Job Discussion Forums

Lady0424 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 39

Hey all, question for you.....so I was offered a teaching job at one school but am also interested in another school so I need advice before proceeding my application with the second school...here are the ups of working for the first school

ups
1) it's public school position (normal work hours, chance to utalize my japanese, team teaching, opportunity to engage in school activities, etc.)
2) i have an option of doing overtime
3) the job pays a little over normal starting wage for teachers in japan
4) the owner seems really really sweet and i've heard a lot of good things about the owner
5) set teaching style (good in the sense that i wouldn't have to do much prep.)

downs
1) no subsidized housing so the rent is a bit higher
2) the vacations are un-paid
3) only a couple of sick days (like 1-4) and the rest i'd be deducted salary
4) mandatory health insurance
5) set teaching style (cannot really deviate from the style...maybe add in some songs, etc. but that's it)

here are the ups for the second school
1) free housing
2) paid by the hour (the pay is really high. close to 3000 and it's a full time position)
3) can use my own teaching style
4) spoke to the owners and again they seem pretty nice and chill

here are the downs for the second school
1) mon-sat. schedule
2) conversation school (which means I cannot get a taste of Japan's public school education and I feel that it's very robotic sometimes)
3) late afternoon-night schedule

so what do you think? Should I say yes to the first school? Or should I hold off and wait? The first school sounds really great but I need some opinions..

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

The big question then is this: Do the material gains of the 2nd job outweigh the working environment of the 1st?

I've worked in Japanese public schools. You're not missing much. I'd go with the 2nd job.

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

Since when was 3000 yen an hour considered a high salary?

Lady0424 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 39

Lady0424 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 39

Neongene · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 51

How many hours in total will you be working on the 6 day work-week?

Lady0424 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 39

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Lady,
It is a dispatch operation no matter how you slice it.

3000 yen/hour x 29 hours/week x 4 weeks/month = 348,000 yen/month
Definitely more than any eikaiwa job I've ever heard of! Too bad, though, that you won't qualify for copayments into health insurance, because you will still be listed as a part-timer with less than 30 hours/week.

What is the pay of the first job, and rent? Can't really compare numbers without knowing them.

Also, people in Japan don't really get true sick days. You just get paid time off (about 10 per year, I believe, that can be taken only after the first 6 months). Would be nice to see exact wording of their contract.

Any completion bonus for the dispatch job? Are you supposed to remain in the school even when you don't teach?

I assume both jobs pay for commuting expenses.

What sort of overtime would you expect for a public school job? That is, once you've taught your load of classes, what else is there to do? And, how many teaching hours would you do there? Is it just one public school or several that you would teach in?

Lady0424 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 39

Glenski, I pmed you. Also, forgot to mention that I would be getting a bonus for the first job (about 40,000 more than AEON's bonus). And it would probably be a couple of schools that I'd teach at..