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keelychild
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 1:35 am Post subject: nova job or go there first and then look? what would you do? |
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me: BA, CELTA, 18 months teaching exp in Indonesia, 6 months teaching exp with migrants in Australia (my home) and various education related jobs prior to all this.
i have been offered an interview with nova in perth w.a. and i'm not forseeing too many problems in getting through the interview process. my girlfriend is japanese and lives in yokohama so i want to go to that area (i am aware of the size of tokyo and its surrounding suburbs). my question to anyone who knows is do they think it is a better option to get a nova job now and come with them in august or hold out and save some more cash here in australia, get our own apartment in tokyo then look for work when i get there? nova offer 259,000 at 35 hours a week (30 contact, 5 prep), are there many schools that offer similar or better? is it possible to ask the right questions of other schools when searching so you can avoid the ones who exploit, without offending people? many people say that the job market has changed a lot, does this mean there are less jobs and less money? if so, how much less of both?
this may be similar to a question posted earlier but with the qualification that there could well be a job on offer (with nova) what do people think?
try to put yourself in my position, teachers-already-in-japan, nova have offered you a job but you could go over, into accommodation already organised, with a little cash (a few grand) in your pocket as security and enough experience teaching to not be so fresh that you shine! what would you do, knowing what you know?
i hope you can offer me pearls of wisdom without thinking i am swine.  |
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matty
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
Posts: 11
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 2:45 am Post subject: |
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Hope this helps. I went to japan in 1998 and returned last year.
Taking the NOVA job is a good way to get into the country with a solid visa and a guaranteed income. And they do all the imigration work for you.
Stay with them for as long as you are happy and then make a move when you are ready. You may be really lucky and get a 3 year visa straight away in which case you have a lot of time to make choices. I worked with Nova for about 22 months, and met some some great friends.
Its something to think about. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| nova offer 259,000 at 35 hours a week (30 contact, 5 prep), are there many schools that offer similar or better? |
Most language schools offer this much. Some a wee bit more (270,000 or 280,000). A rare few offer 300,000. A lot depends on where you live.
| Quote: |
| my question to anyone who knows is do they think it is a better option to get a nova job now and come with them in august or hold out and save some more cash here in australia, get our own apartment in tokyo then look for work when i get there? |
If you are Australian, you can get a working holiday visa (if you are the right age) and come here to look for the better paying jobs. Very few places hire from abroad (NOVA, GEOS, AEON, ECC, JET program, and Westgate Corporation). If you are in Japan, you can check out locations and other criteria. Your biggest barrier will be choosing a place to live while you look for work. I don't know how "a few grand" really translates, but you should have US$4000 in your pocket before coming over, even if you have a job in hand. People have come here jobless, stayed for 2-3 months, and left jobless.
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| many people say that the job market has changed a lot, |
I haven't heard this in the last 5 years that I've lived here, except for the university jobs becoming more strict in their requirements. What did you hear, and from whom? |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2003 1:11 pm Post subject: Nova springboard |
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| You wouldn't be the first person to use Nova as a spring board. It's an easy way to get over here, get things worked out, gain some experience in Japan. Contract laws in Japan say that you only have to give 2 weeks notice to your employer, not the 1 month Nova has in their contract. Regardless, if you leave Nova early, they probably wouldn't hire you again, but you probably wouldn't be going back there anyways. |
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Wolf
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 1245
Location: Middle Earth
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 6:09 am Post subject: Re: nova job or go there first and then look? what would you |
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| keelychild wrote: |
nova offer 259,000 at 35 hours a week (30 contact, 5 prep), are there many schools that offer similar or better?
i hope you can offer me pearls of wisdom without thinking i am swine. |
 Really? REALLY?!
Honest to kami-sama NOVA is giving its employees 5 HOURS of prep time per week that GETS COUNTED TOWARDS YOUR WORKING HOURS?
Keelychild, I'm not calling you naive or a liar or anything, but if that's right the NOVA experience you're about to have will be a lot better/less stressful than the one I had. Not that I'm green with envy  . Good on'ya. 
For the advice bit. I got into Japan using the NOVA springboard technique. They provide housing (albeit expensive and shared). They provide a paycheque, a job, get that visa, and a work enviornment where you can learn a lot about teaching by making mistakes without the danger of getting fired. Well, you won't need that last one as much, as you've taught for about 2 years.
I did it with only 150 000 yen to my name. I "took the advance" of 120 000 from NOVA, but I don't recommend it as it messes up your finances for those first few crucial months. Note I didn't have a life, but it can be done. Most schools pay around what NOVA pays, between 250 000 - 300 000. MOST. But lost of schools will offer the same pay for fewer classes than NOVA expects. I had 40 CONTACT LESSONS a week at NOVA  , and at my second job I had 18. In/near Tokyo, you'll be able to shop around for a new job after you get here. A few months with NOVA (probably) won't kill you.
BTW I knew a Trainer there pretty well. If you give your notice and quit on good terms, they might take you back if you re - apply in the future, if there haven't been any "problems." Not that anyone with another option would want to. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| Full-time Nova. 7 to 8 lessons a day, 10 minutes to prepare between lessons. 250,000ish during probation, a little more depending if you work evenings or weekends after that. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
NOVA is giving its employees 5 HOURS of prep time per week that GETS COUNTED TOWARDS YOUR WORKING HOURS?
Keelychild, I'm not calling you naive or a liar or anything, but if that's right the NOVA experience you're about to have will be a lot better/less stressful than the one I had. |
LEt's do the math. Five hours a week is one hour a day of prep time. With 8 classes per day, that's 60/8 = 7.5 minutes prep time per class. Since you actually get 10 minutes between classes (on average), I expect NOVA is using these 10 minutes as the "prep time" allottment.
Of course, the real nitpickers here will see that 2.5 minutes out of those 10 are unaccounted for, so you work 2.5 x 8 = 20 minutes per day for free. That's 20x5 = 100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes) free per week, or roughly 6 hours and 40 minutes free per month. |
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Wolf
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 1245
Location: Middle Earth
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| Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2003 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, that's what I thought.
When I worked at NOVA there were eight lessons a day for the full timers. Lessons were 40 or 45 minutes long (depending on the time of day.) There were 10 minutes between each lesson, that you DON'T get paid for. I remember once (after I handed in my resignation but beofre my last day) I asked my AT if I could have beamed back to Canada for 7 - 8 minutes, provided I had a Star Trek transporter, seeing as how I wasn't actually being paid for that time.
Thirty HOURS per week. Fourty LESSONS. Ah. That sounds more like the NOVA I remember....
And that's why I nearly had that heart attack in my first post.... |
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keelychild
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 1:49 am Post subject: aha! |
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thanks for the info everyone.
i especially like the take that the five hours prep are actually the 10 minutes in between classes. nice one!
it seems to me that the best thing to do would be to go over with nova and then quit as soon as you have another job, if only for the working visa with less tax (for an aussie) why do nova leave this loophole and treat people as (relatively) badly as they are reported to doon sites like dave's? aren't they shooting themsleves in the foot?
when people talk about these other jobs paying 300,000 yen a month, who is this with?
tim |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 2:04 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| when people talk about these other jobs paying 300,000 yen a month, who is this with? |
I posted about 8 listings from ohayosensei.com last week. Those were the only job listings that quoted salaries higher than 270,000 yen/month. They covered quite a range of teaching options, not just eikaiwas, but I think you'll find that if you want to make more money, you'll have to steer clear of eikaiwas in general. |
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keelychild
Joined: 20 Apr 2003
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 11:59 am Post subject: posting |
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| where did you post them glenski? |
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