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underblow
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 9
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 Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 4:38 pm Post subject: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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I�m a graduate who is very keen to teach English in a �conversation school� in Japan. I'm not nescesarilly looking for a "proper" job, or lots of �$ I have lived off a low income my whole life, and I prefer partime if I can get it. That said I am, have and can do full time. Here are my options as I see them:
NOVA
PROS: Reliable sounding company. You know where you stand with them. Often cited as a good 'launch pad'. Can change location mid-contract?
CONS: No vacation. Inflexible 40hr week.
GABA
PROS: Very flexible. Maybe a more 'casual' sort of work?
CONS: Bad pay. Bad reputation. Can't sponsor visa? Don't help with your accomodation?
GEOS
PROS: More holidays than NOVA. Slightly better reputation than NOVA in most respects.
CONS: Inflexible 40hr week. Potentially mountains of paperwork (maybe).
AEON
PROS: I don�t know anything about them yet!
CONS: I don�t know anything about them yet!
JET
I considered JET for many years, but I have concluded that I do not want to work in schools, as I would rather not be responsible for maintaining discipline in large classes of children. I would rather teach small classes of adults (and the odd child) in private �schools�, and I prefer �for-profit� work places.
ECC
PRO: Good reputation. Decent holidays. 29 hour week doesn�t sound so bad. Generally looks like a good, relatively upfront company. No anti-fraternization rules. (Maybe I�ve just been sucked in by the homey, friendly un-corporate looking website?
CON: �Weekends� might not be consecutive. Less opportunity to select destination? Legendary grammar test (I haven�t studied grammar since high school, and I wasn�t paying attention then, that said, being a university graduate I am highly trained in passing tests on subjects that I know very little about). Can't transfer mid-contract.
I�m still reading, but I�m thinking about ECC as a first choice. NOVA looks like a pretty straightforward option, but also I think it sounds like a bit of a grind, work-wise. I�d like as much free time as possible! GEOS looks pretty decent too, probably better than NOVA, but could also be a grind. If I could get a 29 hour or less working week in a rural area with ECC I think that would be my first choice at this stage, though I suspect that ECC only have offices in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo. That said I am still investigating. That�s why I�m posting here. Any suggestions or advice? I�ll update this as I gather more info.
Thanks!! |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 9:23 pm Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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| underblow wrote: |
I�NOVA
PROS: Reliable sounding company. You know where you stand with them. Often cited as a good 'launch pad'. Can change location mid-contract?
CONS: No vacation. Inflexible 40hr week. |
NOVA teachers get ten paid holidays a year by law, but work on national holidays and Christmas. Two days off a week. Can ask for more time off but unpaid.
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GABA
PROS: Very flexible. Maybe a more 'casual' sort of work?
CONS: Bad pay. Bad reputation. Can't sponsor visa? Don't help with your accomodation? |
Stay away from GABA. Good for people who want extra hours on top of a regular job. Slave wages.
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GEOS
PROS: More holidays than NOVA. Slightly better reputation than NOVA in most respects.
CONS: Inflexible 40hr week. Potentially mountains of paperwork (maybe). |
Most full time jobs are 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day. Actual work hours are 40 hours, teaching hours more like 30. Check that ECC's 29 hours are not just teaching hours. I did see a post from someone who worked there and said paperwork wasnt as bad as people make it out to be. Can do progress reports in the last five minutes of class.
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JET
I considered JET for many years, but I have concluded that I do not want to work in schools, as I would rather not be responsible for maintaining discipline in large classes of children. I would rather teach small classes of adults (and the odd child) in private �schools�, and I prefer �for-profit� work places. |
You will not be responsible for discipline as you are a teaching asisstant with a Japanese English teacher. Best happy, holidays but location is a lottery and mostly ion rural locations. Airfare paid for. The children are junior high school age. You will find 'for-profit' schools treat you like a battery hen, and money comes before teaching quality. Eikaiwa teachers are just warm bodies churning out lessons.
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ECC
PRO: Good reputation. Decent holidays. 29 hour week doesn�t sound so bad. Generally looks like a good, relatively upfront company. No anti-fraternization rules. (Maybe I�ve just been sucked in by the homey, friendly un-corporate looking website?
CON: �Weekends� might not be consecutive. Less opportunity to select destination? Legendary grammar test (I haven�t studied grammar since high school, and I wasn�t paying attention then, that said, being a university graduate I am highly trained in passing tests on subjects that I know very little about). Can't transfer mid-contract. |
see http://www.generalunion.org/ecc
Most language schools you may have split days off in the first year.
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| I�m still reading, but I�m thinking about ECC as a first choice. NOVA looks like a pretty straightforward option, but also I think it sounds like a bit of a grind, work-wise. I�d like as much free time as possible! |
They choose you, you dont choose them and you have to pass the interview stage. Most people attend interviews at all four companies and go with who ever hires them. You are just another fresh off the boat newbie and there are no guarantees about who hires you. get some experience first and then shop around for different jobs after coming here. Teaching is WORK. you will find it a grind whereever you go, as they pay you to work and teach lessons. At NOVA etc you will have up to 6 or 7 classes a day, 5 days a week. Actual teaching hours is 27 hours a week plus paperwork, demo lessons, conversation room, etc. |
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Willy_In_Japan
Joined: 20 Jul 2004
Posts: 329
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| Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 4:14 am Post subject: |
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If you like a lot of time off, (usually about 40 days in summertime) you should check out ALT work.
The pay bites, but you can always supplement with part time work, and travel in the summer. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| I�d like as much free time as possible! |
As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. By this, I mean that you might want something like the 29-hour work week, but that'll be the loophole the employer needs to list you as a part-time worker to the government and not to help make your health insurance copayments. Big stink on this recently. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 11:57 am Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I�d like as much free time as possible! |
As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. By this, I mean that you might want something like the 29-hour work week, but that'll be the loophole the employer needs to list you as a part-time worker to the government and not to help make your health insurance copayments. Big stink on this recently. |
If you want part time hours you will get part time pay, which means you may not get enough to meet your bills every month and do the things you want to do in a new country, like travel around, go out boozing and socialising with work mates.
Employers dont pay you to sightsee and 'experience the culture' but to put in the hours at work for them. It all depends on your priorities for coming here and whether you can afford to get by on a low salary. 1,500 yen an hour is about 7 pounds an hour in wages or the equivalent of 200 pounds a week for a 30 hour week. Not a princely sum by any stretch. |
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underblow
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Tue May 09, 2006 5:16 pm Post subject: Re: Picking a conversation school, NOVA, GEOS, ECC, e.t.c. |
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GABA
PROS: Very flexible. Maybe a more 'casual' sort of work?
CONS: Bad pay. Bad reputation. Can't sponsor visa? Don't help with your accomodation? |
Stay away from GABA. Good for people who want extra hours on top of a regular job. Slave wages. |
Roger that! I'd like to see some of their famous adverts though!
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GEOS
PROS: More holidays than NOVA. Slightly better reputation than NOVA in most respects.
CONS: Inflexible 40hr week. Potentially mountains of paperwork (maybe). |
Most full time jobs are 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day. Actual work hours are 40 hours, teaching hours more like 30. Check that ECC's 29 hours are not just teaching hours. I did see a post from someone who worked there and said paperwork wasnt as bad as people make it out to be. Can do progress reports in the last five minutes of class. |
So better than NOVA right? They seem to get a better press on these forums and GP.
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JET
I considered JET for many years, but I have concluded that I do not want to work in schools, as I would rather not be responsible for maintaining discipline in large classes of children. I would rather teach small classes of adults (and the odd child) in private �schools�, and I prefer �for-profit� work places. |
You will not be responsible for discipline as you are a teaching asisstant with a Japanese English teacher. Best happy, holidays but location is a lottery and mostly ion rural locations. Airfare paid for. The children are junior high school age. You will find 'for-profit' schools treat you like a battery hen, and money comes before teaching quality. Eikaiwa teachers are just warm bodies churning out lessons. |
Yeah, JET is probably the best deal of the bunch, but to be honest I am really just a warm body with a degree, who is almost certainly capable of churning out lessons. I am not a teacher (I'm not really into children for starters!), and I don't think I am heading in that direction! I understand what you are saying, but I really think an Eikaiwa would be a better fit for me.
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ECC
PRO: Good reputation. Decent holidays. 29 hour week doesn�t sound so bad. Generally looks like a good, relatively upfront company. No anti-fraternization rules. (Maybe I�ve just been sucked in by the homey, friendly un-corporate looking website?
CON: �Weekends� might not be consecutive. Less opportunity to select destination? Legendary grammar test (I haven�t studied grammar since high school, and I wasn�t paying attention then, that said, being a university graduate I am highly trained in passing tests on subjects that I know very little about). Can't transfer mid-contract. |
see http://www.generalunion.org/ecc |
Its a coin toss whether the active involvement of a union is a good o | | |
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