Job Discussion Forums

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

I am asking this question on the General Discussion Forum because it gets more traffic and responses appear to be faster. Time is of the essence on this one!!

Also I have checked the Job Information Journal and found one post on the school - negative but not drastically so.

Does anybody out there know anything about this school? They want me to start there on Monday the 14th April!! I am on fast forward and would appreciate any feedback asap.

The contract sounds fairly standard to me except for the following:

HEALTH INSURANCE
Health insurance is not supplied by Michigan, as foreigners with a proper working visa are entitled to coverage under the National Health Insurance Plan. We will help new employees acquire coverage; travelers insurance is strongly recommended for those just arriving from overseas, this can be acquired at any large airport, or your local travel agent.

Does this sound reasonable?

Does anyone out there know anything about the intricacies of getting a work Visa in Japan? I have just rung the Japanese consulate in Brisbane, Australia and they have advised me that I will have to wait 6 weeks minimum to arrange one from here. The alternative is to go to Japan and then fly out to Korea, Hong Kong or Taiwan and arrange it from there!! All of which will cost me money not to mention the health risk factor!!

I apologise if these questions are elementary but this will be my first EFL position. I do have 18+ years teaching experience including ESL but I've only ever required a tourist Visa in my travels to date.

HELP

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

First of all, April 12 is on a Saturday.This sounds like one of those"we really wanted you to begin work day before yesterday things"....do you really think this place is on the "up and up"?Surely they do not expect you to get the paperwork in five days? I would be a little suspicious of this one.Best of luck...but be careful...

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

Bnix... she said 14th not 12th.

They probably want you to start at such short notice because a teacher probably walked out on them. Something to think about... Apparently you no longer have to leave the country to get your work visa... It can all be done in Japan but in the meantime you will be working illegally.

A.S.

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

Maybe they changed it,Originally it said Monday April 12th.Not that it really matters.Their businees of course,personally I would exercise caution with any school that wanted to hire on such short notice,unless of course they could give me some pretty plausible reasons.

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

Thank you to bnix and azarashi sushi.

You are of course both correct with your warnings. The employer has been up front with me re her need for urgency and it sounds feasible to me. This still leaves me with a difficult decision to make. I would like to take the position and feel some empathy with the employer.

Would I be covered if I deferred any salary payment until my work visa comes through? I realize that this course requires a great deal of trust (or stupidity) on my part but I would be prepared to take that risk if it was legal.

Other advice I have received assures me that there is now no need to leave Japan to acquire a work Visa. I am going to double check this on the Japanese immigration web site asap.

Thank you again for your advice and I would appreciate your further comments.

PS bnix is correct. My original post did contain not one but two errors!! I was mortified and have now edited both of them. I plead my haste as an explanation if not an excuse!!

senor boogie woogie · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2003 7:34 am Post subject:

Ohio State English School is NUMBER 1! Michigan English school is junk!

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

It seems nobody adressed your concern about health insurance, so I will. The Japanese health plan is incredibly reasonably priced for new residents of Japan because it is based on last years salary. Since you had no salary in Japan last year it's a steal.

Obviously it would be better if the company offered a health insurance plan, but if you are above average in time off, salary or apartment size and convenience then you're a winner. I don't really know anything about the Michigan English school, which means that it probably isn't bad.

By the way, you're other posts are highly amusing. Very Happy

sheridan · Joined: 15 Mar 2003 Posts: 20

Thank you guest of Japan for the information and the compliment.

Now that we have established that we share a sense of humour and a reasonable standard of literacy perhaps we should arrange to meet in Japan!

I am a "good woman" and if you are one of those men who believe that they inherently deserve a "good woman" who knows where our relationship might end up!! Maybe we could have the first internet wedding at Dave's eslcafe and live happily ever after running a "lonely hearts' club" forum for all those incredibly desirable men and "good women" out there in TEFL Land.

However, if you are another "good woman" we could meet for cathartic therapy. I'm sure I'll need it if I have to work with male teachers whose IQ's are inversely proportional to their egos and who regularly indulge in sexual therapy of the wanking kind on this public forum!!

Ozzieguy · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 1

I only just read the article posted, otherwise I would of said something sooner. I used to live in Gifu and have actually been to this school. They interviewed me in October last year wanting me to start on the following Monday, but after an evil reference from Geos Childrens with whom I had been working they changed their minds. Their loss...
I believe they are a genuine english school so you needn't worry to much about that. Hope it all works out for you.