Job Discussion Forums

englishtutor1378 · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 44

Anyone get an ALT position through a BOE?
Would like to hear some of your experiences in this area.
I heard of a few hiring directly in the Kansai area and even some in Kanto.

Care to share your experiences?

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

Was in one with the City Hall, and recently quit to move to another one with the prefectural office, effectively switching from junior high to senior high. I took a big pay cut but the move was more from a self motivation point, plus the City were constantly threatening to fire us due to budget cuts. At the kencho I work alongside, and do the same job (though with a little more motivation from what I've seen...) as a JET, as well as getting the same salary.

Its good because you don't lose half your salary to a middleman and you report directly to the City/Prefectural Hall. I also feel I get a little more respect than a JET, though I have no proof of this, just that JTEs complain about the JETs more than about the direct hires. (This is rare in itself, though, and is limited to just one or two of more than 40 JTEs I've worked with) Of course, what they say to me is just the tip of an iceberg compared to what they might say to each other.

Getting a direct hire job can be hard. You usually have to live in the area and keep your ear to the ground. My first job was advertised in Japanese in the local job center and the second was a case of being told by another ALT. Its a bit of an old boys network, so if you're interested, go get a place in the area you want to work and buddy up with the current direct hires. That's how its worked where I live. Whenever someone leaves they get replaced by someone who was referred by another ALT.

Really, though, my job now is no different to being a JET, perhaps with even less support.

Good luck!

englishtutor1378 · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 44

So I take it you didn't have the best experience on the JET Programme, eh? Yah, I hear you. Some complain yet some stay on for up to 3 years or even more. Feel free to elaborate on your previous JET experience. I hear from many I was just a "human tape recorder" and that puzzles me since they go out of their way to hire people from abroad.

Anyone else care to share their JET experiences?

Frankly, I've been thinking of applying for it but never did since I've already been here in JP for 2 years and don't even want to bother with their application process, chest X-ray scans again, and contacting my references I already used 2 years ago, flying back home just to do an interview etc......

Directly applying through the BOE sounds more like it for me. So I'll take it from there. Anyone have any experience applying directly? I hear a few school boards in the Western part of Japan hire directly in the winter.
I think there is a few school boards that do this between Osaka and Hiroshima?

bluefrog · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 87 Location: Osaka

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

Englishtutor, read my post again. I never said I was a JET. I worked alongside several and they tended to get a worse rep than the direct hires did. The last comment I had from a JTE was, 'Please show some of your worksheets to (name) and (name). We get a lot of inexperienced teachers (the other two were JETs) and we think its a big problem.'

I don't want to start bashing JETs (or getting flamed by them) because like every other group of English teachers (direct hire included) there are good and bad. But, the opinion of a JET friend of mine, 'I didn't come here to teach, I came here to see Japan', seems a lot more common for JETs than for people living in working in Japan already and looking to change to another job, as most direct hires are.

It would be easy for me to just follow the teaching plans in the textbooks and spend the rest of the day on Facebook or Youtube, but I'd get bored. And I actually get a kick out of doing something interesting that the kids might enjoy. And even if they don't, the effort that I make doesn't go unnoticed by the JTEs. Unfortunately, when you work in a school where there are other teachers working through a certain programme and doing exactly how I've described above, comparisons get made, and its rarely person against person, its group against group, if you get what I mean.

Whatever path you choose in Japan just try to do the best job you can. At the end of the day it'll be more rewarding for yourself as well as your students and teachers. And, regardless of what people say, there are no set ways of being an ALT. Anyone who claims they are only used as a human tape recorder either isn't making any effort or doesn't have anything worth putting in.

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

bradley · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 235 Location: China

I had a great experience with JET. I was in the countryside in Nara and stayed for three years. I would have stayed longer if I could have done so. With that said I had some friends who had terrible experiences and one even quit for eikaiwa but later regretted it and came to see his former job in a new light. Honestly, alot depends on the school, your co-workers and your own attitude. I miss being an ALT and would like to do it again sometime.