Job Discussion Forums

[ranmawoman]

Hey guys,

Finally done with the interviews. Within 2 weeks, I've been accepted to both programs. Now I have to deal with which program to attend. Unfortunately, AEON has only give me 3 days to decide whether I want to accept or not. AEON, I will be teaching 30 mins away from Osaka in Tonk something or other.

I really really really want to to with AEON, but the dress code totally turns me off. Business suits 24/7. They also have more vacation days and would like me to leave in Oct. I want to go experience Japan and have fun and my future goal isn't to become a teacher. AEON seems to be very reputable and their interviewing was extremely intensive, thus it seems like they really want the cream of the crop. I also gotta live by myself as well and that was a turn off. I'm a people person and would rather live with a group of people.

NOVA's dress code is very business, but seems to be more business casual as compared to AEON. I'll also be living with a group of people, therefore an instant support group. I don't think you find out where to go to until you get there right? In addition, I won't be leaving till Jan 2005.

What to do? Would people prefer to go to AEON any day over NOVA? Arghhhhhhhh.

[guest of Japan]

I have chosen AEON over Nova and would do so again if given the same choice. The degree of enforcement to the dress code varies from school to school, though the official line is "suit." If you work out AEON you will get to know Japanese people more than at Nova. There are Japanese teachers and you can socialize with your students. AEON also has a better system for accommodation than Nova. You will teach less classes during a day, but you are expected to do lesson preparation. Initially, this will take a lot of time.

The one advantage Nova has over AEON is that you can transfer between schools. If you get a particularly bad school you can transfer. If you get a particularly bad school with AEON you either endure or quit.

[Glenski]

NOVA has the least amount of vacation days (hence the nickname NOVAcation).
It also has a non-fraternization clause with students in your contract. Some branch managers look the other way, while others are like Nazis with spies everywhere to report you even if they see you bump into some student accidetally.
NOVA also demands that you have insurance before you come here, or you have to enroll in their JMA plan (which is 3 times more expensive than the local national health insurance, and which NOVA gets a cut from).
With NOVA housing, you pay about 70,000 yen/month EACH for the apartment you share. Even though this includes utilities, it is a ripoff.
NOVA's textbooks are 25 years old or older and were meant to teach English to Spanish workers, I believe.
At NOVA, students don't always get the same teacher twice in a row. So much for consistency in learning.
At NOVA you are not allowed to deviate from the teaching format no matter how silly or bad you think it is. Since you are working in cubicles next to other teachers, people can hear whether you conform or not.

[AgentMulderUK]

Choose Aeon. Nova are rotten to the core.

[joncharles]

Nova can be good or bad.. depending. Since they have lost that decision about fraternization, from the Bar association. Maybe that rule is out now.. they won't want to take it to court because now it is almost assured they will lose. AEON does not allow you to teach private lessons. Nova doesn't care as long as you do not take away current students. AEON's contract gives them exclusivity for your teaching time. Nova as mentioned does not have a lot of holidays compared to AEON but you can do shift swaps and sometime you can get non paid. When I was with Nova, almost all the teachers eventually went off the Quest stuff and just used it to introduce the sentence structure... However, during observations you followed the guidlines. Other incentives from Nova.. Each evening schedule you have you get an extra 5,000 Yen per month.. working Sundays you get an extra 5,000 ( Sundays are an early close so no late shift..) So on top of your base salary you can get up to 25,000 more yen a month.. AEON does not give you that,

[Li-ka]

If had had to choose between Aeon and Nova, I would have picked Aeon. I didn't like the idea of only ten days vacation after I've been there for six months, and not having National holidays off while all the other eikaiwas give them to you is a bit ridiculous. Also, Aeon has a shorter work week and, I think, they provide their students with regular classes (so you would actually get to know your students) instead of all free-time calsses, which some people have said gets really repeptetive and boring.

Anyhow, that's my assesment. Take a second look at their websites and weigh each one. Happy hunting (c:

[merc007]

Aeon all the way. The dress code is not that bad, I know another Eikawa that requires all female teachers to wear makeup plus have their hair in a bun, and they must wear skirts which have to be slightly above the knees.
At Aeon they just require you to wear a suit. They holidays are a lot better than NOVA's.

I know about 8 NOVA teachers and they all have nothing really good to say about it. Granted it is very easy to work there as all the lessons are set out for you, but you teach about 40 lessons a week, which is 8 classes a day, it get's kind of busy.
Another thing I heard (correct me if I'm wrong), was that they have a ticket system which means students buy 10 tickets, and can sign up for any class for a given period, which probably means they can show up with very little notice.

[ranmawoman]

Thanks all. I would have picked AEON, but they kinda screwed me even before it all started.

I interviewed on Tues and got invited back on Wed. They offered me a position by Friday nite and expected me to give them an answer by the following Monday before 4 pm.

On Monday morning I wrote back to them letting them know that I didn't have time to review the email and was hoping for a week extension, seeing that they had wanted me to leave in October. I had a midterm, a final and two papers due. I'm actually still trying to finish up one now before 6pm.

They ignored my email until Tues morning. I was kinda pissed because had I known earlier that they didn't want to give me an extension, I would have put some stuff aside and carefully considered the offer. I just thought it was kinda unfair.

When I wrote NOVA and asked for an extension, they emailed me right away and gave me an extra 2 weeks to make a decision. I just thought they were more fair that way. The whole living with roommates is also a plus for me I guess. That way I have a built in support system.

I hope I'm not screwing myself over by choosing NOVA. I'll totally hate myself for it! Grrrrrrr.

[Glenski]

[Joannda]

Personally I picked AEON, people's reports on Nova completely turned me off even applying for them...

The dress code really doesn't sound that bad, and women don't have to wear suits necessarily, although it is obviously an option. Professional clothing can be skirt/blouse, slacks/blouse, etc as well... As long as clothing isn't too revealing, it should be ok, which I would assume most companies would prefer anyway.

Personally, I don't really think AEON screwed you over by asking you to accept/not accept in the short amount of time they gave you. Sure, it's a big decision, but, it's only your verbal commitment. I mean, until you sign the contract, you're not legally bound to do anything, right? Look, I'm not encouraging people to back out after accepting an offer by any means, but if you accepted AEON, and later decided that it wasn't going to work, I'm sure you could've just told them so. It takes at least a couple of weeks before they find you a place to go to, and then get contracts etc sent out to you. That would've given you a bit more time to mull things over.

Just a question too, why didn't you just ring them up rather than relying on email? At least if you ring, you get an answer right away...
Also, did they pull back on their job offer when they got back to you on the Tuesday? From what i can tell, they're pretty keen on anyone with good potential....

Anyway, good luck with Nova if that' who you've decided to go with! hope it works out

[Vince]

The most negative thing I remember about my 9-month tenure at NOVA was teaching on weekends in tiny cubicles packed with sweaty students. Occasionally, the school director would appear at the door halfway through a lesson with a student next to her and a chair in her hand. She would explain that their was an oversight as she aggressively shoehorned the student into the cubicle.

[Canuk girl]

You should know a few things.
1. Nova lied to me at my interview and told me I would be working full time after three months. I actually waited 10, and they always gave me a different excuse each month as to why it wasn't happening. During one of those sessions the Area Manager said "I don't know where you got the idea that you would be full time after three months, because we don't do that. You must have made it up in your head"... well well funny man, actually your recruiter told me at an interview with another person present to witness it, and you told me after four months it would happen. duh

2. They do overcharge for apartments. We pay 70,000 each (2 people, so thats 140,000) a month, in the WORST apartment in the building. Our neighbours pay 90,000 entire payment. I also know one couple who was sharing a ONE bedroom nowhere NEAR Tokyo or Shinjuku, and were paying.. get this 140,000 a month. AND when the guy had to quit because of an emergency, and had three days unpaid time off before he left Japan they told him he couldn't stay in the apartment. NOONE else was moving in, because it was one bedroom and his girlfriend was there, but she was working those last three days. Brutal

3. They'll place you in an apartment up to 1.5 hours away on the train.

4. If you yawn in class because you're sick because they're dicks about taking sick days... the Area Manager will call you and lecture you about "changing your lifestyle" (fortunately thats only happened to 4 of my friends.. not me).

5. Other posts were right.. they are dirty little cubicles. With broken chairs with the stuffing coming out, so that they rip your nylons that they tell you you have to wear. I've given up on nylons.

5. You do have to do the JMA nova insurance, and the thing is..if you quit and use your vacation time when you quit.. ex. last paid day is November 04, but you're leaving the country on October 22, they make you pay another full month, thats right, FULL MONTH of insurance until your last paid day with the company.. even if you're not in the country.

6. Thats right about No vacation. And they tell you if you're good you might get unpaid leave if you kiss butt. But during slow times of the year THEY ASK YOU to take unpaid leave.

7. They make you hand out tissues at the station during your free lessons.

8. IF you do decide to call in sick if you are 30 seconds, 30 SECONDS past the call in dedline.. because you were ON HOLD.. they deduct you lessons.

9. They tell you that if you are late because a train accident that if you bring a note from the station master then you will still get paid.. when really you don't get paid. You just don't get DEDUCTED the extra lessons they take off if you are late and don't call.

10. My manager asked us to clean the toilets at our branch.

I hope this helps with your decision

[AgentMulderUK]

Nova are a national disgrace.
Any decision involving them is no decision.

I could list 10 or more lies I was told BEFORE I even reached Japan, but I think Canuk girl's post says it so very well.

Luckily I ducked out early. One the best decisions I have made in my life.

[Vince]

[HontoBakari]

Ranmawoman,

I went home last year after 8 years in Japan, most of which I spent with Nova. Until now I�ve been content to browse this forum without contributing. The complaints and exaggerations made me smirk. However, a grossly misleading posting the other day convinced me to share my two pence. The post contained ten points. I�d like to offer not a rebuttal of each, but rather an alternate perspective.

1) The aggrieved claims that the interviewer lied about how soon she could change from part-time to full-time. Why would they do this? Do you for one second believe that a company with such an enormous pool of potential recruits would feel it necessary to lie to sway the decision of one part-time recruit? Do you suspect that this person impressed the interviewer to the extent that he/she resorted to lying in order to secure her acceptance? I can well imagine the interviewer mentioning that one would be eligible to change to full-time status after a certain period of time. This would of course be contingent upon there being full-time positions available, and perhaps more importantly, on the part-time instructor being valuable enough to be offered a full-time contract. Seems obvious, right?

2) Nova apartments DO cost more than equivalent non-Nova apartments. That�s because you�re not only paying for the rent but also the furnishings, the utilities, the deposits, the convenience, and the staff the Nova must maintain to ensure that all incoming teachers have a place to live. If you find that you feel the cost isn�t worth it, give your 30 days notice and move out. Nothing to complain about.

3) Last I knew 1 hour was the maximum commute. I wouldn�t think that would have changed. I never knew anyone with a 1 hour+ commute, and very few with more than about 40 minutes. If someone has a 1.5 hour commute, something has gone wrong and should be brought to the immediate attention of management.

4) Yawning obviously in a class anywhere in the world (I think) would be considered rude. Doing so in a small conversation class in Japan is a guaranteed way to generate complaints. Student complaints are taken very seriously. Simply stifling or hiding the yawn can completely negate the problem. Not much lateral thinking required there.

5) About a third of the chairs in my school had rips and needed to be replaced. It really irritated me. The carpets needed to be cleaned about 10 times more often than they were as well. C�est la vie.

6) You absolutely DO NOT have to enroll in JMA, the insurance introduced by Nova in their orientation sessions. It�s an option. It�s a convenient option for those who can�t be bothered to do the necessary research to find a superior policy. I lump myself into that category, but only blame myself.

7) The aggrieved was apparently made to hand out promotional tissues during free lessons. In my experience, only those teachers who routinely waste their free lessons are asked to do this. I certainly never found myself handing out tissues. That isn�t to say that I made constructive use of every free moment, but I quickly recognized the wisdom of at least appearing to be industrious. Perhaps if she had offered to get some black tape and repair some of the ripped chairs that bothered her so, she not only wouldn�t have had to hand out tissues but also would have scored some valuable brownie points.

8) Sick call deadlines are in place so that the staff has enough time to find replacement teachers for both sick and �sick� teachers. Over the years, the staff has started work earlier and earlier so that teachers would have plenty of time to call in if they were sick. Each of the personnel offices also has like 20-30 phone lines. Nevertheless, teachers continue to call in after the deadlines. If a teacher can�t call in by the more than reasonable deadlines, they ought to be in hospital.

9) If you miss lessons because your train is late, you aren�t paid for the lessons you didn�t teach. Is that nice? No. Is it unfair? Absolutely not. You don�t have to worry about penalties for being late as long as you bring the slip from the station master will issue to any passenger on a delayed train. This is what Nova tells you.

10) Cleaning toilets is crap. But, a lot of smaller offices in Japan do not contact out for maintenance people. Schools students also clean their own classrooms. It�s a Japan thing and not a Nova thing. However, if you work in a small branch (say 10 teachers), and you create a weekly rotating cleaning schedule, each teacher only has to clean once every three months or so. The bigger the branch, the less often your turn comes up. At the end of the day, is this going to spoil your time in Japan.

It�s a job, Ranmawoman. If you approach it as such, do what�s asked of you, focus on the students, and enjoy the experiences living in Japan places at your fingertips, you�ll be fine. Ultimately, it�s not about Nova, Aeon, Geos, ECC, JET, or whatever program takes you to Japan, it�s what YOU make of it. I know that sounds pathetically clich�, but that�s the long and short of it. Go and enjoy yourself!