Job Discussion Forums

[El_Mero_Mero]

All that means is an extra 50000 yen per week. Wouldn't my ALT job provide me with part of my evenings, as well as my weekends off? I'm sure that by private teaching and working late in a bar/nightclub I can either make it or get close to it.

[elkarlo]

[Apsara]

[grapejuice]

Previously, someone said that the salary was low, someone else said the 250 000 was standard etc....
I must say when all is considered, working for Interac is not a good deal at all...they don't pay for key money which amounts to about 200 000 yen just to get into an apt for your first month. (deposit, real estate fees and first month) Then you have utilities etc. You may not get your deposit back, and you won't get the fees back.

Interac doesn't pay you your salary the first month until the end of your second month of work. That's allot of good faith, too much, NOVA went down and left many teachers without salaries. However Interac is happy to loan you money and charge you interest for it! They have no regard for their employees in my opinion. So after traveling to Japan, paying your own ticket to get to Japan, setting YOURSELF up in an apt...you are really being paid 10 or 11 months for 12 months work... at an average salary. If you are serious about working in Japan you can find better deals out there...for sure. If you come for a 3rd world country, maybe it is worth it, otherwise, the conditions are not what they should be, so don't be loyal to them.

Get ready to work with NO heat in the winter in the classroom. I was teaching in a heavy winter coat and I was still cold. I am an area that is considered to be mild. I then caught a cold and missed a couple of days. It was my first month, so they said it was my probation period, so it is leave with no pay! Thanks for looking out for me. I did have medical insurance but I am out of pocket. It hurts when they don't pay you until the end of your second month.

I was placed in two schools, one week on, one week off. This rotation system, plus all the primary schools they send you off to, do not make you feel like part of any team. As a professional teacher, this is not a career move. Interac communicates mostly by email, which makes it cold and inconsiderate most of the time. You are forbidden to talk about work issues with the schools you work at, if you do, and get caught, interact will send you a "letter of concern". Then follow up with an email stating "You did so and so, do you know you were wrong? Do you agree? Tell us why you think so. What should we do about it?" As though you were the Junior High student! This happened to a fellow teacher. To make things even worse, they didn't have their facts right. Over all, the kids are fun, but it�s not enough to want to wake up in the morning.

If you have to go to a meeting in Hiroshima, bring your own tea/coffee because they won't even offer you a cup. They may tell you where the vending machine is but don't expect any courtesies. I spent two and a half days there, (interview, training) not even one beverage offered. Their lack of consideration follows through to the work environment.

I can go on. Maybe I will another day...

Simply, they are not a good company to work for...the local board of education should be wary of them. In my area, in a 4 month period, I am the third teacher to be put into the two schools. That says something doesn't it? The second day, I had a problem with a teacher, I should say a problem found me, Interac's solution, just try harder to make things right, but don't talk to anyone about the problem or else we'll right you up.

I'll give more details of location etc. once I've left and been paid.

Cheers.

[flyer]

[Apsara]

[ripslyme]

[Apsara]

I realise that some jobs do pay earlier, but just saying that it isn't at all unusual to be paid in arrears in Japan- in fact it's normal. If Interac were the only company in Japan doing it then there might be cause for complaint.

[fluffyhamster]

I was also going to mention JET or JET-style direct hires (maybe Apsara was talking only about private rather than public employees). When I was a JET, my BOE was actually concerned that the two weeks' pay I received on their first payday after, yup, my two weeks in Japan, would not be enough to see me through to the next payday.

Ultimately, there is really no defending not paying dispatch AETs a bit quicker (as soon after and near to the BOE's actual direct payday as possible) - many don't and won't have the social networks and support that Japanese privately employed might have, plus it would be nice if the BOEs showed a little more appreciation generally...but then, dispatchers pull the wool over everyone's eyes.

[flyer]

[Apsara]

[flyer]

I agree with you Apsara. While of course it would be nice if everyone offered you free tea or coffee, I don't think its something to complain about at all.
There are many other far more important things

[El_Mero_Mero]

Well Grapejuice, I appreciate your rant. That must be pretty bad if they had you working in the cold.

Alot of the stuff that goes down with these companies, is that the teachers are F.O>B. and too timid or scared to know what to do when something is "wrong".

Luckily, I will not be so fresh off the boat. I have a couple of friends in Japan already. Depending on the location they offer me, I may just provide them with the address of my friend and say that I'm staying there. Then, go on to find my own accomodation in my own time. The training manual says that besides all the required money you have to pay upfront, that 99% of the times, you don't get your deposit back.

It's too bad they wouldn't even have regular room temperature tea around, but you just have to adapt and find many silver linings.

[elkarlo]

[ripslyme]