Job Discussion Forums

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

seklarwia,
Sorry for the misquote.

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

What I am trying to point out is that complaining about a dispatch company and complaining about working in a public school as an ALT are separate things, even though the two are linked.

And yes, the 1,2,3 you point out are pretty much what I'm considering to be common factors. Public schools are certainly a lot more similar than the variety of eikaiwas you get around.

I think the negetivity towards working in Japan goes too far on this forum sometimes. While I think you and other long-term posters are right with what you say 90% of the time, I think that if everyone who came on this forum asking for advice about getting a job in Japan followed the replies they received to the letter, most of them would end up staying at home. For better or worse, who knows. But while BL and others might not be great companies to work for, for someone who wants to come out and work in Japan for a year then its not going to kill them to work for a dispatch company. People pick strawberries to live in France, or flip hamburgers to live in New York for a year. Why not work for BL in order to experience Japan? And then, if like they like the place, they should look around for something better once they're in the system. I did 18 months in a pretty crappy eikaiwa before getting something better. It certainly didn't kill me and if anything, it made me feel more positive towards my current job.

Some days I feel that every time a company is mentioned on here twenty people jump and and shout "stay away!". It must be pretty demoralising reading for newcomers wanting to find out about working in Japan, and I don't think that we should be speaking for the entire foreign workforce, most of whom, as I mentioned before are, if not happy, then content in what they are doing here in order to fulfil their aim of being in Japan.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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

artimidorus · Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

hey all
thank you all for the input. and thank you again for that last comment, cornish. That is sort of how I feel now, being a newbie. I kind of know that there is a lot of BS im prob gonna put up with at BL if i do end up there (btw i got the job w/ bl) but, hey, if i have enough to live on and experience japan, as well as being able to work in a pub. school, awesome. Im really not in it to make money. That's not to say, though, that i dont want money, or that i wont fight if i am being taken advantage of, i certainly will. Yeah, it will suck if ppl at BL try to take advantage of me, but like others have said, almost all of my job will be in the classroom. so... if this has to be my 'hazing', so be it. I am really glad this forum exists to hear what you all have to say and give advice, thank you. (although there does seem to be a shortage of people who have really posative things to say. maybe because people with complaints are more apt to let others know?)

I had one question, though. Glen, you said that once my visa is mine, its mine. Lets say that a company begins the visa process, and during that time another company hires me. What should i do then? should the first company cancel the process so the new comp. can take over? and what if I get new company hires me and I have my Cert of Eligibility? how does this work? and how shoulc i explain this situation to any new company i apply to? thanks!

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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Inflames · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 486

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:25 am Post subject:

I know they do reduced salaries in breaks, but I didn't know that they did no salaries on year contacts. Like I said, nobody at our training was going to receive no salary during the breaks, but then we were all overseas recruits requiring visa sponsership.

Do the jobs you are talking about require that you already have a valid visa? If so, that could be why they get away with doing that.

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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seklarwia · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:26 am Post subject:

ShioriEigoKyoushi · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 364 Location: Japan

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seklarwia · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:50 am Post subject:

It sucks but they can and do do it legally.

Like my contract that is sent off to immigration says I'm full time earning 250,000/month except in August and December when holiday pay comes into play. Immigration is happy that I will have enough money to survive the duration of the contract; they allow sponsership.

But I'm pretty sure that they only need to submit our work reports each month (to whoever, but I doubt immigration has anything do with insurance at this point). This only has scheduled prep or lesson periods on which when you count, always total less than 29.5 hrs. They normally claim that since everything else is your own time, it's technically not work time, so need not be counted.

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

seklarwia · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:54 am Post subject: