Job Discussion Forums

[alexrocks]

I've heard that NOVA's stock has taken a nose dive (30-40% since July) and the company's in trouble. I guess it has to do with the health insurance mess. Anyway, I've heard that student numbers are way down and that the company is working with loan companies which have yakuza connections in order to assist new students in financing their course fees. Also, they're apparently not allowed to go to university job fairs because half their teachers quit within a year.

So I've heard, anyway. For those of you looking for work from abroad, this might not be the company you'd wanna start with in Japan, though most people leave it pretty quick anyway. I sure did!

[wangtesol]

The US State Department has also dropped NOVA from their list of job links.

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/eal-jobs.htm

The Nova Union proves itself to be one of the most progressive forces in Japan. Man, if you can reach the State Department, you got influence!

[Zzonkmiles]

WOW.

Interestingly enough, I've been seeing advertisements on the train from NOVA encouraging new students to sign up for lessons by the end of the month because starting in month, the lesson fee will go up. That's what the posters say.

But let's think about this:

NOVA has cut the starting salary for new teachers from 250,000/month to 220,000/month.

NOVA was hit hard by the health insurance fiasco and then had to find a way to weasel out of it by reducing the amount of teaching hours in order to bring them just below the minimum hours required in order to have its teachers be eligible for the national health insurance plan.

Overtime at NOVA has been severely reduced.

Students who complain about their NOVA lessons are no longer given a free lesson in compensation.

If you are a branch student and your teacher doesn't show up, you are required to take an MM lesson on the spot in place of it.

Admin and staff bonuses have been reduced.

NOVA opened too many schools with too few students that generate too little revenue.

Could it be that NOVA's poor business practices and sketchy working conditions have finally caught up with it? Ex-NOVA students are probably not willing to go back there, and even ex-NOVA teachers are getting the word out that those students are better off studying elsewhere.

I guess NOVA going under is analogous to Roe v. Wade being overturned. It invokes lots of passions, but nobody REALLY expects it to happen. But now I'm not so sure anymore...

[Rorschach]

I don't know about branch but overtime at the MM Centre has gone through the roof. Nearly everyday the staff is down on the floor soliciting for overtime which was unheard of a year ago. From what I heard Nova has too many students and not enough teachers to go around. I think Nova tried too hard, too fast to gooble up the market and now it starting to choke on the large number of empty schools it has. I would hope Nova sticks it out. I don't like it's business practices but it isn't a terrible place to work at and a lot of people would be in a bit of trouble if the company folded suddenly.

[yamanote senbei]

Has everyone at the MM Centre gone for the new improved JMA insurance plan?

http://insurancewrongdoings.blogspot.com/

[alexrocks]

Crap, I use Interglobal! Hopefully in my current job search I'll be able to find something with shakai hoken....

[alexrocks]

[JimDunlop2]

[Rorschach]

[alexrocks]

[yamanote senbei]

[senza_vavoom]

After hearing about this, THANK GOD NOVA REJECTED ME. At first, I was stunned with the rejection letter, bc I had all the right qualifications:

- I am in my M.A. degree ( Grad school ) at U of T
- I have studied French, Italian, Greek in a private school for 10 yrs
- I travelled extensively to the Middle East, Europe and the Mediterrenean
- I also have 5 yrs corporate experience with the largest energy marketer ( I started right after I graduated with my B.A. from U of T at the age of 21 and worked until recently )
- I am also 26 yrs old - very young, very professional.

So, I was shocked when they rejected me bc I thought they truly wanted someone like me. Thank GOD that they rejected me...I hope that the people who just recently got the jobs with NOVA are smart enough to look for another job while out there!

[PAULH]

Sonja,

If I were NOVA I would say you are overqualified. A bachelors degree is all you need to get a work visa and masters is overkill. You mention in the other thread about the graduate recruitment scheme.

NOVA now has too many students, too many branches and not enough teachers and its my guess they will take anything that has a pulse and can speak English.


Language experience is nice but not mandatory. At least you have experience of learning other languages and know what its like to be a student. Japanese ability is not expected to get a job at NOVA.

If you have corporate experience, how would feel about starting at the bottom in an entry level job in Japan? Sure living in Japan is exotic, but the pay is about 7 pounds an hour. How do you feel about being told what to do by someone not much older than you and less qualified?


NOVA is good for getting your foot in the door and gaining experience and you have to start somewhere. Dont worry too much if you get knocked back (I'm sure you won't) but rejection is all part of the process.

[Zzonkmiles]

For what it's worth, I have recently been told directly by ACTUAL NOVA EMPLOYEES that their semi-annual bonuses have been cut or eliminated altogether. I'm talking about foreign admin AND Japanese staff--workers far more senior than the standard teacher or assistant trainer. Thus, lots of the Japanese staffers are quitting NOVA. I don't know if the foreign staffers are abandoning ship too, but it certainly does seem like things are indeed not going well.

[Nicedog777]

Wow. I knew the competition was bad off....but not this bad off.

Ah well. One less thing to worry about as an AEON employee. After all, all those students are going to have to go somewhere.....