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ReedNZ
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 19
Location: New Zealand
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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:36 am Post subject: What to do? Opinions please.. |
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I have been browsing these forums for some time now and need some opinions on my current situation. After holidaying in Japan at the start of the year and having a Japanese GF of more than 2 years who is now living back in Japan, i am looking at moving to Japan to work for one year. I am from New Zealand, therefore making me eligible for the WHV.
My only problem is i only have a NZDIPBUS (New Zealand Diploma in Business), which was only a 3 year Diploma, making me ineligible for The standard Working Visa.
I have applied to work with NOVA as this is the only job i can see myself being able to get with my current situation. They have asked for an interview late next month. My only problem with this idea is i am struggling to find any good points in the favour of NOVA and am wondering if it is even worth going to the interview.
If not what are my other options for employment without being eliglible for other Visas.
I know various points of this post have been bought up in previous posts, but i am looking for current opinions of the forum posters. So please don't ask me to search  Ii have looked through countless threads trying to find answers. Thanks for and assistance one may offer to me  |
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nonsmoker
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Location: Exactly here and now.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| Water flows in the path of least resistance. It is there that it finds true happiness. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:58 am Post subject: |
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| i only have a NZDIPBUS (New Zealand Diploma in Business), which was only a 3 year Diploma, making me ineligible for The standard Working Visa. |
Says who? The USA is one of the few countries, I hear, that has 4-year college degrees. Just call yours a degree instead of a diploma (which is usually reserved for high school graduation).
| Quote: |
| i am struggling to find any good points in the favour of NOVA and am wondering if it is even worth going to the interview. |
1) They are coming to you, thus saving you the money to go to Japan for interviews. Moreover, who else comes to you? Not many.
2) NOVA has most of its offices near train stations, so even if you have to travel to get there, the office is right there, avoiding a lot of walking. VERY easy to spot, too.
3) NOVA provides its own teaching format, so you hardly have to do anything to prepare.
4) I have heard nothing about NOVA ever paying late or in partial amounts.
5) Although the rent is higher than it should be for a shared situation, it includes utilities's cost, and you'd probably pay the same if you rented your own place (but would have to furnish it completely from scratch). Moreover, rent your own place, and you are likely to have to cough up 2-5 months' equivalent as key money deposits just to move in.
You don't have to take a NOVA job, and you don't necessarily have to feel cornered into a working holiday visa. But, you can use both to get your foot in the door, allowing you to look around for something else. |
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partialtone
Joined: 09 May 2007
Posts: 137
Location: CA
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:46 am Post subject: |
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I just accepted a job offer from Nova and I'm looking forward to it. I haven�t started yet, but from what I've gathered the experience is what you make of it, so I wouldn't hesitate to at least go to the interview. I started working 12 hour days as a public school teacher in the US and I still loved it, but my ears definitely perked when I heard the no take-home work deal they have, haha.
And non-smoker, I like you, but the ambiguous quotes are a little 16th century |
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ReedNZ
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 19
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Quote:
i only have a NZDIPBUS (New Zealand Diploma in Business), which was only a 3 year Diploma, making me ineligible for The standard Working Visa.
Says who? The USA is one of the few countries, I hear, that has 4-year college degrees. Just call yours a degree instead of a diploma (which is usually reserved for high school graduation). |
True but i know of others that have only been granted WHV, i think my government is a little to onto it im afraid.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:58 am Post subject:
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Quote:
i only have a NZDIPBUS (New Zealand Diploma in Business), which was only a 3 year Diploma, making me ineligible for The standard Working Visa.
Says who? The USA is one of the few countries, I hear, that has 4-year college degrees. Just call yours a degree instead of a diploma (which is usually reserved for high school graduation).
Quote:
i am struggling to find any good points in the favour of NOVA and am wondering if it is even worth going to the interview.
1) They are coming to you, thus saving you the money to go to Japan for interviews. Moreover, who else comes to you? Not many.
2) NOVA has most of its offices near train stations, so even if you have to travel to get there, the office is right there, avoiding a lot of walking. VERY easy to spot, too.
3) NOVA provides its own teaching format, so you hardly have to do anything to prepare.
4) I have heard nothing about NOVA ever paying late or in partial amounts.
5) Although the rent is higher than it should be for a shared situation, it includes utilities's cost, and you'd probably pay the same if you rented your own place (but would have to furnish it completely from scratch). Moreover, rent your own place, and you are likely to have to cough up 2-5 months' equivalent as key money deposits just to move in.
You don't have to take a NOVA job, and you don't necessarily have to feel cornered into a working holiday visa. But, you can use both to get your foot in the door, allowing you to look around for something else
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That is also true. My other problem is i would only want to be placed in Tokyo, essentially Shibuya and i have heard this is also a big ask. Your thoughts? I possibly may be able to stay with my GF and her family but the chances are not high unfortunatly, due to Japanese customs it seems. I would eventually like to be stating in my own accomodation but i could intitially stay with the NOVA accomo if needed.
With this decision please bear in mind with me that without the degree they are asking, i am only able to apply for the Flexi Schedule job within NOVA therefore only creating only a "part time" job and smaller income. I have worked out it will only leave me with about 50000 yen to live with per month. I would like to take up a martial art and play either soccer or baseball when i am there also, additionally eating into my overall budget.
I can see the positives and the negatives for the NOVA job but it just seems to be bad post after bad post on here and other forums. Very hard decision to make. Thanks for your help so far, although i am still struggling to see what i can make of Non-Smokers post") |
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Eva Pilot
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Far West of the Far East
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Where abouts in Japan is she located? Close to where you'd preferably like to be living? Or will you be commuting cross-country to see her? |
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ReedNZ
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 19
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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| She is located in Shibuya, so i would like to be working somewhere within an acceptable distance from her. From what i have read and understand. jobs in Tokyo are a little hard to come by? I will look at working at another part of Japan, but when i was there i took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Niigata and it was an expensive exercise. Not exactly something i could be doing all the time on a very reduced salary. |
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seanmcginty
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 203
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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About the 3-year degree thing.
Most jobs say they require a 4 year degree, but if you have a 3 year one from a reputable school they'll still hire you. I had a 3 year degree from a Canadian university and I was hired by both GEOS and AEON (both of which stipulated '4-year degree required' in their ads), the issue was never even mentioned. |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| seanmcginty wrote: |
About the 3-year degree thing.
Most jobs say they require a 4 year degree, but if you have a 3 year one from a reputable school they'll still hire you. I had a 3 year degree from a Canadian university and I was hired by both GEOS and AEON (both of which stipulated '4-year degree required' in their ads), the issue was never even mentioned. |
In most of Britain degrees are three year affairs. I think Scotland is four. The US and Canada are usually four as well. Some people are too stupid to learn three-years' worth of education in less than four years. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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There are literally hundreds of Nova schools within an hour's train ride of Shibuya, in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and even Chiba prefectures. If you ask for the Kanto area, preferably Tokyo or northern Kanagawa (closest to Shibuya), and give
your reasons, I can't see why Nova wouldn't be able to accommodate that. They do actually try to accommodate you as well, in my experience. I asked for Yokohama and got it when I went to work there 7 years ago.
Remember that the train/ subway system here in Tokyo is amazing and Shibuya is extremely well served by train and subway lines. You could live and work in many different areas and still be only 20 mins out of Shibuya. Also Shibuya is an expensive area to live and even if you were placed there you probably wouldn't be able to afford the rent to live very close. |
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ReedNZ
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 19
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:04 am Post subject: |
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| Apsara wrote: |
There are literally hundreds of Nova schools within an hour's train ride of Shibuya, in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and even Chiba prefectures. If you ask for the Kanto area, preferably Tokyo or northern Kanagawa (closest to Shibuya), and give
your reasons, I can't see why Nova wouldn't be able to accommodate that. They do actually try to accommodate you as well, in my experience. I asked for Yokohama and got it when I went to work there 7 years ago.
Remember that the train/ subway system here in Tokyo is amazing and Shibuya is extremely well served by train and subway lines. You could live and work in many different areas and still be only 20 mins out of Shibuya. Also Shibuya is an expensive area to live and even if you were placed there you probably wouldn't be able to afford the rent to live very close. |
Thanks for that post Apsara, very useful. One hour seems to be a long commute but as will only be working the Flexi-Schedule hours of 5-9 they won't exactly be long days.
I am not fussy about working or even living in Shibuya, but as you say a quick train trip is all i need
What are the fluctuations in NOVA accomodation prices around the general Tokyo area? Is there quite a bit jump in areas or are all within say 10000 yen a month of each other? I will be bringing a bit of money with me to make up for the small income and also so i can live comfortably.
Thanks for your help already! :> |
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Nismo
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 520
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:35 am Post subject: |
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Are you only doing this to be with your girlfriend? Why not enroll in a Japanese language school and study intensively? You can apply for "permission to engage in an activity not covered by your visa status" and work part-time on that.
After you finish 1-2 years of dedicated study you should be able to pass a college entrance exam and enroll in a Japanese university. That gives you a few years in Japan.
If you only want to work, don't even bother trying to contact employers about a WHV until you are in Japan and right in front of them. |
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ReedNZ
Joined: 30 May 2007
Posts: 19
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:01 am Post subject: |
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| Nismo wrote: |
Are you only doing this to be with your girlfriend? Why not enroll in a Japanese language school and study intensively? You can apply for "permission to engage in an activity not covered by your visa status" and work part-time on that.
After you finish 1-2 years of dedicated study you should be able to pass a college entrance exam and enroll in a Japanese university. That gives you a few years in Japan.
If you only want to work, don't even bother trying to contact employers about a WHV until you are in Japan and right in front of them. |
I would say I am maybe 50/50. I mean I obviously want to come there to be with her, but i also very keen to come for the experience.
I really loved the change of pace and intense change of culture when I was there in April. I also couldn't believe how nice the Japanese people were and how everyone was so family orientated.
We have a large percentage of asian people in New Zealand and i have always found the Japanese to be the kindest and easiest get on with, hence creating the intitial interest to make the trip to Japan. Then the lady friend came along and added fuel to the fire:)
I don't think I would come to Japan without a job lined up or at least a very good chance at one, however after just selling one of my businesses i have a bit of spare cash so who knows, i may just uproot everything and come over on the WHV. Who knows! |
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