Job Discussion Forums

[wandering_al]

Hi guys,

I submitted my application too ECC in Toronto online on the 18th and still haven't gotten a reply is this normal? I figure I'll write them a follow up email about this today or tomorrow.

[Li-ka]

Eehhh.... give them another week... They're probably really busy trying to finish up hires for April. I remember it taking them more than two weeks to respond to my initial email. Be prepared to go to an interview a couple of weeks after they get back to you though... I think that's how it went for me.

Good luck!

[ellethecat]

Can anyone tell me about other aspects of the job besides teaching. I work for a company that is pretty good ,but i only teach children. sometimes I am interested in teaching adults too, and grammar. But im not a slaesman. are you pressured to sell?

[Li-ka]

Essentially, no. Though you are pressured to teach good lessons. If you do your lessons well and follow the lesson plans, have a big smile on your face so the parents can see (and you say 'hello' to them), you've done all the selling you're required to do. No selling textbooks, no selling lessons, no interviewing prospective students. I didn't want to apply to a couple of the big four because their websites or other people discussed how much selling goes on. There are a *few* cases (very few, depends on your schedule mostly) where there may be a thin line between teaching and selling, but it's mostly in how you look at it. You definitely don't have to pressure your students into buying more textbooks.

[Gordon]

I think all private schools are about selling yourself, your school or your materials ( or all 3). Some schools are less obtrusive than others though. If enrolment doesn't stay up, then people start to lose their job. Just be yourself, let your teaching be your sales pitch. If you are dedicated, love your job, know the material, then students will re-enroll for your classes.

[thedude72]

This is a great thread about ECC. Overall, they seem like a great school to work for. I am going to apply there in the next week or so here in Toronto.

I just have one question, do they hire people with no teaching experience and no TEFL certificate? I do have a BA, so that is not a concern. Thanks

[Glenski]

[bailey35mm]

Been a lurking for awhile now, thought I should finally make my first post. I flew to Toronto yesterday. Things went well, except the grammer test was a pain. I have never taught before, so although I was told I was a middle of the road candidate based on that, I was happy with how well I performed. Overall I liked what I have heard and seen. I will still wait to see if I get an interview with JET.

[worlddiva]

Wow this is the longest ecc thread I've read so far! I wish I could have read this before making my final decision.

I interviewed with ECC and AEON. I chose AEON. I'm happy with my decision though.

I had great difficulty in trusting ECC, a company who says you're hired but won't sign a contract with you until you're in Japan.???? Is this common for ECC to do?

I chose AEON because their interview process was more professional and thourough. When I interviewed with ECC the guy basically asked me when I wanted to leave, where I wanted to live and that was it. And, they hired me! Now, if they hire everyone like this, how qualified are these people? No offense to everyone going with ECC (I'm assuming I landed on a bad interviewer)

(side note: he even hit on me during the interview and saved himself from almost blurting out a crude remark, if you know what I mean)

Not to mention, that it was very clear that I would have to commute to numerous different locations to teach and that my schedule wasn't stable. (this did not appeal to me, I like to know when I'm working and prefer to stay at one school where I can develop a bond with my students and not feel like a 'teacher-to-go'. [again no offense]

The other thing that bothered me was sharing an appartment with strangers. I'm a bit OCD!LOL! With AEON, you have a single private apt.

I, by no means, want to bash ECC as I have never actually worked for them (I did keep my offer on hold though in case AEON doesn't work out.)
I simply wanted to share my experience with you.

I'll try to follow your post to see how it all works out for everyone.
Good Luck!

[Sody]

Worlddiva, are you serious? I don't think your interview experience is indicative of what most ECC interviews are like. I have my interview in the next two weeks I certainly hope mine isn't that bad.

In any case I found a really great thread on another forum with info about ECC. Here it is, check it out if you wanna know more about the job:

http://www.gaijinpot.com/bb/showthread.php?t=5154

Sody

[Li-ka]

worlddiva - Hmmm.... I think you probably did have a bad interviewer... mine was very critical, he told me my lesson wasn't a green light but wasn't a red light either. I was asked questions about how I'd react to moving to a foreign country and how I'd deal with teaching a class of 10 businessmen. I had no idea about the result of the interview until more than two weeks later. Also, they don't have you sign contracts till the end of training because they might let you go after the two weeks of training. (Seems Aeon does that too, from another thread.) They didn't stress it much, and no one from my group or the one before mine was sent home, but it's there... I was getting slightly worried about that too before I arrived, but I've got my contract now, so no worries.

Glenski - There is a chance that ECC will know if private lessons interfere with your work schedule. Some teachers have sub shifts, even after staying with the company for more than a year. These teachers potentially could get sent clear across Kansai for an early morning shift one week and be at the closest school from their apartment starting at 3pm the next week. Therefore, your free time is subject to change. That being said, this doesn't happen too often and most teachers get a pretty regular schedule fairly quickly.

ECC has been a great place to work for in my five months here, most of my students I see every week, or every couple of weeks, even though I go to different schools everyday. Still, traveling to different places and doing different shifts wasn't too much of a hassle, especially when I went outside of Osaka and saw the mountains up close every now and then. Alas... I ramble... Good luck sody and bailey!

[Sody]

Thanks a bunch Li-ka, that info was great to know. I hope my interview goes well too!

Sody

[bailey35mm]

Thanks Li-Ka

[inkansai]

I've worked with ECC for more than 2 years, and generally I enjoy my job. The students are usually great, but when it comes to higher management and company policies, non-Japanese teachers have no voice and very few rights. More holidays than the other eikawa schools doesn't equal good employment conditions.

Every year some people are not given contracts for poor performance in core training.

You have very little or absolutely no say in where you will be teaching. At the end of the day, most teachers commute at least 30 minutes, three or four times a week.

No FTL or kids teachers will have Saturday off from April 13, 2005.

ECC arranged housing, does not mean you will be teaching in the area you live in. Investigate your housing. Is your interviewer the owner? Is your arranged housing a 20-30 walk from the nearest station? Does company policy allow you to ride a bicycle to the nearest station? NO. Is the area you live in safe? Maybe. How many female teachers have had their purses snatched walking to ECC arranged housing from the station after their 9:30pm finish? more than one

Are you comfortable with the level of insurance coverage provided by ECC?

ECC does enrol all employees into KOYO HOKEN (unemployment insurance), but no non-Japanese employees are enrolled in SHAKAI HOKEN (company subsidized health and pension insurance).

see www.generalunion.org

All residents of Japan (regardless of nationality, with a visa status of a year or more) are required by law to be enrolled in a Japanese Government approved insurance plan. The travel insurance that ECC recommends is not an approved plan. If you are not enrolled in SHAKAI HOKEN you should be enrolled in KOKUMIN KENKO HOKEN (National Health Insurance). Though a lot of people don't enrol in it.

The systems used to calculate KOKUMIN KENKO HOKEN varies from city to city. Some cities are much cheaper than others. Osaka-city has very expensive KOKUMIN KENKO HOKEN premiums. The following is for OSAKA CITY.

Premiums are calculated by the amount of city tax you pay, they are provisionally calculated in March, and then adjusted in July. The Kokumin Kenko Hoken year is from April to March(the following year).

First Year: the most you will pay is 5,100yen. Usually you will get a low income deduction so the premiums are much lower.

Second Year: Based on an estimated salary of 25,2000 and no overtime work or ECC Junior work, and you start working with ECC in March 2005.

April, May, June premiums will most likely be the same as the first year.
However, in July you will see your actual premiums jump to around 40,000 yen.

Third Year onwards 44,000 yen a month (the maximum premium)

YOU DON'T GET ANY OF THIS MONEY BACK.

If ECC enrolled you in SHAKAI HOKEN, you would be better off, when you leave Japan you can apply for a refund of the pension portion of SHAKAI HOKEN. The refund amount rises with your length of enrollment in SHAKAI HOKEN (until 3 years).

Having SHAKAI HOKEN means if you are sick or injuried you can apply to receive 60% of your income. ECC has no sick pay. If you are hospitalized they will try and force you to quit or threaten to terminate your contract.

Think really hard.....is this really your ideal employer?

[Brooks]

they won`t let you ride a bike to the train station? What is the logic behind that?