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Honest facts/opinions about NOVA
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Is NOVA good for a young FIRST TIMER?
NOVA is great, go for it!
15%
 15%  [ 3 ]
NOVA is OK but you can do better
47%
 47%  [ 9 ]
NOVA is my last pick
36%
 36%  [ 7 ]
Total Votes : 19

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TexasAggie03



Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 3
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:44 am    Post subject: Honest facts/opinions about NOVA Reply with quote
I am a recent 24 year old college grad with no teaching experience. I am really interested in teaching in Japan and I have just begun my research (although I am fairly sure that I am ready to take the plunge).

NOVA was one of the groups that I heard a lot about and that actually called me back. Most of the feedback about NOVA has been negative although somewhat vague. I am supposed to interview with them in March and I would like to know what I am up against.

Anyone with first hand knowledge of NOVA or know someone who was affiliated with them your comments are welcome. Please give an honest assesment from the perspective that I am not a professional teacher and I want to go to get teaching experience AND it would be a great adventure for a kid (meaning I don't have to have certain amenities that others may consider necessary).

Real comments only PLEASE. Sarcasm not needed Exclamation If you have contact information that you don't mind sharing that would be great. Thanks in advance.
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King Kong Bundy



Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 76
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
When I called Saitama Board of Labor to file a complaint against Sugita owner of USCOM and lil' kid, before I even had the chance to say the company the lady asked me if I worked for Nova. I have never heard anything good about Nova. In fact I hear Nova has a high turn over rate because they treat their teachers really bad. All their money goes into advertising.

If you want to read what happened to me go to the thread titled:
"Working in Japan without a contract? Don't let this happen t," after reading it you will realize be careful. Most companies here are honest but get stuck with a dishonest one and you will be sorry. I am presently working for an outstanding company!
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PAULH



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
King Kong Bundy wrote:
When I called Saitama Board of Labor to file a complaint against Sugita owner of USCOM and lil' kid, before I even had the chance to say the company the lady asked me if I worked for Nova. I have never heard anything good about Nova. In fact I hear Nova has a high turn over rate because they treat their teachers really bad. All their money goes into advertising.

If you want to read what happened to me go to the thread titled:
"Working in Japan without a contract? Don't let this happen t," after reading it you will realize be careful. Most companies here are honest but get stuck with a dishonest one and you will be sorry. I am presently working for an outstanding company!


Positive people have better things to do than whinge and whine on bulletin boards. Misery loves company.

For a balanced account about working at NOVA go to

http://www.vocaro.com/trevor/japan/nova/level_up.html

NOVA is not perfect, nor are many of the other big language schools, becuase of its size (5000 teachers in 250 branches) you are going to get a larger number of people complain about them.

The Osaka MM center has a fairly good reputation among NOVA teachers.
Don't believe everything you read without finding out the facts first.
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Sadken



Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 341
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have signed up with NOVA and am coming over to Japan in between January and March.

I'm 24, I've been working since I was 16 and did my degree part time. I've been fucked over in one way or another by every single person I have ever worked for to the point where I just don't even complain now because I accept that this is it goes. For the past 6 years I have worked in a law firm and had progressively more and more responsible jobs to the point where I am leaving as a caseworker/trainee solicitor type. It is a small firm with only 10 of us there. I consider my boss to be one of my best mates, however, over the years, he has broken countless promises to do with pay and conditions to me. My point is that when you work somewhere you are going to get fucked around and fucked over and everyone who comes on here and moans on and on about the big 4 would do well to realise that. I'm not justifying or defending the big 4's behaviour just saying that I am going into it with my eyes wide open and focusing on drawing the best rather than the worst out of the situation. You'd do well to do the same.

I'm going with NOVA to dip my toe into the teaching water and see if I like it. I don't have any formal teaching qualifications, however, if I enjoy my time with NOVA I intend to return to the UK to do a PGCE or MA and then either settle in England or head off again. NOVA and the big 4 represent a fantastic opportunity to me; I literally couldn't believe it when I found out about it. I get to travel to and live in a country I have always wanted to see, try out a new career path to see if it fits, get paid, meet new people from all around the world...from over here I am struggling to see the downsides and I can't wait to get out there and discover them for myself because I am sure they do exist.
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PAULH



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sadken wrote:
I I get to travel to and live in a country I have always wanted to see, try out a new career path to see if it fits, get paid, meet new people from all around the world...from over here I am struggling to see the downsides and I can't wait to get out there and discover them for myself because I am sure they do exist.


Here are some of them:
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 McNOVA ......


Opinions expressed 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




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Sadken



Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 341
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks, Paul, I don't believe there is any job in the world where you could list pros without cons. Professional footballer maybe. Or God. Even then, there's the hours....

On a side issue: with regards to the long hours, I heard that you could swap shifts around fairly easily so that you could get plenty of three day weekends in which to see another city or something. Fair enough, you have to work a 6 day week for every 3 day weekend but in my job here that isn't an option and there is plenty of England I have yet to see.
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BradS



Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 173
Location: Tokyo, Japan
PostPosted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm currently teaching in the Saitama area at Nova and thought I'd say that, while there are problems, I've found it a great way to be introduced to the country. They sort out pretty much everything for you, and the work seriously isn't hard at all. Expecting an employer to give you time for a cig is a bit rediculous.

The kids are great (you just need to know how to work them), pay is good and best of all you can customise your time table by swapping shifts with coworkers to give yourseld holidays.
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