Job Discussion Forums

[junan70]

ZORRO!!! Blimey mate you're still knocking around are you??? Still on here defending Westgate. God love ya.

No I'm not a 'recruiter' and I don't work for anyone at the moment so um..you're about as wrong as it's possible to be, but thanks for playing.

I'm happy Westgate worked for you mate, it has for some I'm sure I read somewhere (well Zorro 1 through 5 anyways).

Me? I like to be treated like the adult that I am and so will give them a wide berth.

I haven't been on this site for a while, I forgot that they turn into slanging matches within a couple of posts.

Time to go methinks.....

OP good luck to whatever you decide, hope it works out for you, enjoy the experience.

Cheers

[zorro (5!)]

Junan,

I respect your opinion and can only assume it's based on experience. If it's not, then that's me assuming all wrong. I'm not interested in a flame-fuelled thread either. I just wanted to answer the OP's original questions, and hopefully I've done that, based on my experiences. I think I've contributed first hand knowledge and experiences to anyone interested in working for Westgate, not just the OP.

You're right in one respect though. It would be nice to see some Westgate threads without disagreements.

Guilty as charged for previous crimes.

[StellaLaBella]

I find the haughty attitudes here about Westgate to be pretty amusing. In my opinion, the people that do the most bitching and self-righteous ranting on these forums are the ones to pay the least attention to. They're on some quest to justify their own self-worth as opposed to giving any sort of useful, detailed insight. They also tend to be the type of expats who, lacking outstanding qualities in their own countries, become insupportable pseudo-pretentious ranters who can only criticize anyone with less experience in whatever place they've chosen to live. I find that somewhat ridiculous. Can people provide actual, balanced information instead of throwing around insults and complaints?

I have met three different teachers who worked for Westgate after having worked in Vietnam and China, and they all thought it was a great experience. They went on to get university positions in Vietnam and Mexico, respectively. They were all treated very well and not like "scum on the bottom of the totem pole." The pay for Westgate is also, in my opinion, far from cheap. I am getting paid several thousand yen more for having over 500 hours in the classroom. The salary I'm receiving is more than JET program participants receive and more than most positions on Dave's offer, and it is also far more than I'd earn working most jobs in the U.S and in other parts of Asia. I don't understand how this is cheap or desperate.

I was told by the Westgate recruiters that all the positions had been filled but they might be opening new courses. When they contacted me they told me they were starting an accredited course in Nagoya. Now, it's totally possible that other people dropped out. However, I don't understand why five other people would go through Westgate's extensive application process, interview, and training and then drop out. It seems to me that if they really thought it was a "shitty dispatch company" then they probably wouldn't spend hours and hours of their time trying to get a slot only to drop it with scorn and condescension. The people so full of disgust for Westgate in this forum never would have applied (thankfully, as I think it would be insufferable to work with them!) and the people who do apply probably are not spending all their time lording themselves over others on Dave's ESL Cafe.

Now, the accredited courses count towards university credit and are taught according to the university's English program, not Westgate's. I specifically asked about this and received a whole description of the accredited courses from Westgate. I will also be writing and marking homework and examinations and giving marks that count towards the students' overall university credit. Even if that does not make me a professor, I believe that is a worthwhile addition to my resume. I have already taught at the university level and this position seems very similar to what I did as a professor.

If anyone has any useful information to offer, I'd greatly appreciate it, and thanks to the people who have provided helpful insight so far. If you have something to add about Westgate other than vague, immature insults about being "scum" with absolutely no backing other than ranting on Dave's ESL from other like-minded people, I'd be grateful.

[Glenski]

Stella,
Have you read the link I provided? Even if Westgate tells you that the courses you teach for them/the uni are accredited, it sounds like an illegal position.

What do they have to say about the "inin" type of position?

BTW,
I know someone who used to work for Westgate. He merely used it as a stepping stone to tons of part-time work. He was returning to Japan and already had a visa so didn't need their sponsorship.

[zorro (5!)]

Perhaps illegal from the universities involved.

[lindaashleyrosie]

Stella - I couldn't agree with you more!

[Glenski]

[mc]

Stella, you have absolutely the right attitude about this. You're going into Westgate with your eyes wide open, so don't let the naysayers dissuade you from doing what you want. There are ALWAYS people with an axe to grind about every dispatch company or eikaiwa out there; it's best to take those opinions with a grain of salt.

Good luck!

[Glenski]

mc,
I don't know if you are implying that I am one of those naysayers, but if so, take this to heart. There is a reason many of us frown upon the dispatch companies. In case you hadn't heard, most of them operate illegally (without a proper license), even though the government looks the other way. Moreover, many of them fail to treat their teachers properly.

Stella,
Have you asked Westgate about the "inin" issue?

[Nabby Adams]

Glenski, if the Japanese government isn't worried about the illegality of Westgate it then goes more or less that Westgate aren't illegal. Laws need to be enforced in order to be considered law. Otherwise what about all the obsolete laws that exist all over the world such as certain bedroom activities still being illegal in America. I don't see anyone going to jail for working at/for/on behalf of Westgate any time soon.
If dispatchers doing whatever they do is considered one of those arcaic unenforced laws by even the Japense themselves then why do you worry about it so much?
You also mentioned your one friend who you know of that worked there and implied that from Westgate he used that experience to get "loads of pt work" presumably uni work. Doesn't this show that Westgate is indeed a place where one can get their foot in the uni door? And therefore a pretty good gig for those trying to make a long term life in Japan!

[Glenski]

[Nabby Adams]

Without looking a nut, I just want to say that I sometimes post for the heck of it. Glenski is right and I needed reminding. The likes of Westgate are doing workers all over the world no favour. If workers don't realise that they are part of a group; and that their group has interests then they will quickly find themselves being forced to put up with the very practises that the likes of WEstgate want to impose.
If you think that workers have any rights such as job security, holiday and sickness benefits, protection within the law, etc then dispatchers should be avoided.

I argued for the sake of it and I will try not to post after a beer or two.

[passport220]

[Glenski]

passport,
I don't have to lose my job or have gradiose dreams of unionization to not like Westgate 100%. Friends and colleagues have lost their jobs to WC, not me. And, if WC ducks a law that the government makes, it is not wishful thinking or arrogant to be proud when something such as the union steps in and makes things right (e.g., the EWA case).

FWIW, I have been citing WC for years as the only known short-term option that offers visa sponsorship, so I am not totally against them. One does have to have certain minimal qualifications, though, I believe.


NOTE:
Still waiting to hear from Stella or anyone else about the inin position. I took the time to answer questions, so I feel I deserve to have my own answered.

[justaprofessional]