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Which ALT company would you choose?
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Imseriouslylost



Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:23 am    Post subject: Which ALT company would you choose? Reply with quote

I have to choose between Borderlink, RCS Corporation and Heart Corporation. I have job offers from all three. Which would you choose?

I'm leaning heavily to the side of RCS Corporation but haven't made a final decision yet.
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I were you, I would look for a 4th option. You have selected 3 employers that constantly get bad reports from people.
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cornishmuppet



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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I were you, OP, I'd answer that one for myself. Look at the contract each is offering and simply select the best one, based on such things as

pay
hours
holiday
health insurance
bonuses
reimbursed travel
sick days
housing - location/costs

etc, etc.

One other thing you might want to ask is who will you answer to, the school or the despatch company. At the weekend I talked to a guy I know who recruits for a despatch company (the first time I've had a chance to ask him about it), and he told me that some contracts allow the school to set the schedules, others require everything, down to a class being moved or changed (something that happens frequently) to be done through the despatch company. In no uncertain terms he told me that the latter contracts are a royal pain in the &&& for everyone concerned.

And if you really don't like ANY of the offers, then perhaps you should consider Glenski's advice. But some things you have to decide for yourself, including how much you really want to come to Japan, how long you want to spend looking and applying for jobs, how much it will hurt you if you get burned or whether you could stick out a rough ride until you find a better option, and how willing you are to take a chance and see what happens.

Whatever you choose, good luck with it and I hope it works out!
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just do yourself a big favor and do a search on the Cafe for each of those places. Then you'll see why they should be avoided.
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mushroomyakuza



Joined: 17 Sep 2009
Posts: 140

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you been teaching in Japan and where did you begin?
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Almost 12 years.
Started in an eikaiwa, went to PT HS/PT private lessons, then FT HS, and currently FT uni.
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Imseriouslylost



Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
Almost 12 years.
Started in an eikaiwa, went to PT HS/PT private lessons, then FT HS, and currently FT uni.


I was curious about that as well. What kinds of professional development did you do along the way, Glenski? MA in TESOL?

Did you ever need to go back home to do development or did you just stay in country and do it distance? I wouldn't mind doing an MA in TESOL at some point so I'm curious. I just don't want to go back to my home country to get it.

Glenski wrote:
If I were you, I would look for a 4th option. You have selected 3 employers that constantly get bad reports from people.


I know. The fact that I can change employers later if I feel I'm being treated unfairly makes me feel less cautious about the first position I take. Of the three I listed though, if you had to choose, which one would you think was the best? Is there a best?
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

IMO,
There is no "best" of those 3.

Look for a PM.
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mhard1



Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 54
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey I just wanted to post my opinion on your question. I currently work for RCS, and have been here for the last 8 months or so. I think they are a pretty good company and I have not had any problems. One piece of advice is to make sure you bring enough money with you to get by for the first few months. PM me if you need more advice.
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cvmurrieta



Joined: 10 Jul 2008
Posts: 209
Location: Sendai, Japan

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why don't you check out Temp Staff Kamei as well?
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Glenski



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

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think "Imseriouslylost" is even in Japan, cvmurrieta.
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Imseriouslylost



Joined: 09 Nov 2009
Posts: 123
Location: Tokyo

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
I don't think "Imseriouslylost" is even in Japan, cvmurrieta.


I will be in March. I'll keep an eye on that Temp site too, looks promising for later.

Randomly,

How easy are non-teaching positions to get in Japan? If I wanted to do something *other* than teaching? Not for this year or next, but I'm curious about later down the road if I choose to stay.
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ShioriEigoKyoushi



Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Text deleted

Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Apsara



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do you have any work experience or qualifications in a particular field? In Tokyo, there are positions in IT and finance in foreign companies with offices in Japan for qualified people, but since last year's crash it's a lot harder to get in without very good Japanese. If you don't have skills in a field where there is a demand for non-Japanese to fill positions, or a very high level of Japanese (and even that is often not enough), then I'm afraid you're only realistically going to be able to work in eikaiwa or as an ALT.
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Inflames



Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 486

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski wrote:
I don't think "Imseriouslylost" is even in Japan, cvmurrieta.


Also, a haken (dispatch agency) is likely to require a decent level of Japanese, even for jobs in foreign companies.
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