Job Discussion Forums

[Potential Lunch Winner]

Hey all, I just interviewed with a dispatch company, and I think it went well but I'm fairly nervous about the response. Do people often get rejected from these companies (interac, altia, W5, what have you)?

edit: haven't heard anything from them yet--just me being nervous and looking for support.

[fluffyhamster]

If they weren't interested in you, they wouldn't have interviewed you. The main reason that you might now get "rejected" is that the dispatcher wins less BOE contracts or positions than they were originally anticipating. There was a thread a while ago about this sort of thing:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=59499

If possible though, try to avoid working for dispatchers; find an employer who's not going to be doing their utmost to nickel-and-dime you to death (assuming they don't fire you for some piddling infraction first).

[Potential Lunch Winner]

Well, the job I was applying for is supposed to start in September... should I still be worried at all?

[ghostrider]

No, don't worry.
Odds are, depending on how many positions they won in the contract war, they'll be desperate for teachers. If you live in Japan already, don't let them force you into remote areas. You can always find something in the city with another company, especially in Tokyo and Yokohama.

That said, you CAN be fired or not have your contract extended. If the school or BOE complains about your teaching, behavior, dress, attendance, whatever enough, the dispatch company will dump you to make them happy. Btw, calling in sick/late is a HUGE deal as an ALT, not like Nova where some people would call in 2-3 times a month or run late almost everyday. Also, if the company loses enough big contracts, and not enough teachers resign, they may dump you or give you some ridiculous, inconvenient option (like, teach 3 days a week at an elementary school in Ibaraki). This happened to me, other coworkers were let go. Of course, the companies who won those contracts then had extra positions to fill, and I was actually offered a position from one of those companies in the exact same area I taught before, haha.

Definitely start preparing to look for new work so you can find something more stable, and better paying, when your contract ends.

[stevenbhow]

On the upside, if you work for one of the dispatch companies, do a decent job, and quit on good terms, then you can always get another job with one of the other companies if you are in need of work in the future.

Like ghostrider said, September is a good time to find work as an ALT because some many teachers quit around that time.

[fluffyhamster]

Oh right, a September start (I was thinking it was a super-late pro-rated April or possibly even May start with some extra-tight and indecisive BOE LOL). I guess that's "alright" then, but be aware that dispatch companies can seem to forget about people (i.e. have already filled the position and therefore feel in no great need to get back to you), and I'd've thought that tendency would only increase (somewhat ironically now that the peak has passed) with the longer gap between interviewing and actually being hired. Make sure that you keep asking where you'll actually be working and when you can sign a contract (not that the contract will state where!), and if things drag on for months and months and into the summer I'd take that to imply that they haven't had and won't have enough people quit, or gained enough "new" contracts to give you and all the other people they've kept waiting a job (I would be surprised if there were much more than a fifth to a quarter of the jobs available from September as there were in April - most AETs manage to make it through the whole year).

[Potential Lunch Winner]

Well, I'm still debating to do this, or to go to this company called Will-excel in China to get some TESOL certification (i did my homework and heard good things). If I tell the ALT company "I found this other opportunity but can I work for you later," will this get me blacklisted, or is it an issue of "no contract, no foul?"

[fluffyhamster]

It'll be as you say, no contract, no foul. They'll understand, will appreciate the fact that you're informing them of your other plans, and likely will welcome possible future applications from you again - at least, that's what one or two dispatch companies said to me when I found other work sooner. They know the score, that people can't always hang around waiting for work that may not actually materialize.

BTW, why would it take until September or beyond to get certified in China? If you can complete the course say by the end of June and have the means to get back into Japan, you'd still be able to meet with BOEs etc prior to the summer break (but obviously you should tell the dispatcher that you'll be out of the country for a bit and make sure that they especially will be able to contact you during that period). Or does this Will-Excel in China offer work after completing the training, and you're thinking of staying on there afterwards? Personally, I'd prefer to live in Japan, and likely the pay will still be higher (for a newbie), but who can say about benefits and working conditions generally...it all depends on the employer.