 2012
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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Hey (0.o)
Thanks for your post, I think it's really great that you have given a first hand recount of your experience, so thank you for that.
I was wondering if you found it difficult to find a job after leaving JMK? Did your new school/company think it was a negative that you had left JMK after a few months? Also with the accomodation, was it easy enough to find a place to stay after you had to move out?
One more thing, and I haven't asked JMK personally, but how were they about your arrival? Did they collect you from the airport, or did you have to find your own way to the hotel/company? Also, what prefecture were you in? |
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(0.o)
Joined: 11 Dec 2011
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Rio* wrote: |
I was wondering if you found it difficult to find a job after leaving JMK? Did your new school/company think it was a negative that you had left JMK after a few months? Also with the accomodation, was it easy enough to find a place to stay after you had to move out? |
I left Japan when I quit. There were plenty of job offers around, but I have no interest in working in Japan right now.
| Quote: |
One more thing, and I haven't asked JMK personally, but how were they about your arrival? Did they collect you from the airport, or did you have to find your own way to the hotel/company? Also, what prefecture were you in? |
They suck. They won't/can't pick you up. At best you'll get a google map to your office and "good luck!"
The housing wasn't ready when I arrived and I was told I would be reimbursed for my hotel stay, but they didn't accept the receipt from Travelocity -- well the hotel wouldn't give me one because I booked it online. In retrospect, I should've quit on the first day because of that.
Unless you speak Japanese or one of the other teachers is nice enough to help you, it's pretty much impossible to get the company to help you with any of the administrative stuff.
If you accept a job with this company, you have to have REALLY low expectations for your first few months and just assume everything will suck and you'll just get another job ASAP.[/quote] |
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Rio*
Joined: 12 Apr 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| (0.o) wrote: |
| Rio* wrote: |
I was wondering if you found it difficult to find a job after leaving JMK? Did your new school/company think it was a negative that you had left JMK after a few months? Also with the accomodation, was it easy enough to find a place to stay after you had to move out? |
I left Japan when I quit. There were plenty of job offers around, but I have no interest in working in Japan right now.
| Quote: |
One more thing, and I haven't asked JMK personally, but how were they about your arrival? Did they collect you from the airport, or did you have to find your own way to the hotel/company? Also, what prefecture were you in? |
They suck. They won't/can't pick you up. At best you'll get a google map to your office and "good luck!"
The housing wasn't ready when I arrived and I was told I would be reimbursed for my hotel stay, but they didn't accept the receipt from Travelocity -- well the hotel wouldn't give me one because I booked it online. In retrospect, I should've quit on the first day because of that.
Unless you speak Japanese or one of the other teachers is nice enough to help you, it's pretty much impossible to get the company to help you with any of the administrative stuff.
If you accept a job with this company, you have to have REALLY low expectations for your first few months and just assume everything will suck and you'll just get another job ASAP. |
[/quote]
Cool vibes. Thanks for your insight  |
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Gus3
Joined: 18 May 2011
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 2:34 am Post subject: |
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| (0.o) wrote: |
| Rio* wrote: |
I was wondering if you found it difficult to find a job after leaving JMK? Did your new school/company think it was a negative that you had left JMK after a few months? Also with the accomodation, was it easy enough to find a place to stay after you had to move out? |
I left Japan when I quit. There were plenty of job offers around, but I have no interest in working in Japan right now.
| Quote: |
One more thing, and I haven't asked JMK personally, but how were they about your arrival? Did they collect you from the airport, or did you have to find your own way to the hotel/company? Also, what prefecture were you in? |
They suck. They won't/can't pick you up. At best you'll get a google map to your office and "good luck!"
The housing wasn't ready when I arrived and I was told I would be reimbursed for my hotel stay, but they didn't accept the receipt from Travelocity -- well the hotel wouldn't give me one because I booked it online. In retrospect, I should've quit on the first day because of that.
Unless you speak Japanese or one of the other teachers is nice enough to help you, it's pretty much impossible to get the company to help you with any of the administrative stuff.
If you accept a job with this company, you have to have REALLY low expectations for your first few months and just assume everything will suck and you'll just get another job ASAP. |
[/quote]
What city did you work in? And, work aside, how was Japan? |
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Inflames
Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| (0.o) wrote: |
Hey, I totally forgot about this thread, but I did end up taking the job and quitting a few months later.
Jibun Mirai is terrible. It's probably the lowest paid job in Japan and they will try to cheat you on your check constantly.
Those new contracts where they pay you per student are a joke. I made a base salary of 165,000 and with an average number of students, I got 210,000. The # bonuses are paid one month after they happen and the company WILL cheat you on stuff like sales lessons. So track all of your numbers, hours and sales lessons if you work there.
They also cheat you on hours worked and transportation: if you read the contract carefully, there's a little clause that says you're only paid for teaching time, so prep work and those 10 minutes between lessons aren't on the clock. Which means you spend 8 hours at work (more like 9 your first few months as you're trying to make sense of their awful teaching material) and get paid for 5! Since your transportation reimbursement is based on your "paid hours", if you spend more than 600 yen round trip to get to work, you're out of luck!
The ONLY reason to work for Jibun Mirai is to get the visa and RUN. They do not value or care about their teachers at all. Plus, if you stay in company housing they hit you will move-out and cleaning fees of close to 150,000.
I told them that they promised me 250,000 - 270,000/month in the interview and that I needed a raise to keep working there. Their response was "please tell us if you're going to quit."
They also probably won't give you two days off in a row unless you fight for it.
Do not work for Jibun Mirai. On the plus side, the secretaries were pretty nice and the foreigners at my school were friendly enough. Pretty much everyone who works there hates it though. |
I'm quoting this just to ensure it remains and to ensure that other people know that this company is terrible.
I've heard there are 3 people doing interviews: a Chinese woman, a really fat guy named Chris (apparently "fat" is an understatement) and an overweight guy named Michael. Who interviewed you? I've heard terrible things about two of the three people (when I worked there the Chinese employees absolutely hated the one woman, who then got promoted and still do hate her.) |
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(0.o)
Joined: 11 Dec 2011
Posts: 6
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Kionon
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
Posts: 226
Location: Kyoto, Japan and Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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While I don't condone encouraging cybercrime... WOAH. International EFL 101, NEVER GIVE ANYONE YOUR PASSPORT (except of course, very obvious government officials with legit reason...). |
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Rooster.
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| If one were to take a position with Jibun Mirai and, once in Japan, want to change companies, are there "good" ones to apply to? |
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Kionon
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
Posts: 226
Location: Kyoto, Japan and Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Rooster, define "good." Also tell us where you are coming from. It will be easier to gauge based on where you are coming from... |
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Rooster.
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 12:09 am Post subject: |
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| Kionon wrote: |
| Rooster, define "good." Also tell us where you are coming from. It will be easier to gauge based on where you are coming from... |
I am applying to Jibun Mirai, PKC, and Amity/Aeon and if, hypothetically speaking, I feel that I am not getting treated right or there is a problem with the pay and I want to leave. From what I have read people have said that if a situation like that occurs to find somewhere else. and by "good" I mean some place that would not play games with salary. No hidden or difficult aspects of getting fair, set pay. I'm not looking for perfection as I have come to understand the state of eikaiwas so that's why I put good in quotes.
Expect the best, prepare for the worst is what I'm doing. |
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Kionon
Joined: 12 Apr 2008
Posts: 226
Location: Kyoto, Japan and Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| Rooster. wrote: |
| I am applying to Jibun Mirai, PKC, and Amity/Aeon and if, hypothetically speaking, I feel that I am not getting treated right or there is a problem with the pay and I want to leave. From what I have read people have said that if a situation like that occurs to find somewhere else. and by "good" I mean some place that would not play games with salary. No hidden or difficult aspects of getting fair, set pay. I'm not looking for perfection as I have come to understand the state of eikaiwas so that's why I put good in quotes. |
90% of my experience is in Japanese public schools. I have taught private lessons, I have done eikaiwa work, and I have worked in kindergartens and pre-schools--but I can count the times I did each of those things on one hand. Before I continue, I wanted you to understand that. Someone like Glenski can probably get more specific than I can, that being said...
If you feel you are not being treated well, you have a few options. You can put up with it, you can approach your supervisor, you can go to a union or labor board, or you can quit. Once you receive your visa, it is yours. And as I recall, Japan has a "right to work" labor law, which means despite whatever notice is customary, you are not required by law to give one. I gave three months notice, but I had been in the same position for years, and I wanted to keep the bridges I had built.
I think we've heard why Jibun Mirai should be taken off your list from multiple posters here. I've also done a little bit of research on my own, and what I have found out is not encouraging. I would be wary of any company that even has allegations of holding onto passports. So, there's that.
I know a number of people who have worked for PKC. The experiences were generally a consensus of, "Tedious but a steady paycheck." Most PKC people I know either did it just for a year, or left after a few years to open rival schools. I never heard of anyone having pay issues. However, this is one PKC in one town. I don't really know their business model, or if it is a franchise. If the former, it might be a good bet. If the latter, it may depend on wherever you end up and who your bosses are.
As for Amity/AEON, I have heard stories that run the gamut. Our own AEON seemed fine, and I hung out with the teachers who worked there. They seemed pretty pleased. Likewise, those from our branch of GEOS also seemed to be pretty pleased.
Compared to my experience in Korea, which was horrendous, even some of the "worst" issues I've heard from friends in Japan just don't seem all that bad. In Korea, it turns out my employer was skimming off the top, telling me they had taken my taxes out while reporting to the Korean Revenue Services that I was an independent contractor responsible for my own taxes. I left Korea because the KRS nicely informed me, "We're about to shut down your school, you will lose your visa, and we suggest you leave the country or get a new job before this happens." I hopped a ferry, and I never looked back. In addition to the pay issues, I was routinely verbally abused and made to go out to mandatory drinking/eating sessions of soju and galbi where I would be forced to listen to my employers extoll ultranationalist propaganda and misognyistic, racist remarks. The female KTEs at my school had it even worse. They were actually in on my plan to cover for me when I flew the country. The school was shut down, the KTEs have other positions. I visited as a tourist about two years later.
In Japan, even I had a few deduction disputes in my previous position, but we always came to amicable resolution. I will also say, for full disclosure, I am a member of the General Union, and while I've never had to invoke the union, it's not like that was completely unknown. It was always a conversational subtext.
Hope this helps. |
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Rooster.
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
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| Posted: Sat May 26, 2012 1:02 am Post subject: |
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This was great, thanks, Kionon!
I do hope that where ever I may end up I can stay there for at least a year. |
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