Job Discussion Forums

[Dapper Swindler]

Hi, this is my first post. I just registered today. I got a call from Nova yesterday (Wednesday) telling me to come to an interview tomorrow (Friday) so I spent today (Thursday) driving to Chicago. Although my interview is only 9 hours away now, if anyone can give me any last minute specifics about what I can expect from a Nova interview then please share them. I would have asked sooner but I just found out about it yesterday and spent today registering.


Yes, this question has probably been asked a dozen times before. I did a search and found some general information about interviews, but not much about what exactly I can expect from Nova.


Yes, after reading a few threads I'm learning that Nova isn't the best ESL program according to most people here. But I'm still going to the interview and giving them my best, then we'll see what happens.

EDIT: That's funny, I just received an e-mail from Aeon asking me to call about setting an interview with Chicago with them too. Maybe I can hit them both while I'm up here? But I doubt they want to interview in the next few days. I live in Mid-Missouri, it was about a 7 hour drive.

[Glenski]

Dapper,
Don't know what other threads you may have read. Here are some comments that others have posted.

NOVA
Here is what someone wrote:

"I interviewed in San Francisco.

I was given a little company overview. And was given a very casual group interview (with some random questions on the spot). There were individual interviews. I was asked my goals. What I want out of the experience. How would I cope with silence in the classroom.

I thought it was fairly simple. I think it's about showing enthusiasm and willingness to learn. I think being outgoing is important (but I think that's naturally part of the job)

I felt the interview was a chance to ask general questions (try not to get to negative on this) and also to find out how you cope with being nervous in front of strangers."


and another person's experience...

"In Australia, only people in NSW and Queensland are interviewed by NOVA Australia. Recruitment from the other states is outsourced to another company, so what I've written below might not apply.

When I interviewed in Jan, I had a 30-40 min grammar test and 30 min interview - but they didn't test general knowledge of Japan. If you can show you have a reasonable understanding of what you're in for, cultural difference, language problems etc, then you will be fine. They will want to gauge that you won't freak out when you arrive.

I didn't have to do a demo lesson or anything, but they did show me the "Quest" textbook and ask me to tell them what I thought the language point was, and which words I thought a student might have difficulty understanding. I think I was also asked to explain a difficult word in simple terms while the recruiter pretended to be Japanese."

and another...

"whatever you do, **don't be late** They sent a girl home (ie refused to let her into the information seminar and interviews)because she arrived at 8:05 and we had started 8am exactly. I would recommend getting there around 20 mins early. (I was interviewed in Sydney)"

Another interview experience
I did my interview in NY too. I think it was on Lexington and 50th? I remember thinking they had a building or office in Manhattan and that was a good sign. Then I entered the bldg. and nobody had heard of Nova, but...they were there. They rented the place for X time period for recruiting, I guess.

Anyway, it could even be the same recruiters so here's what to expect:

-Sit in a room for an information session. They'll tell you the truth but enhance the hell out of the good side. Like they play up all the culture you'll soak in and not say much about how you always work on national holidays and aren't allowed to fraternize with students.

-Wait for interview with everyone. I think there was a lunch break in between. I remember a bunch of people with no real work experience all kind of nervous an posturing. Like trying pose as being "international" when their big intl experience was a semester abroad in London. Then there were the 1 or 2 oddballs that were a little older and obviously running away from something and giving us way too much info about their personal lives (yeah, I was a chemical engineer for the past 15 years, but got a divorce and felt a change was needed, yada yada). Scary.

-The interview lasted 30 minutes. They asked me why I was interested in Japan, and how I thought I would adjust to the culture. Asked if I knew anything about Japan or had read books and why Japan, not China. Then they asked me to describe the difference between:

I play golf -and-
I am playing golf

I think they asked me a slightly harder question related to grammar and how to teach it. I bombed and then they told me that they would teach me how to deal with various grammar points anyway in Japan.

Good luck. I have to say the interview was fairly easy but prepare anyway. Look professional too. There were people there without suits - geez! For all the garbage, I have to say that it was fun working there for a year.

Another experience (April, 2003)
I went for an interview in Australia a few months ago expecting it to be a quick and simple interview, with little real testing about the English language. Do all the things Glenski says and brush up on your grammar (in Australia we only get taught grammar until about grade five then it is all 'creative writing'), as we had a test and then had to pick the grammar point in a lesson out of their teaching manual. We also had to describe how we would explain certain everyday situations to our class in simple terms. We were also asked a number of questions about ourselves, which we could answer in only three words or less. Eg What is your greatest achievement? What do you want to teach English in Japan?

Another experience (May, 2003)
I interviewed with Nova last year and I am now working for them.

In terms of the interview, be personable and energetic. People are mainly hired for their personalities. Try to project yourself as energetic, personable, fun-loving but responsible. Come across as an interesting person. If you are not interesting, exaggerate or lie outright.

Looks count. Dress professionally but not too severe. You don't want to come across as a stuffed shirt.

Smile. Tell polite jokes. Participate during the info sessions. Volunteer answers. Try to take a leadership role, but don't be pushy.

Check out Japan and make a wish list of places that you want to go and things you want to do. Be excited about the possibility of working and living in Japan. Be knowledgeable.

Tell them you are "creative." They're big into creativity--or at least my interviewer was.

Another experience (Sept. 2003)
I interviewed with Nova recently at their Boston office. I do not think you need to shave the goatee, as long as it looks neatly trimmed. You will have time to stress that you want to live in Iwaki, but there's no guarantee you'll get it. I asked to be put anywhere in Hokkaido but was placed in Osaka.

The interview began with a two-hour presentation about Nova. We got a chance to look through teaching materials, sample schedules and student evaluation sheets. It was all handled very professionally. The presenter described the Nova dresscode: suits are optional, but men must wear ties and aren't allowed to wear earrings. Women must wear business attire, including stockings and closed-toe shoes. Absolutely wear a suit for the interview.

After the group presentation were individual interviews. The interviewer had a copy of the online application I filled out; if you apply online, you might want to keep a copy and go over it beforehand. I was asked about my location preferences, and how I felt about working with kids. I was asked to answer 15 questions quickly and briefly. Some were:

What would you do if all your students were quiet?
What do you think of smalltalk?
What's something you accomplished recently that you were proud of?
What would your current/last employer say about you?
How are you at handling criticism?
What one word would your best friend use to describe you?
If you saw someone you thought you knew, but weren't quite positive you recognised, what would you do?

Based on these answers and the information on my application, the interviewer then asked more probing questions. What do I like and dislike about my current job? Would I be able to adapt to living in such a highly populated country? What problems do I think I might face in Japan? We then talked at length about what makes a good teacher. Since I have studied several languages, I was asked what challenges students might face in learning English. I was asked to be very specific about this, with linguistic examples. Then, I was asked how I'd explain an assortment of concepts, like the phrase 'find out' or the word 'prison', without resorting to lengthy verbal explanations. I was also asked several other grammar-related questions.

I think the most important thing is to look professional and act enthusiastic and outgoing. Play up your interest in teaching; remember that you're being interviewed for a job, not a vacation. The interview is actually fun if you let it be, so relax and enjoy it.

If you get the job, you're notified by mail about a week later.

From another person, March 24, 2004
I just interviewed with NOVA a little less than 2 weeks ago in ATL- still waiting to hear something.

The way the interview went was that there was the group orientation- they did a slide show and you had the opportunity to ask questions about NOVA and Japan. Then there was the one-on-one interview. There were never any questions about grammar or teaching theories. They did ask what qualities make a good teacher in the one-on-one interview.

There's a particular thread on here (www.eslcafe.com/discussion) that has a list of questions for the one-on-one interview and they did ask most of them. The format they used with me was to ask the questions in sort of rapid-fire succession and I was only able to answer in a few words- like about three. After I had answered all the questions, they went back and reviewed each question and my answer so that I could give more detail.

Be able to tell them what you want out of the experience and what your goals are- like where you see yourself in 5 or 10 years. Also ask a good friend to describe you in 2 or 3 words because they asked that question.

Below are the questions you need to be prepared for, but you don't want to sound too stiff when you answer- some were from the link and some I added. Just think of how you would answer them so that they aren't a total shock or something you would have never thought of before the interview so that when you get in there you don't draw a blank.

Other stuff- think of a situation where you have been frustrated and what you did to resolve the problem or how you dealt with it. It's always hard to think of tough situtations in an interview, so you may want to have a few in mind because they did ask about a negative situation and the solution.

I can't think of any other ones that they asked that really took me by surprise... Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!!


What would you do if all your students were quiet?
What's something you accomplished recently that you were proud of?
What would your current/last employer say about you?
How are you at handling criticism?
What one word would your best friend use to describe you?
If you saw someone you thought you knew, but weren't quite positive you recognised, what would you do?
What qualities does a good teacher posses?
Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

[PAULH]

[Dapper Swindler]

Thanks for the info. I thought about how I would answer all those questions so now I feel more prepared. Just to clarify, I don't need so much information about the ESL experience, just what to expect from the interview session at Nova. This isn't my first interview with such a group.

[PAULH]

[stillnosheep]

Of the half a dozen or so eikaiwa chains that interview in the US Aeon are generally accepted as being th ebest to work for and Nova are quite definitely the worst.

But if you are only accepted by Nova there is nothing stopping you from finding another job for somebody else (not one of the big 5 or 6) once you are already in Japan and have your work permit and residency sorted out.

[Dapper Swindler]

It's kind of a downer to keep thinking I would be working for the "worst" school. But if I am accepted, I don't think it would be wise to turn them down and put all my eggs in my Aeon interview next month.

So far, I can say that Nova has one two more advantages that are overlooked. One is that the interview process is much nicer than what I went through at GEOS. The staff is friendlier and they actually take the time to get to know who their candidates are. The other advantage is that Nova is timely. I was asked to come in for an interview Wednesday, I had my interview Friday, this week they will tell me if I'm in or not, and then I would be going to Japan in another month or two. That seems a lot faster than what I've heard from other groups. I'm not in a position in my life where I want to wait around any longer, although some people might be.

[stillnosheep]

While Aeon pay slightly more and subsidise your housing to Yen 42 000 pcm and Nova make money from charging you much more for a room in a shared aprtment in many ways all the major eikaiwa chains are much of a muchness, so best/worse is relative.

The quality of your time here will probably be determined far more by the city where you end up and how you get on with the teachers and staff at your particular school than by which eikiwa you work for.

[wangtesol]

Well, one advantage to being a Nova employee is that you could join the union at Nova. Aeon and Geos do not have unions.

The website is
www.novaunion.com

And I would like to know what Nova told you about health insurance? They must enroll you into shakai hoken (the national medical scheme) but they have their own private health insurance which just patches you up and sends you home if you get injured. Nova has several employees who have suffered work related back injuries but the NOVA JAMA health insurance does not cover treatment for these injuries. This has been widely reported in Japanese newspapers. You can find this info on the Nova Union website.

I would think for a company in the US (which the Nova Group US is) that recruits an employee and lies about its health insurance would violate some worker safety laws in the US. Or at least, they could be easily sued for something.

[PAULH]

[PAULH]

[wangtesol]

What I am saying is that Nova Group US is a company in America that must follow American laws. Nova Group Canada is a company in Canada that must follow Canadian laws. Nova Group is, of course, a Japanese company that is traded publicly on the Osaka stock exchange.

If a company hires an employee to a company and does not inform them of reasonable risks involved in the job (i.e., back problems from shoddy chairs), and then suffers an injury, these are grounds for a suit.

[Glenski]

wangtesol,
Maybe we need a corporate lawyer here, but my guess is that NOVA plays by the rules of its home country, Japan. The parent company does all the decision-making. It's up to the Japan office to decide how to market itself abroad, just like it is for any company that recruits for the home office in another country. Hard to imagine that a place would offer a list of caveats when trying to get people to fly thousands of miles to take a job with it.

[PAULH]

[PAULH]