Job Discussion Forums

andrea01 · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 11

Question: With a bachelor's degree in English and over one year of teaching experience (I am a certified teacher in Georgia), why would NOVA send me a letter saying they were not interested (and wouldn't tell me why)? What could I have done or written that would keep me from getting an interview for a teaching job in Japan? Any suggestions?

Sherri · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2003 4:09 am Post subject:

Maybe they didn't like your cv or cover letter. It is hard to say because I don't know what you wrote. One thing though, Nova is not the only way to Japan and Nova is far from the best of schools to work for. I am not even sure if Nova could be classified as a school. It is primarily a business. They are not concerned about professionalism. As a qualified teacher (in ESL?) you can do a lot better.

andrea01 · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 11

I have read quite a few negative comments about NOVA, but I find it difficult to find jobs directly through the schools. Any hints or suggestions? Also, I have a family and would want to take them with me. Am I dreaming? Could we afford to live in Japan on what I would make?
Thank you for your response.

Stella · Joined: 22 Mar 2003 Posts: 17 Location: Japan

Why would Nova knock back a qualified teacher?

Simple answer - because you probably know about 100 times more than them about teaching and they'd be threatened by you. They are not running a school or any kind of educational instituition really. They are running a business and a very unscrupulous one at that. A little old Japanese lady that I know is getting ripped off by them in a big way and all they are doing is confusing her.

Depending on where and how you want to live, try for something in a private smaller school that values real teaching more.

But a word of warning - don't apply for the job advertiused on April 1 from a school calling themselves Yamaguchi English School Eguze. They are not far from where I live and I have only ever heard bad things about them.

Good luck finding a job - Japan needs more qualified people who really care about teaching.

Stella

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Sherri · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2003 6:48 am Post subject:

Again it is hard to answer your questions without more information. If you want to come with your family that makes it more complicated. (by the way if you mentioned this to Nova, that could be the reason why they rejected you) Why do you want to come to Japan? How many are in your family and how old are your children? Would you be the only breadwinner? What kind of teaching do you want to do? Adults? Children (age group)? Private school, language school?

The age of your children is important. If they are pre-school age it makes it a bit easier. If they are older, fitting in here will be more difficult for them. It is very unlikely that you would be able to afford to put them in an international school on a teacher's salary (about 3 million yen a year a child) so that would leave Japanese schools. If you can't speak Japanese, it will be very hard to communicate with your children's teachers and school authorities, and you won't be able to help them with their homework. Very tough going I think.

Your best bet would be to look into teaching at one of the international schools here. Some I hear will allow school staff to send their children to the school for free--but I am not sure if this is true. Also it is very unlikely that you will find a school that will pay for your airfare--let alone your family's. Also I doubt that you will be able to find a school that would provide accommodation for your family. I think you need to do a little more research on teaching in Japan, read up on the posts here and in other places. In the meantime check out this link with a listing of international schools in Japan. I wish you luck, but I really do think it will be tough!

http://www.tokyowithkids.com/fyi/international_schools.html

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Andrea

we are not really supposed to post job links on this page but If you would like to email me I can send you a few.

[email protected]

Wth a BA you qualifiy at least for a work visa, and having teaching experience will put you ahead of many of the 'teachers' at NOVA who arrive with a freshly minted university degree and no experience.

Unfortunately if you are in the US there are only about 4 language schools in japan that actively recruit in the US (AEON GEOS ECC and NOVA) and you will likely need to go to Japan through them, or fly to japan and find a job. Most schools here ask for Japanese residency and you must be in Japan for an interview. Very few companies will hire you on the strength of a 2 page resume and will want to know when you can be in Japan to start teaching classes.
Schools like NOVA also have their own 'training' (for wnat of a better word) for new teachers and they prefer fresh blank-slate types with no previous experience or training, so they can mold them in their own teaching style, and not introduce their own methodology or teaching philosophies etc)

Throwing kids into the mix you have to think about accomodation for them, putting them into school over here, your setup costs once you get here. The school term has already started and most companies have already hired the teachers they need and you may not be able to find somewhere nearby with a suitable school etc. How old are your children? Im not saying its impossible but there are a number of factors you will have to take into account when bringing a family.

I am currently living in japan and a long term resident here with a family. if you have any further questions please feel free to ask.

andrea01 · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 11

I truly appreciate all of your responses. Allow me clarify my situation...
My children are ages 1, 7, and 8. I plan on home-schooling them in Japan. My husband (actually my EX-husband) who is coming with us spent four years in Japan in middle school and loved it there. He only has an associate's degree, so I would be the "bread winner" (which I prefer). I thought that exposing my children to another culture would be good for them, and of course we would all try to become fluent in the language. We aren't looking to "live on the high hog" ....BUT ....I don't want to bring my family to "roach motel" either. I thought that Japan was a very family oriented country...and polite. Am I dreaming? Is taking my family to Japan an unrealistic idea?
Thank you..............Andrea ([email protected])

andrea01 · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 11

I forgot to add that I intend to pay for my family's plane tickets. I just expect the school to pay only for mine. Is it terribly difficult to find a two bedroom apt.? Believe it or not, ALL of us lived in a one bedroom apartment last year in the U.S.A.

Lucy Snow · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 218 Location: US

Japan is a family-oriented country, but the eikawa (language school)business isn't.

I don't think you're being realistic about trying to support 5 people on the salary you'd get at a language school like Nova. Your (ex) husband may be able to pick up some work, but if he only has an associate's degree, it wouldn't pay very much and then you have the issue of who's going to watch the children if you're working at the same time.

Glenski has a spreadsheet that he sends to people that gives a good idea of what average expenses are for food, transportation, etc. Salaries at language schools like Nova are quite sufficient to support one person, but even living as cheaply as possible in Japan it would be quite a stretch for five people to live a reasonable life. By "reasonable" I mean being able to take short trips within Japan, take your kids to the the cinema on occasion, have dinner out in a restaurant a few times.

Sherri had good advice about checking out the international schools, but that would mean having to wait until the 2004 school year begins in April.

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

Supporting 5 on an eikaiwa teacher's salary is nearly impossible. However, if you get a work visa, your husband can apply for a dependent visa and work part-time. Both of you can work on the side teaching privates, too. A colleague of mine teaches at 3 places on his work visa, and his Thai wife (with no work visa) manages to make almost the same salary by teaching dance and cooking privately. They are very thrifty people, but I can't imagine their salary footing the bill for 3 kids, too.

If you are going to home school, I assume your husband will do that, so that really kills the available time he would have for teaching privately.

Please reevaluate your finances extremely well before you consider this move.

mc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Posts: 90 Location: Aichi, Japan

Gelnski, I believe she said he's now her ex-husband. That would rule out the dependent's visa for him. And I don't think he would be able to get a work visa (being from the U.S.) with just an associate's degree.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Sherri · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:06 am Post subject:

MC is right. If you are not married, then your ex-husband cannot qualify for a visa to stay here. If you can get a job which sponsors you, then you will have a work visa and your children will qualify for dependent's visas. What will your ex do? If you come without him, who will homeschool your kids? Also if you do manage to homeschool it is unlikely that your kids will have the interaction they would need with their peers and the community to become "fluent" in Japanese--which you said is one of your goals.

Please research this carefully before you come!