Job Discussion Forums

[jlew11]

I'm hoping those with some experience can tell me about Nova Group?? Has anyone worked with them before? Any horror stories? Any hidden "fees" or "rules" that I'll learn after I'm fully committed? Any info I could get would be a big help in my decision, and very much appreciated.

[stillnosheep]

There's loads on Nova, both on here and on gaijinpot.com.

Just type 'Nova' into either search facility and read away.

sns

[Glenski]

NOVA is the largest chain conversation school in Japan. Its negative and positive points have been debated endlessly.

Negative
1. Fewest vacation days of any school.
2. Non-fraternization policy with students after hours.
3. McEnglish style of teaching with outdated textbooks.
4. Students don't see the same teacher twice in a row.
5. NOVA forces you to join their own insurance plan, unless you can come up with one of your own. This effectively prevents you from joining the cheaper national health insurance plan until after you have come here.
6. Teaching is done in cubicles next to other teaching groups instead of in a private area.
7. Shared housing is provided with inflated costs (70,000 yen/month).

Positive
1. They sponsor your work visa.
2. They interview overseas.
3. Salaries vary depending on location.
4. You get a (meager) raise in pay depending on your qualifications.
5. The housing costs include utilities.
6. There is an end of contract bonus which will effectively pay your airfare.
7. They meet you at the airport and take you to your apartment.

For fair assessments of life at NOVA, read these.
http://markcity.blogspot.com/teaching.htm
http://vocaro.com/trevor/japan/nova/level_up.html
http://www.grassrootdesign.com/articles/nova.asp

[Glenski]

Here is what someone else had to say (taken from www.teachinginjapan.com):

I worked at NOVA in 1988, which is over 15 years ago, but i think the same still applies today. Many people get jobs there and are still there 7 or 8 years later. Some last only 2-3 months. Everyone is different. I think the biggest factor to your eventual happiness and job satisfaction is your own attitude, how you feel about your job, teaching, what you want to get out of the experience. Many people tend to blame their employers when things go wrong or dont live up to their rose-tinted expectations. NOVA is what you make of it and what you bring to the table. They are not there to entertain you or hold you by the hand.

Here is my short list of what i think is good and bad about working at NOVA
Opinions shown are those of the writer.


GOOD

No previous teaching experience or qualifications required. Can never have taught before and still get a job.
No Japanese ability required to get a job or work there.
Insurance, housing and set-up loans provided. how much you avail yourself of those depends on how much control you want your employer taking in your private life.
Work in a large, clean airconditioned office, though the teaching booths (about 6 square meters, enough for 3-4 people to sit comfortably around a table) can be claustrophobic
Basic training provided, but dont think after three days you know everything there is to know about teaching EFL A CELTA diploma takes one month full time and a Masters in TESOL 1-2 years.
Plenty of other foreigners around to socialise and party with. Going out with students is officially banned by the school due to past abuse of this privilege. teachers still get fired for dating or seeing students socially outside of class. Can get a bit cliquey and though not incestuous, you end up eating sleeping and breathing NOVA 24/7 especially when you live with other teachers.
Enough money that you can save a bit- $600-700 a month after expenses and utilities, rent are taken out. You wont get rich on what they pay you but you won't starve.


BAD

Fairly heavy schedule. 6-7 50-minute classes back to back with 10 minutes in between for toilet, cigarette, change files etc.
Feeling like having to be 'on air' all day in front of students and staff.
Can get tiring very quickly. Feel knackered by the time your shift ends and you just want to get away from there.
Fairly mundane and boring texts that are over 30 years old. Gets routine very quickly so teachers will develop ways to change the routine or lesson to make it interesting
Overpriced accomodation where you share with others but keep in mind you dont have to pay key money or buy furniture. NOVA makes a killing on rent as your landlord.
working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you dont get much chance to see the country or learn the language, mix with other people who are not students. Call it like living in a NOVA bubble, where all you meet is staff, students and other NOVA teachers. You can go a whole year and learn no more than a few basic phrases of Japanese. People come to Japan to 'experience the culture, but all they do is ending going out drinking with other foreigners

This is only my experience but NOVA employs people from a wide cross-section of foreign 'teachers' and nationalities not just white bread. In fact they have quite a diverse mix of nationalities races and colors working there.
If you leave your job, give at least a months notice. You wont be missed and will be easily replaced. Quitting a job early is not really professional, but it is still widely done, and to NOVA you are simply a number on a balance sheet.

[jlew11]

appreciated I know what I wanna do, and they do make it easy, I'll say that. Looks like the rest is up to me, eh?
No, I'm not Canadian. Thanx again.