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elliot_spencer
Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 495
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 Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 1:25 am Post subject: Gaba start up costs |
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I've been accepted by Gaba and I'm going to take the offer as they're the only company recruiting from Taiwan.
As they don't offer accomodation how much does one need for start up costs? Has anyone else been accepted from overseas with Gaba and how much do you think you need to bring to last 1 or 2 months? |
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SaganWasHere
Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 39
Location: the 10th dimension...?
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 3:56 am Post subject: Re: Gaba start up costs |
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| elliot_spencer wrote: |
I've been accepted by Gaba and I'm going to take the offer as they're the only company recruiting from Taiwan.
As they don't offer accomodation how much does one need for start up costs? Has anyone else been accepted from overseas with Gaba and how much do you think you need to bring to last 1 or 2 months? |
Don't mean to bother you, but how was the GABA interview? I don't know much about the start-up costs, so I can't help you there.
Thanks. |
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Wintermute
Joined: 11 Jun 2007
Posts: 79
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| Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 6:52 am Post subject: |
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| For an apartment be prepared to pay 3 months advance on your rent (about $3000-4000 depending on where you are). To survive (comfortably9 for 2 months you'll need at least $1000. I would say $5000 total should cover you. |
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BobbyBan
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 201
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 2:28 am Post subject: |
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elliot_spencer wrote:
| Quote: |
I've been accepted by Gaba and I'm going to take the offer as they're the only company recruiting from Taiwan.
As they don't offer accomodation how much does one need for start up costs? Has anyone else been accepted from overseas with Gaba and how much do you think you need to bring to last 1 or 2 months? |
I find it incredible that they are allowed to recruit from abroad as you have no idea how much money you can make when you turn up in Japan. I would say that you will need quite a bundle of cash to begin with - at least around 5000 dollars just to be on the safe side - as you will not know how many lessons you will book in for to begin with. Remember that you get paid per lesson NOT per hour despite the fact that they advertise a per hour price. This means the amount you need to start off with is elastic. If you are popular from the very beginning and students "blue book" you in droves then you will need less money than if your profile doesn't appeal to enough students.
No one can give you an accurate figure on how much you need, unfortunately. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:05 am Post subject: |
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Bobby Ban's is a very good point to be considered when starting at Gaba- their hourly rate, or even their per lesson rate, is not your guaranteed wage, and it can take a while to build up a student base.
This is part of the reason I have always said that Gaba is good for supplementing your income if you have other jobs and a bit of free time and need the flexibility, but it's not that good as a full-time thing.
When I was there I saw people who were clearly struggling a bit income-wise during the quieter times of year. |
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BobbyBan
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 201
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 11:59 am Post subject: |
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| Apsara wrote: |
Bobby Ban's is a very good point to be considered when starting at Gaba- their hourly rate, or even their per lesson rate, is not your guaranteed wage, and it can take a while to build up a student base.
This is part of the reason I have always said that Gaba is good for supplementing your income if you have other jobs and a bit of free time and need the flexibility, but it's not that good as a full-time thing.
When I was there I saw people who were clearly struggling a bit income-wise during the quieter times of year. |
Thanks, and just to add something which may sound not only negative but fly in the face of egalitarianism and meritocracy, GABA can be something of a popularity contest and your professionalism doesn't guarantee your popularity.
I have personnally witnessed a number of teachers from "Asian" backgrounds struggle to pick up many lessons and I think that part of the reason for that is that they simply didn't look like "native" English speakers as there was nothing wrong with their teaching ability. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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That is sometimes the case, but at the Gaba I was last at the most popular teacher by a long shot was a Japanese woman who was also a native English speaker. Her lessons booked right out within minutes of being put on the schedule because she had a big following of dedicated students.
I found that the teachers who tended not to get many lessons were non-native speakers with very strong accents which made them hard to understand, or native speakers who were unable to adjust their English to the students' level, regardless of ethnicity. |
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