|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
|
 Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 1:04 am Post subject: |
 |
|
Jon Taylor wrote:
| Quote: |
My advice.....Don't work at Nova.
There are some good jobs with many smaller but better schools.
Have a look in the International Job Forum. I advertise on their regularly and there's usually some good jobs and all offer accomodation. |
This is a topic that gets beat to death, but I'm still all for trying to point out something.
1) If someone is unable to come to Japan for interviews, there are very few options to getting interviewed in one's hometown. About a dozen places will either come to a limited number of countries to do "cattle call" interviews lasting 1-3 days, or they will do phone interviews (plenty of obvious cautions there). I am always on the lookout for names and contact info for places that do either of these things. Nobody seems to provide them (no offense, Jon) no matter how often I point this out. If anyone knows of such information, please funnel it my way.
2) NOVA has its share of problems, and as people have constantly said over the years, part of the reason is the inexperienced, naive, rosy-eyed newbie teachers, some of whom come here with secondhand and/or outdated information on how wonderful and easy it is to be a teacher. Part of the reason is that NOVA is the largest chain school around, so you are bound to hear more from its population of teachers. But, NOVA interviews in most English-speaking countries, provides an apartment and a clean office (near a train station) and a teaching format all for a salary that has essentially not gone down like many other eikaiwas. Yes, it has its faults, and I'm not saying NOVA is wonderful, but what more do you want from a place if you cannot come here to interview and you have zero background/experience in teaching? People need to be realistic. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Dipso
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 194
Location: England
|
| Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 4:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Glenski wrote: |
| If someone is unable to come to Japan for interviews, there are very few options to getting interviewed in one's hometown. |
This is very true - your options are quite limited if you are outside Japan and have no visa. When I was looking for a job in Japan, even big old ECC weren't recruiting in Britain. I was told that I would have to fly to Toronto if I wanted to interview! Even Aeon only interview twice a year in London - they send recruiters over from New York. Nova, on the other hand, have a office in London and recruit pretty much constantly. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
solarmist
Joined: 10 Feb 2007
Posts: 52
Location: Fort Collins, CO
|
| Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 9:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Glenski wrote: |
This is a topic that gets beat to death, but I'm still all for trying to point out something.
1) If someone is unable to come to Japan for interviews, there are very few options to getting interviewed in one's hometown. About a dozen places will either come to a limited number of countries to do "cattle call" interviews lasting 1-3 days, or they will do phone interviews (plenty of obvious cautions there). I am always on the lookout for names and contact info for places that do either of these things. Nobody seems to provide them (no offense, Jon) no matter how often I point this out. If anyone knows of such information, please funnel it my way.
2) NOVA has its share of problems, and as people have constantly said over the years, part of the reason is the inexperienced, naive, rosy-eyed newbie teachers, some of whom come here with secondhand and/or outdated information on how wonderful and easy it is to be a teacher. Part of the reason is that NOVA is the largest chain school around, so you are bound to hear more from its population of teachers. But, NOVA interviews in most English-speaking countries, provides an apartment and a clean office (near a train station) and a teaching format all for a salary that has essentially not gone down like many other eikaiwas. Yes, it has its faults, and I'm not saying NOVA is wonderful, but what more do you want from a place if you cannot come here to interview and you have zero background/experience in teaching? People need to be realistic. |
Isn't this almost exactly what I said? But you do touch on a couple details that I missed.
| solarmist wrote: |
I do agree that's often a much better option, but the problem is most companies have two issues with this. 1.) Most won't hire without a face to face interview (so they want someone already in Japan), 2.)Most want someone already with a work visa (Its a lot of work to go through with someone you've never met and don't know will fit at your company).
One thing I do want to say that's in favor of working for one of the big four is that its consistent, you know that thousands of people have worked for them and the majority at least have a neutral view of them. Its like Mac Donalds, sure its isn't good but you know what your getting. Where as with the small companies they're all over the scale (I've heard stories of companies forcing teachers to hand over their passports, for "safe keeping", to make sure they don't quit.). You can find some of the best jobs and some of the worst jobs this way and unless you can actually see what you're getting into you're taking a gamble.
So, its quite a gamble for a small company to hire overseas for both the company and the prospective employee. Where as large companies can just go hire a new person, small companies have serious expectations of whoever they hire, so they may only have one or two English teachers, so if one they just hired doesn't work out they're S.O.L for the next two months as they look for a new teacher. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
