Job Discussion Forums

ajarn · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 53

Recently I saw this job advertised on gaijinpot.

Salary: 300,000 yen per month

Requirements: Must currently reside in Japan
more than one-year teaching experience in Japan
university degree
proper visa

Description of position: Teaching company classes in Aego, Saitama starting in Jan 05'. One-year contract with fixed monthly salary and a completion bonus.

There is not a lot of information about the actual job, which always sounds alarm bells, but out of interest I emailed an application in. I received a reply back the same day. I have cut and pasted it word for word.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Nismo · Joined: 27 Jul 2004 Posts: 520

The pay matches the terms - harsh terms, great pay. The "dormitory" sounds a bit sketch, but $300/month + free utilities is nice. You work for what you earn, and the job looks demanding. That position would best suit someone very ambitous.

chi-chi- · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 194 Location: In la-la land

I've got better.

Dear ZZZ,

Unfortunately we are not able to offer you visa sponsorship. Because
we can offer you a class or two a week and that is not enough to
offer anyone visa sponsorship. We believe it is absolutely all right
to work part-time for a short time though you don't have a working
visa.
If you want to stay here and work longer, you need an appropriate
visa. I think you can work part-time for us until you get such a visa.
Sincerely,
ZZZ

AND

Dear ZZZ,

We are sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer you a position
at
this time, since we ask for at least one year experience of teaching
conversational English to Japanese people at a language school or a
company.
Sincerely,
ZZZ
(Even though I have two years experience teaching in other countries, it didn't matter because I did not have experience at that time teaching to JAPANESE learners.
I have a lot more and actually have the names of the schools, too.

buffy · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 57

Sounds like you would be based full time in a company working the same hours as the other company workers. If it is a factory, people often work on the nat'l holidays, but then get substitute days off to make up for doing that. Car companies and those providing parts for them often do that..

bearcat · Joined: 08 May 2004 Posts: 367

Actually the pay isnt that great. If you are working so many extra days that are normally afforded to others here as national holidays, you are actually getting paid perhaps less overall. Take the number of days of an eikaiwa job like nova for the total year and divide it into the pay for the total year. Do the same with this job and see how it comes out.

Saying you have no national holidays and only 5 personal days off seems strange because even factory jobs here give days off for obon and new years and even some give time around golden week as well.

But of course your work load maybe light... or it may be really tough. Who knows.

Iwantmyrightsnow · Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 202

As it is a probably some kind of factory situation I would say there are other set holidays and that is why only the five sick (flexi) days are being given.

The 5 day sick/holidays aren't necessarily illegal. While the law gives 10 in the first year, it is possible for the company to set up to half of these (such as new year) if they have the approval of the workers' representative (usually a company stooge).