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silent-noise
Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 37
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 Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:55 am Post subject: AEON Application Questions |
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just a few:
- for the resume, should i stick to my standard "americanized" resume format, or should i look to the japanese resume format sticky thread for guidelines? i figure the former should be ok, as i am not being evaluated in japan
- for the "why i want to live and work in japan" essay...would it be dangerous for me to be too creative? i want to make my application stick out...but not in a bad way...
- i'm thinking of applying now for something 2-5 months in the future...is there a type of job or workplace i can expect from Aeon for a september -december time frame, or all the available jobs relatively the same regardless of the time of year?
- i'm applying in los angeles, but i may be moving back to toronto in a month or two...would it be possible to apply in LA, and then interview in toronto if i had to?
thanks!
kelvin |
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Nicedog777
Joined: 22 Jun 2005
Posts: 35
Location: Japan.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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Yay, I can actually help with this one! This is what worked for me....
Resume: Guidelines here are good, keep the resume short and sweet. Concise, if you will.
Essay: Keep it a page long, as with the resume, they read lots and lots of these, so anything too long and they might just pass it on by. What do you mean by creativity, by the way? Anything written from the perspective of the vampire may be a little risky....
It's good that you're thinking in the future, because nothing will open up until November or later, according to the Los Angeles office. I am still waiting for the details of my placement, in fact.
Hope this helps somewhat, and feel free to throw any other questions this way. |
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silent-noise
Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 37
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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yeah, i don't plan on going over there until october or later anyways...but i better start applying soon...
thanks for the tips...and by creativity i mean just writing more than just "i wanna work and live in japan because blah blah blah.." and being a little more...um...non-straightforward i guess? i dunno if that makes any sense...
do you have the contact number for the AEON los angeles office? i've tried calling the number on the website, but i could never get through...also have you ever been to an info session? what's that like?
thanks again |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:20 am Post subject: |
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| silent-noise wrote: |
y.also have you ever been to an info session? what's that like?
thanks again |
Have you read the stickies?
Testimonial #2
For the most part there are just a few things that you should keep in mind about working for AEON.
1) It's a job to teach English and work for a Japanese company. If you want a vacation look elsewhere. If your main reason to come to Japan is because you want to study Akido or improve your Japanese, this is not the place to do it.
2) You're not a teacher. You are an Employee of a company.
3) It's a business, so the primary goal of the company is to make a profit. Therefore, you have to recommend/sell things.
4) Remember this position is an entry level position. Don't bring your titles, past experiences, etc with you.
5) It's a corporation. So, the teaching style is set. If you want to teach your own lesson, open your own school.
6) You are most likely going to work a Tuesday to Saturday Schedule and you are going to be busy from the moment you walk in until you leave.
7) The apartment is for only one person and the apartment is small. Sometimes it is old. Sometimes it is dirty. It is usually livable and bearable.
No matter the job, no matter the place, the environment and your happiness depends on you. What ever you think your situation is, that what it is. Do not tie your happiness to those around you. I have worked with unpleasant people at every job I have had. That did not stop me from being happy.
So, with that said, and if you are still interested in working for AEON, what does a typical day look like?
The workday usually starts at 10 am on Saturday or noon on weekdays. This is Japan, so you are expected to be at the school about 15 minutes before you start. The time you start means you are ready to go, not clocking in...Culture Gap. Now, I could go on and on about things that are different from here and your home country. But, isn't that why you are here and not there?
We usually start the day with morning meeting to go over the goals for the day, check each other schedules, and to go over what happened yesterday. They always talk about numbers that go over my head, but I try to understand the chaos. Usually it helps that my Head Teacher tells me that we need X amount of students to renew or walk through the door and sign up.
I have to teach 29 classes a week. The funny thing was I thought I was getting 4 hours of overtime a week and when it didn't show up on my pay check I was suprised. My Head Teacher told me that is why I was an English Teacher and not a math teacher. AEON teachers can work a maximum of 25 teaching hours before they get any overtime. Since all of my classes were 50 minutes and a few 40 minute privates, I never went over the threshold. Shucks. The remaining time was considered 'office hours/duties' or somthing like that. Anyway, in between classes, I have to check homework, give check tests, do interviews, and lobby talk. Actually, I enjoy lobby talk the most since it is the only opportunity to really get to know the students since the lesson structure is pretty rigid and does not allow for a lot of free talk outside of what we are learning for the day.
In the day time, I have to do a lot of prep to make the lessons at night go well. My Head teacher is always telling me to have my lessons prepared earlier since we want to share the materials with everyone else to be more efficient with our labor. I know that, but it is hard to get things done with the balancing of all that other stuff they want us to do. Anyway, the head office has some stuff that helps with the preparation, but the low stuff is totally different from the high stuff and you can tell different people made it. My only request would be for them to make the materials look alike and make more props for us? I'm busy here at the school. Help us out! But at the same time, I should just do it myself, right?
Then there is the Self Study Campaigns. These are times when students buy materials which help them improve in areas that each student is most vunerable in. The cost is so much more than that of a bookstore, but what most teachers fail to understand is that extra cost is for teachers to help students in the lobby and after class with those materials. That is why students have to pay that much. Also, when you compare the cost of the self study materials to the actual cost of a lesson, almost $60 U.S. for a fifty minute lesson, self study is pretty cheap over the long haul. Teachers who don't put all of what they can into their lessons are just cheating their students. Some students come twice a week, in a month, that is over $400 U.S. on language lessons. For those AEON teachers out there, would you pay $400 U.S. for your lessons? Your students do. Even if you don't like your manager, your head teacher, your co-workers, your apartment, your situation in Japan, think about your students. If you don't you are just selfish and a pretty low person in my book.
So, all in all, I have a great time in Japan with AEON. I used to work back in the States with people who were ten times more challenging than the people I work with now. Compared to them, this is a piece of cake. This is a job and I get learn about Japanese business and about teaching. So, if you are thinking about AEON, remember the things I said above and you should be all right. If you think it is not the right place for you, do both of us a favor...don't come. I'd hate for one of you to come to my school and mess things up.
Peace.Back to top |
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Nicedog777
Joined: 22 Jun 2005
Posts: 35
Location: Japan.
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Ah yes, stickies and searches. Quickest way to any answer....
The rest of the stuff your asking for (contact info, applying and interviewing in two different places, etc.) you can find at the site, www.aeonet.com I don't know how likely it is to apply at one place and interview in another. Best way to tell is to go straight to the source. A good time to call (L.A branch) is around 9-10 am pst. I was usually able to talk to someone around that time.
Speaking from experience, the information meeting and group interview is not that bad. The recruiters were nice, and I kind of had fun, to tell you the truth. |
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saybanana
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:29 am Post subject: |
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Your resume should be written in the "americanized" form. I ended up writing a functional resume rather than a chrono one. I had tons of unrelated jobs for short periods of time, so I chose this type of resume to hide job inconsistencies and up play my strengths.
Your essay should answer the question directly. Im not sure of creative? It could be risky, because your audience are professional recuiters. You should focus on the teaching and try to personal it by relating your experiences in teaching or tutoring, if any. If you can answer your flexibility to adapt to others cultures with examples that can help. Don't BS your essay, be sincere, and hopefully it shows when its read. |
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