Job Discussion Forums

[rslrunner]

I was hired by AEON last October.

I went over to Japan earlier this month.

I lasted four days during the orientation. I was told that I would be dismissed or I would resign.

I did have difficulty in picking up the specific methodology in the specific order that they required. I did come over with the flu, and that did not help. But I also have some English teaching experience, and I had difficulty shedding some old habits when addressing the class.

But I was being judged on lessons on the second day of orientation.

I was also 20 seconds late after one break, as I had to blow my nose and couldn't do so until one of the stalls became available. (There were no paper towels, just an air dryer.) I was reprimanded in front of the other trainees. I tried to explain, not justify, why I was late, but the trainee retorted with a "Thank you!" Which basically meant that I should shut up.

While I understand the need for punctuality in Japan, I believe this reaction was a bit excessive. I didn't express this view to anyone, and genuinely wished I wasn't late, for obvious reasons while there. Other trainees felt the trainer's response was a bit harsh.

I also made other mistakes like putting my hands in my pocket when standing up and putting my water bottle on the table. I nodded my head, and complied, but perhaps I wasn't being sufficiently, well, having enough genkiness?

AEON flew me home, as opposed to keep me in the country. At that point, I just wanted to get out of the country.

I do have a few questions for this panel:

1. Do some people consider AEON to be a cult?

I noticed that many of its employees demonstrated similar characteristics when communicating and presenting themselves. A certain uniformity in conduct that I have never seen anywhere else.

2. Did AEON fulfill its contractual obligations?

AEON asked for my policy manual back. While I didn't check the policy manual in time (I was trying to get a firmer grasp on the teaching method until the last minute), I believe if they terminated me, they would have to pay me for one month. But they said that it made no difference if I was terminated or resigned.

I think they may have had to pay me for one month. Granted, they paid for my flight home on short notice and one night in a hotel that was 6,000 yen. So I'm not going to charge the barricades over this. Having said that, if they told me that there was no difference between being terminated and resigning, and there is, then they weren't straight with me, period. Also, they should have paid me the difference between the flight and hotel, and the first month's salary.

3. Why in God's name didn't they provide the precise methodology they wanted me to master ahead of time?

I received 5 newsletters, links to grammar, and a web page that did provide examples of lessons.

I also received a policy manual that described everything under the sun.

But they didn't provide the specific precise steps that they wanted me to follow until after I got to Japan! Had I been given the steps for their two most prominent kind of lessons, I would have been able to master the methodology, which is the very thing that they ostensibly consider to be the most important thing for the teachers to master.

I was hired well before coming to Japan, so I really wish I had this information beforehand.

I really wish I had last week back. I wish I didn't have the flu. And I wish my presentations could have been better sooner. I take responsibility for that.

But it seemed that my trainer had deemed me unfit from the get-go, and it led to a downward spiral, all of which could have been avoided.

I welcome any answers to these questions, any questions that people may have for me, and any commentary that may help illuminate this situation.

The feelings are still fresh and raw, so this post may prove to be therapeutic.

In addition, this post may help people decide whether AEON is right for them.

I understand that my experience was far from universal, and that many AEON teachers enjoy their time in Japan. I was expecting nothing less for myself.

[Solar Strength]

Don't take it personally or let it get to you. All of these big chains can be cultish, like any other company. And any of these foreign head trainers, whether it's Nova, Berlitz, GEOS or ECC, tend to be complete 'Yes Men' and corporate zombies.

Show me a head teacher or div. manager like we had at Nova and I'll show you a corporate suckhole who has no allegiance to his or her foreign EFL teachers slugging it out in the eikaiwa trenches. They only care about themselves and their own 'career' trajectory.

But yes, these large chains can be very cult-like.

[thomthom]

Sorry to hear about that, rslrunner. On the bright side, if AEON flew you home and you only lasted a few weeks, you must have a lot of your Japan money left over, right? There are other options, other countries with less than half of the cost of living as Japan. Moving to Japan is a dream for many, but one of the least cost-effective dreams one can have.

Was your training all in front of other trainees? Or were there some trainees observing a normal class, or what? I have confidence in my teaching ability but having to perform in front of a room full of other teachers/staff would probably phase anybody.

[steki47]

I interviewed with AEON back in 2003 at the Los Angeles office. The interviewer/presenter was a rude, hostile man. He would answer questions with a tone of indignation and often started his responses with "I already said this, but..." with a glare at the person asking the question.

I was rejected by them. Happy about it in retrospect. Went with Nova instead.

To be fair, I met other people who worked at AEON and seemed to enjoy themselves.

Anyway, try somewhere else. Good luck!

[gr3ndel]

I'm so sorry that happened to you! Wow...

But, since you were still in the first two weeks of the probationary period, they do not have to pay you one month's salary.

I hope you find another company that's a better match for you. Good luck!

[Pitarou]

[jmatt]

And to be a total jerk...

And then there's the chance that the OP is a total whack-job. I mean, come on! To be sent home almost immediately by an Eikaiwa factory? Let's be honest here----that situation is extreme. Totally extreme. (Referencing those past and present) Aeon, Nova, Geos, Toza, Gaba, etc. do not simply send home those folks whose visas they've sponsored for no reason---only those who exhibit the extremes that make them virtually unemployable, embarrassing in the country, and impossible to support in any rational way.

If the OP was sent home in the manner described by AEON, it can be assumed that there was a major, major problem with the OP. Seriously---please---as if AEON is just going to blithely send home a teacher they've sponsored after 4 days.

Ya'll should know better

I mean, come on. Really!

[move]

^^^

Agreed. I think there's more to this story.

[spiral78]

[rslrunner]

[rslrunner]

[spiral78]

For the most part, I work on training courses that are much longer than a few days, so if a candidate has a weak start, or a few bad days during the course, there is time and opportunity for him/her to bounce back.


However, I also run a 6-day course annually (it's limited in time because focused on a specific set of skills - it's not a general EFL course) , and it would be tough to arrive for that jet-lagged and ill, on top of the need to favourably impress the trainers with one's quick grasp and ability to apply the approaches and methods we're targeting.

[jmatt]

Sorry

[Pitarou]

[Pitarou]

By the way, have you looked into your visa situation? You're aware that your visa allows you to work for a different school, aren't you? And you know that having a visa opens up a lot of job opportunities.