Job Discussion Forums

[Glenski]

[canuck]

[Mark]

Yeah, I guess I'd ruled out Interac because of the salary. I could be wrong, but isn't it only 250,000 per month? I've met a couple of people who work in private schools and they seem to make 300,000 or 400,000 or more although that could also be wrong.

I live in Tokyo now, and it seems that Tokyo doesn't hire JET ALTs, so they must be hired privately. I've seen ads in the papers advertising for ALTs in Tokyo. I thought the trade-off was that with JET you have lots of time to study Japanese, and in non-JET ALT positions (particularly with private schools) you get a higher salary, but you're much busier, and therefore have less time to study. Is this accurate?

My hometown has a sister city in the Shonan area, so I assume that if I went with JET, I'd be placed there. I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in living in a small Japanese town in the middle of nowhere. At least not at this point in my life.

[Mike L.]

[Celeste]

Here is something to ponder- most of the ex-JET people that I know who stayed in Japan to work for dispatch companies were paid significantly less by the dispatch companies. I have never heard of a private ALT making more than a JET ALT here in Fukuoka. THe only thing I can think of that might be comparable is working for several elementary schools in a private capacity (not through an agency, but by hustling up your own positions). THe only problem with this is that usually no one school will be able to employ you for more than one or two days a week, and that they cancel lessons like crazy for things like typhoons, sports day, pool cleaning day, because a special speaker about the environment came from Tokyo, etc. In this situation, it's kind of like living off private students, but the pay is usually about 4000yen per hour and no prep time required.

[JimDunlop2]

[spidey]

Canuck,

"often" is the key word there, "sometimes" is better suited and definitely not "always". I receive full holiday pay and make more than the average ALT.

Please don't generalize all ALT companies as not paying holidays and deducting salaries. Someone might get the wrong impression.

S

[einsenundnullen]

Check around the net (especially eslcafe's job info journal) about the Kurashiki ALT program. I was in Okayama for a year, the few foreigners around there have little to no interest in being a Kurashiki direct hire ALT. I don't care to reproduce any of what I've been told, as it's only rumor, but if you do check around the net, you can read some of it for yourself.

I remember that this year they pushed their application deadline back several times. Also, if you take a look at their website, their application process is a major hassle. They love their paper, and I think it involves two interviews, for neither of which they'll reimburse travel expenses.

I was interested in this as I lived two stops from Kurashiki and it's not a bad place, but after looking into it...

If money is an issue, naturally you should look into JET. If the private ALT route is more attractive (there are differences, such as vacation), definitely check out Altia.

Chris

[Celeste]

[G Cthulhu]

1999 or 2000 was the first (and only) year that you could apply and interview for from within Japan. You can still apply from within Japan but, as others have said, you'll have to interview back in your home country.

JET has a lot of pluses. And a lot of minuses. IMO very few of any given one apply across anything other than small groups of JETs, whether they be ALTs, CIRs or SEAs.

If you want to hear the range then try over at bigdaikon.com - except that it's broken right now, so try in a day or three.

[icesk8r]

I'm also interested in the JET/ALT issue. I'm currently in Japan working at an eikaiwa but am interested in working at a public school next year. Seems like it might be difficult to get an ALT job on my own without contacts. I love Kurashiki, but I read those comments about the Kurashiki BoE on the Job Information Journal andthey are certainly putting me off. Would love to hear that they've changed for the better, but probably not, huh?

JET seems great (I applied 3 years ago but didn't get in) and I think I have a better chance of getting in now, but November is going to be such a busy time for me that I don't think I'll have time to get all the application materials ready, and I'm unable to go back to the US for a few days in February just for an interview.

If anyone successfully found a good ALT job on their own (not through JET or Interac), I would love to hear about it or how they got it...

[guest of Japan]

I got my job the old fashioned way, the Japan Times. November usually has some very good job prospects for high schools. The trend continues into December, then fades and picks up again in February and the beginning of March. I applied to about 30 job offers that suited my interests, I had two interviews. The first wasn't offering a liveable wage, so we both seemed to agree that it wasn't a good place for me. The second hired me. The company was/is fine, but I had to endure a year of hell in a low level rural school before playing my cards to get the school I'm in now. Not everyone who has worked for my company has liked it (it has a rather unique director). I'm sorry, I'm not going to post my companies name as it is rather small.

The trick is decide what you want, make yourself marketable for what you want, make yourself able to hold out to get what you want, and be firm in your quest. Do make sure you have a plan of retreat.

Point of note, Japan has this unique trait where they always want to hire people to do jobs they have already had. This is why people work for places like interac. They are a stepping stone.

[Gordon]

[canuck]

[guest of Japan]

Gordon wrote: